no negative

Under cover of darkness, a stout to feed my cravings!  Marzipan is another thing I enjoy, at least when it's good marzipan, so even though it's not a pastry or dessert stout in name, I think Black Marzipan will give me an evening of pleasant drinking.  It's a Baltic beer, from the Latvian Hopalaa, so I have high expectations.  The only thing I wonder about is the thickness and syrupiness of it, being such a heavily malted beer AND with the addition of marzipan somehow.  Worth a shot, I say!

The aroma of plum fudge races out, although it doesn't stick around for long.  Not exceptionally bubbly, the beer has a thick and almost oily look to it.  There's an immediate chocolate taste, nice dark chocolate, not too sweet.  This is followed by notes of vanilla and fruit, prune or raisin perhaps.  To finish off, the drink goes down the throat in a puff of smoke.  It's a fairly desserty beer, although it's not too heavy on the sweetness.  It does have a pretty heavy feel to it, even if it goes down smoothly.  A fun stout, maybe one that most would find too much in a whole pint, but definitely enjoyable.

Suppler: Más Que Cervezas

Price: €6.35

nameless

I feel very much like I need a good stout.  It's chilly, it's a little drizzly, it's windy, it's a day to have something insulating.  I also feel like being advised, so no "just looking" when I go into the store, instead it's "Gimme something strong!"  Of course there's plenty to choose from, but the most attractive at the moment is Arpus Imperial Stout.  It's a heavy 12% with coffee, vanilla and maple added, not a pastry stout, but something to hang onto while watching some ridiculous Youtube.

It has a lovely foresty aroma with the maple, and it looks substantial.  Not a lot of head and not especially bubbly.  The maple also comes out first in flavor, followed by a touch of vanilla and finally some coffee bitter.  The vanilla makes an encore appearance at the very end, smoothing over any coffee roughness.  It's fairly hefty, with a good amount of body in the mouth, a beer to sip rather than guzzle.  You can feel the alcohol as you drink, which could be good as you don't try to overdo it.  On the other hand, it could give you a sense of security in wandering around a dark street, braving the ever wintery winds.  I have to say it makes me feel quite cozy right here on the couch, and I don't actually have much desire to go out to brave anything.  In fact, I'd say this is just the beer I was looking for for the evening.

Supplier: Más Que Cervezas

Price: €6.06