Nose of ground coffee, dark chocolate, with subtle bourbon notes emerging as the temp rises. Front taste of brewed coffee, bittersweet cocoa, vanilla, light wood notes on the back end. Aftertaste is dark chocolate, burnt caramel, faint caramel, mild herbal expression. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is warm, thick, creamy, a touch astringent.
This is a very good coffee beer that is a tad shy of excellence. The chocolate and coffee flavors are prominent throughout, but the promised almonds and sea salt are absent, with the bourbon taste nearly so. This beer benefits from 10 minutes in the glass, with buried aromas and flavors standing taller as the temp rises to room. Given enough time to warm, it steps forward tasting more like a milk stout than anything else.
Still, even with time on the table, with all its cards laid out, the commendable flavor profile leaves me wanting more, if only because I've had so many superior similar beers. Based on its description, which includes almonds, sea salt, and bourbon barrel aged coffee beans (the coffee is BBA, not the beer itself), this beer clearly aimed high - but narrowly missed its mark. Still, it's surely a good brew to try, particularly if you enjoy coffee beers. Recommended.
From the brewery:
"This groundbreaking export stout is brewed with house-roasted, bourbon barrel-aged coffee. Yup, bourbon barrel-aged coffee. This unique process imbues our coffee with the incredible flavor and aroma of a freshly emptied bourbon barrel, which carries over magnificently into this rich, chewy beer. Unlike any other beer in the world, City of the Dead is immensely flavorful and unforgettably delicious."
[source: moderntimesbeer.com]
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