Imperial Pastry Stout

homages?

por Ceit
septiembre 12, 2026septiembre 18, 2026

Yes, another stout to enjoy, although it still seems like summer. Next week will be better, but will it last? We can only wait and see. Anyway, my glorious stout, my precious pastry, Brewed Velvet Back To Black. Is the ghost of Amy Winehouse possessing it? Doesn’t seem like it. Maybe a David Lynch character is lurking around somewhere. This is a healthy 10-percenter, imperial pastry stout no less. Drunken Bros. are living up to their name this time.

It looks like there’s some sediment sitting on top of the beer in the can, since it isn’t foam, and the beer pours into the glass looking “dirty”. It cleans itself up pretty well and with some speed, although the foam has some oddly huge bubbles in it. The aroma leans heavily into mocha, so the chocolate and coffee are coming through quite strongly. The flavor, on the other hand, is a trumpeting blast of vanilla. It’s something like those chewy vanilla toffees that are a lot like Tootsie Rolls, but nicer. Like many pastry stouts, it ends up being something more akin to a Starbucks special than what you expect in your favorite alcohol dispensary, but there are evenings when that’s what you’re looking for. It gains weight as it sits, even while it stays cool, although it doesn’t get too syrupy or leave any amount of sludge behind it. The second pour gives a more unruly head, which puffs up unexpectedly and lets a few drips roll over the edge. Tears of a chocolate angel. It now seems a lot like a beer float, although the ice cream seems to have melted into it. It’s quite the sipping beer, and for its strength it doesn’t leave you reeling, at least if you take your time with it. Don’t forget that it is not actually an ice cream float.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: €7.90

great expectations

por Ceit
septiembre 5, 2026septiembre 14, 2026

So, starting a new month, I make damn sure I have me some of my favorite style! No regrets, IPAs and sours, but everyone is entitled to have a favorite. I have a a big start too, with Basqueland’s Chocotastico, an Imperial Pastry Stout that looks like just the thing. A pretty simple list of helpers for this one, just chocolate, caramel and salt. It sounds like a sundae of a beer, but there’s nothing wrong with that at the end of the day, and at the end of a season.

Lusciously chocolate looking, with a tightly bubbles dark mocha head, which doesn’t actually stick around for too long. Chocolate is also heavy in the aroma, of a syrupy sort. First there’s the chocolate on the tongue, dark chocolate, not overly sweet or sticky, but then there’s a rush of coffee and a kind of dry feeling, very tannic. It reminds me of some barrel aged stouts that have absobed much of the barrel along with some other alcohol scent. It starts to come out of its shell a little bit after a few sips, with the body building at every drink and notes of nuttiness making an appearance. I don’t notice much of the caramel, but maybe that’s what’s lending weight to the brew. There is a halo of savoriness around it, the work of the salt I supposed, but it’s like adding salt to cookie dough; the end result isn’t really salty and it just highlights the sweetness that is the main focus. I do have to mention a strange lack of stability in the flavor, though. Mostly it is tasty and a liquid bonbon, but every once in a while I get a weird goosh of just…water. It’s like ice melting in an ice coffee. Still, that’s not the worst thing that’s happened to me with a beer.

Supplier: La Buena Cerveza
Price: ~€7

shining dark

por Ceit
agosto 8, 2026

Still in the thoes of summer heat, but I feel the need for something dark. A reminder of shadows and cool and damp. It’s supposed to be slightly rainy today, according to my weather app, but it certainly isn’t in my neighborhood. If only there was a good summer storm to go with my nice pastry stout, my Sweet Tooth. Scanning the shelves, I saw that Lervig star and that was pretty much it. A nice pastry stout, black as an eclipse that might be seen not too far away from here. It’s also a good quiet celebration beer, to go with some recent news. But, I think will detail that another day.

A rich and sticky looking pour, with a warm dark brown color. Dark mocha head sets nicely and gently shrinks over a minute or so. The aroma is very fitting for a pastry stout, full of vanilla, fresh muffins, syrup. I think the coconut is in there too, but I might just be anticipating it. The first sip is also a real blast of sweetness, so much that I can’t even untangle what I’m tasting. Going back, there’s a hint of cocnut and some sharpness like gingerbread, the smoothness of vanilla chasing it all down. Then a little licorice pokes its head out in the aftertaste. Sitting inside, it’s a delight and even refreshing for me. There is a certain amount of weight to it, and while smooth, it’s no breezy drink that flies by in a flash. It also doesn’t take too long for the alcohol to start leaning on you, although only lightly. But we are talking about an 11% beer, so it would be odd if that didn’t happen.

Supplier: La Mundial
Price: €6.90

Let's Learn Beer!

Let's Learn Beer!

Let's Learn Beer!

Let's Learn Beer!

Imperial Pastry Stout

homages?

great expectations

shining dark