The Muddy Imperial Stout by Goose Island

I have to admit pretty much anytime I visit the grocery store I feel I have to check the beer aisle. Most of the time I walk out of the aisle with nothing. Nevertheless I feel I have to check because of that exciting moment every beer enthusiast loves, finding something new and exciting. I did just that on a recent visit when I came across The Muddy Imperial Stout by The Goose Island Beer Company. Now if the Bourbon County Series has taught us one thing, The Goose Island Beer Company knows how to make an incredible stout. I didn't think for an instant this was going to be in the same ball park as Bourbon County but I thought there was a chance it was the equivalent of tailgating outside of said ball park. Please pardon the bad sports metaphor but I was very excited about that. Add in the fact that this imperial stout according to the bottle featured “amplified sweetness with licorice notes” I probably could not have gotten it in the cart fast enough. The only question I was left with was, is this beer going to be as exciting as I think it's going to be?

The Muddy poured a thick black color with a dark tan head that went away almost immediately. The aroma was slightly sweet, full of roasted malt with chocolate and a hint of coffee. The aroma was also slightly boozy but with an ABV of 9% that is not completely unexpected. And while The Muddy is a fun name for a stout, unfortunately it accurately described the flavor. The roasted malt was easily detectable initially in the flavor but shortly after that the outrageous candy sweetness dominated my palate. It was so overpowering that any of the subtle flavors that I was doing my best to detect were pretty much “muddied” by this sweetness. The worst part to me was the fact that the licorice was practically nonexistent. As I made my way through the glass I kept hoping the next sip was going to be the one where I tasted the licorice, sadly this never happened.

When I was finished with The Muddy all I was left with was an empty glass and a whole lot of disappointment for this completely missed opportunity by Goose Island to create something new and creative. And it is also a reminder that unfortunately not every new beer we spot is as good as we hope it would be. But it is beers like The Muddy that make us appreciate when we find that good beer that much more.

Overall I give The Muddy Imperial Stout a 1.5/5. While it is not completely undrinkable it reminded me more of an extremely sweet cheap liqueur then it did an imperial stout.

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　

To discuss this blog or all things beer follow me on Twitter at @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews go to: http://acraftylook.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Rhinelander Chocolate Bunny Stout

I’ve never understood the appeal of the Chocolate Bunny. I think they are boring, bland and as easy to chew as a piece of concrete. However this does not stop someone from getting me one as a gift every Easter. And every year I do the same thing. I eat a piece, remember how much I don’t like it, put it somewhere for someone else to eat and then throw it in the garbage a week or two later. It’s my Easter tradition.
 

And while I am not a fan of the Chocolate Bunny, I am a fan of the chocolate stout. If it is done right, the chocolate stout can be an very enjoyable beer drinking experience. With its’ chocolate sweetness and coffee bite, it might be the closest beer gets to being a dessert. So, my curiosity was peaked when I came across Rhinelander’s Chocolate Bunny Stout. The title alone gave me a reason to hope I might have found a new Easter tradition.

Things started out very well when Chocolate Bunny Stout poured a wonderfully dense black with a thick tan head that resembled chocolate milk. There was almost nothing else to detect in the aroma but chocolate and more chocolate. At this point I thought I was in for quite a treat.

Unfortunately upon tasting, I was hit immediately with the unpleasant flavor of artificial chocolate, followed by a hint of roasted malt. Things then went from bad to worse when the beer finished with the strong flavor of old burnt coffee. To better put it into perspective, think Nesquik meets vending machine coffee. It was at this point I realized it was time to stop looking for a new Easter tradition and start looking for any reason to finish the bottle.

Overall I give Rhinelander’s Chocolate Bunny Stout a 1/5. There are many variations of the chocolate stout, try any one but this one.

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　

To discuss this blog or all things beer follow me on Twitter & Untappd at

@ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews go to: http://acraftylook.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!