Quote Originally Posted by sheffield hatter View Post
Just one beer last night, but what a beer: St Mars of the Desert Babalu Imperial Russian Stout 10%. This 440ml can set me back all of £6.50 at Beer Central in Sheffield market. When I flipped the tab the beer spurted and I lost about two pence worth of strong smelling stuff. It poured with a frothy, light tan head that half filled my glass. The taste is somewhere between Toblerone and fruit cake, with a spot of brandy in it. There's a bit of fizz on the tongue, but the beer is so velvety smooth that it's not at all distracting. There's a lingering aftertaste of dark chocolate, vegan friendly of course. More please.

Actually, that was written while still on the first 220ml of the can. By the time I'd reached the last 110ml or so, I had had enough. There's not enough complexity, not enough bitterness-to-balance-the-sweetness to justify drinking the best part of a pint of this stuff. Whereas the Harveys Imperial Extra Double Stout 9% that I'd drunk the night before seemed to change character quite a bit in the course of the hour or so it took to drink. At the start there was elderberry tartness, roasted malt robustness and a hoppy, bitter finish. At the end, as the beer warmed up slightly, there was vanilla and dried fruit too; or instead. That was a 275ml nip bottle. Now 440ml of that one...
I know its exciting drinking beers but please wait till you have drank the portion allotted before reviewing.