the beast within

Not one of Santa's

It's always on the lookout for those stouts.  The Wildebeest bottle looks distinguished enough, with its classic shape and not-too-busy design.  And it's one of those fancy stouts, with coffee and vanilla, for when your inner child won't be contained either.  It's a good, rich black, with a nice tan head that settles into a fairly thin topping.  The taste is kind of a wild blend of flavors coming out in jumps.  I think the coffee was what I noticed first, kind of the bitter portion of the beverage, but the chocolate-vanilla sweetness bounded out immediately after.  The sweet tends to spread out and cover the whole tongue as you sip, while I find the bitterness rises up at the back.  It's a pretty heavy drink; the label suggests settling into a comfortable armchair for proper drinking comfort.  I can't argue with the appeal, but the bar booth doesn't sound too bad either, provided the proper company is present.