Beer- #71 - Moa Imperial Stout

Woo Hoo - Moa Imperial Stout, custom bottle, cork, cage, all happening in a 375Ml of 10.2% ABV bottle of beer.

Brewed by Moa Brewing Company - Blenheim, New Zealand And this is the style of an Imperial Stout.

"Moa Imperial Stout Barrel Reserve is a very strong, upfront and rich offering of this famous Moa style. Aged in oak Pinot Noir barrels, this beer not only displays coffee and mocha characters but also some sweet and savory notes unique to Moa Imperial. This award winning Stout is seasonally produced and available for short periods each year. " They said

So at 10.2% ABV this isn't a quaffing beer, unless quaffing means something else that I'm not aware of.

I'd hate for there to be a unsightly accident if the cork flew out of this, and despite my trepidation it came out with barely a whimper.

Pours dark and rich, lots of fizz from the carbonation, and I get an Aniseed aroma. There's a bit of a mish mash of taste in it, nothing overt or leading, and teasing mouthfeel as you reach for the taste description.

There is a richness of taste in this, but as much as I'd like I can't get the coffee or mocha, but I do understand the tannin like thing going on. There's even some spice or fruit, it's not getting worse the longer it's in the glass.

The pdubyah-o-meter needs a little tap on the dial to make it move, and it arbitrarily and reluctantly gets to a 5 arbitrary things from 10.

The Stout market is well served with some very very good offerings, and I'd love to say that this was one of them. The presentation is magnificent, and you could get the impression that they're hoping that appearance counts for a bit. Sadly the contents don't appear to be able to reach the same wonderment that the packaging promises. Shame that.

If you're wanting to show off  to mates then this is for you, if you actually want a good Stout then perhaps give this a bit of a miss.

I'm sipping this (I told you it wasn't quaffing beer) watching some sport, and having a bit of Kaimai Creamy Blue, from Waharoa. It says it's a Buttery velvet mild peppery cheese. It's not. I think this is a tad long in the package and is almost bland and unpleasant.  The crackers are nice though.

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• Malt Monday's Beer Review of the Week: Fisherman's Imperial Pumpkin Stout (gigglesgobblesandgulps.com)