There's more than a month of beer coming up, starting today! I have a whole calendar of Spanish beer this time, and it's craft beer, so I imagine it won't be as disappointing as what Fass sold me a few years ago. Not that they were awful beers, of course, just a whole lotta pilsners for December. We start off well, with a nice black beer from La Quince/Pirata/Guineu, Vanilla Black Block Imperial Stout. It's strong, over 10%, and that deathly label kind of hints at Christmas spirits to come.
While not as robust looking as other stouts of its origins, the aroma is indeed robust. There's a slight stickiness, a hint of plum and raisin, and an undercurrent of chocolate. The flavor also presents a good amount of fruit, although also breadiness. I get something like a very dry fruitcake, or well-jellied toast. There's the typical stout roughness, but it's also a fairly light brew, very easy on the throat once it starts going down. It takes quite a while for some coffee to make an appearance but eventually it does, without any traces of licorice to my relief. In spite of its lightness, there is a pretty good amount of staying power in the flavor. It's a nice entry into a wintery season and a beery challenge.
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