Family Thanksgiving Beer Share. Tasty Mexican chocolate stout. 4/5

The beer pours semiclear, amber. The rich, long-lasting carbonation creates a light-creamy, mousse-like head that thickens only up to one finger. The foamy cap shrinks really painfully to a lower level but still retains the beer's precious aromas under a relatively dense lid for significantly long, practically till the end of the drink. The fragrance puts forward a good amount of malt, some dried grapefruit peel, distant apricot and a floral nuance. The hoppy twist is generous and grassy. The tongue loves the hefty dry-hopped malt that gains strength from grapefruit pith, lemon peel, spruce needles and a tad resin. I can also detect faint mango, vanishing apricot and a timid wish of biscuit. The body is medium-full to my big surprise. Wow! The beer ends with a powerful piney twist and a resinous punch, embedded in the medium-strong malt and colossal dry hops. The fruity side portrays lemon peel, a tad grapefruit, a pinch of mango and a suggestion of apricot. The aftertaste keeps the tastebuds working overtime. The mouthfeel is medium-strong, surprisingly soft and neatly smooth. It's undoubtedly also substantially crisp, truly piney, quite dry and significantly mouth-drying. Must be one of the best old-school West Coast IPAs I've had! 😋 The tree in the picture is an exceptionally huge sequoia, called General Sherman. I had this very picture already once in a collage but I'm using it again since it matches so perfectly the beer's name. The tree is some 2,200 years old according to the estimates and its diameter amounts to 11 meters. It's stunning to think that the tree was around 200 years old already at the time when Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem.

Self-picked flight 4/4. Hazy, orange beer with white, meager lacing  decorating the top. Soon the surface is basically still. The nose enjoys a good amount of coconut and rather powerful oven baked apple pandowny that has been seasoned with a pinch of cinnamon. Hefty peach nectar steps on the tongue. I can also detect fresh light-sour apple. The light-bodied beer ends with apple, stuffy peach and watery lemon juice. The aftertaste rushes through. The mouthfeel is relatively light, somewhat juicy and faintly tart.

Self-picked flight 3/4. Murky, deep dark brown beer with cream-hued, thin lacing on the surface. The retreating foam leaves downpouring splatters on the glass. The olfactory provision includes dark chocolate, a tad cacao nibs and a little injection of sweet vanilla. The gustatory profile consists of raw chocolate, raw cacao powder and some brown sugar, seasoned with a tad lemon zest and a distant bitter coffeeish note. The light-bodied beer finishes with bitter black coffee, a reasonable amendment of roasted coffee beans and a smaller injection of raw cacao pod. I can also pick lemon peel in the finish. The aftertaste rolls on tongue for long. The mouthfeel is a bit tangy, slightly roasty and medium-light.

Self-picked flight 2/4. Murky, deep dark brown beer with cream-tinted, cotton lacing that rises up to one finger and dissolves sluggishly to a moldy patchy layer on the surface. The retreating foam leaves thick, erratic coverings on the wall of the glass. The fragrance puts forward modest coconut and faint hazelnut in the background. I get also a suggestion of gingerbread in the olfactory experience. The tongue receives a bit of bitter mocha, distant coconut as well as a neat injection of brown malt. The body is light-medium. The beer ends long with bitter coffee and raw cacao powder, followed by a remote nuance of coconut. The mouthfeel is medium-light, distantly tangy and tropical although by no means juicy.

Self-picked flight 1/4. Murky, deep dark brown beer with cream-colored, thin silky lace ring that barely reaches half a finger's height and descends slowly to a hair-thin lacing on top. The scent offers massive sweet hazelnut and bags of nut cookie. The taste portrays colossal sweet hazelnut, loads of nut cookie and a noticeable coffeeish note. The body is medium to medium-full. The beer finishes with a strong nutty punch and a generous amount of brown biscuit, accompanied by a tad coffee and light-roasted coffee beans. The aftertaste cracks nuts for the tastebuds for a long period. The mouthfeel is relatively soft and reasonably smooth. It's also medium-full, satiating as well as somewhat lip-glueing. I could also add 'wintery'.

Maukas