in disguise

I do love my stouts, although recently IPAs have been attractive and satisfying.  The large print of Imperial Black drew my hand right to it, but then I saw it was actually an IPA.  Should be interesting.

The label lists a number of flavorful ingredients and there is a mild spicy scent when the bottle is opened.  Despite appearances, the smell is IPA all the way, slightly citrusy and sour in a pleasant way.  The taste is a mix of herbal ale and creamy stout, flavors that make an odd clash at first but begin to find their places on the tongue after a couple of sips.  At first I thought the blend was something at least a little psychological, since the beer would fool anyone looking at it into thinking it was a normal stout, but rechecking the label shows a "malt base", so there is some reality in the smooth/sharp coupling.

Better than any Guinness I've had