one love

One of the nice things about the move to cans is the increase in space for decoration.  Northern Monk's The Lovers Soft Centre Imperial Stout certainly looks busy, for example.  There are the lovers receiving the blessings of the heavens, a snake coiled up in the middle, a good amount of tattoos (I suppose) for good measure.  Even better, it's a stout, love of all my loves!  This one does have a few interesting additives, like cherry and strawberry, as well as the more common cacao and vanilla.  This has been quite a month for beer street promotion, although there haven't been too many innovations that I've come across, so this is one of the more exciting beers of recent times.  Ok, The One's Celta was also pretty special.  Wasn't a stout, though!

It smells rich and exotic just pulling back the tab, and pours out luxuriously.  It's not especially heady, practically no foam ends up on top.  A lingering sniff brings up vanilla, cocoa, a tantalizing hint of hard liquor.  Was this one barrel aged?  Doesn't look like it.  It has a taste that thunders out like chocolate cherry coke.  If only that existed - well, it wouldn't be here anyway.  Too sweet for peninsular tastes.  And since this is an English beer and not a Spanish one, that's believable for the beer too.  It feels rich and creamy, although it's a clean feeling too.  Nothing sticky in this one to start with.  Maltman's cherry stout has a similar flavor, but it thinner and slipperier, The Lovers is smooth and silky, but with a definite body to appreciate.

Supplier: La Buena Pinta

Price: €7