As I mentioned in my previous blog, part of me wants to move on from stout season and part of me does not. I am sick of the cold weather but I love how a fantastic imperial stout can provide a bit of warmth on a cold night. Another reason I do not want to give up stouts just yet is I seem to have racked up quite a few over the past few months and now I think it is time to finally sit down and drink some of them.
Mikkeller-San Diego's Traeblod, an imperial stout brewed with coffee and maple syrup is one beer that I dropped everything to obtain when I heard it was hitting town. I am a sucker for a stout (or any beer really) containing maple syrup and I know I am not the only one. When done right, it adds a really beautiful layer to a beer. When it is done wrong it is either undetectable or makes for a saccharine-sweet disaster of a beer. Mikkeller's Traeblod is an instance where it works really nicely.
At 11.1%, Traeblod has that beautiful, full bodied motor oil-esque pour I love to see in my imperial stouts. The aroma is full of maple syrup, coffee, campfire smoke, chocolate, caramel, licorice, roasted malt and a touch of fruitiness. The maple syrup shines as well in the flavor which of course puts Traeblod on the sweeter side, but that was what I hoped for/expected. The coffee is there too but I want it to be a touch bolder. It is sitting in the background at a time I want it to come through like a bold dark roast or espresso. Smoke, chocolate, licorice, caramel all come through with an earthy, slightly bitter finish.
Maple syrup is the star of the show here. I really wish the coffee flavor was turned up just a bit and I feel that would put this beer on a whole other level. Still, this is a much better beer than the last Mikkeller attempt at a maple stout. Maple Breakfast Shake spent more time confusing me than it did providing a great drinking experience. At some points I thought it was fantastic and on other sips, I thought it was unbearably sweet and was lucky if I had a tooth left in my head by the time my glass was empty. With Traeblod, the maple flavor shines nicely but smoky, roasted malt and hop bitterness provide a nice compliment to the sweetness. In short, Traeblod could be better but it is a damn good maple imperial stout that is well worth the money.
Overall rating: 4.25/5
Rating Scale:
1. Repugnant and undrinkable
2. Acceptable but forgettable
3. Good, worth a purchase
4. Excellent, a step above the norm
5. Truly Exceptional. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!
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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!
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