Je suis pas loin du Graal

Celebrating my Naval Birthday today, 20 years of serving Queen and Country. I decided to have something I thought I’d like but wouldn’t normally go for, and in this case something quite pricey. I wasn’t disappointed however this is probably the furthest extreme I’d be able to go when it comes to pastry stouts. Bold peanut butter aroma on opening the bottle. Pours quite thick and with no head. This translates into quite a full bodied beer, low carbonation and a full mouthfeel. The peanut flavours dominate with coffee very much second fiddle. Too much sweetness coming thorough though. It just quite tips over in to being too sweet I guess due to the flavours and the lactose. I’d have liked more roastiness and more complexity, but then this is a pastry stout. Booze is well hidden, I literally gulped the first 2/3rds then remembered to savour the last bit. Glad I had this beer and I’ll definitely sound out their more traditional imperial stouts in future. Bottoms up! ⚓️🍻

From the Christmas calendar. Best before 26.11.2022 Temperature: +11,5 C Dark coffee-brown color. Small head with poor retention. The texture looks nice and thick: 3,75/5 The aroma strikes hard with the peanut butter. Only mild coffee notes, somewhat surprisingly so. The strength is well hidden, with no alcohol scent. Straightforward as the beer gave everything it got with the first sniff: 3,5/5 Mouthfeel is medium-full, creamy with very low carbonation and bitterness. The alcohol is again completely hidden. Deceptively easy to drink: 4,25/5 The taste is showing more things than the scent. Much more. The coffee is now there with the peanut butter. Also lactose sweetness, some malty roastiness, and chocolate. Even the alcohol has some role, although it is still extremely well-hidden: 11/15 A bit too straightforward and uninspiring as this just doesn't manage to awake any thoughts. This just goes down with ease: 14,5/20 =37/50

Sehr gut.