Sweetwater Happy Ending Imperial Stout
It's nice to be able to finally brew some beer without restrictions on it. we came from Colorado where we could brew or try anything. We've been waiting 7 years to make a stout and we harnessed all that frustration into this batch of beer.
We didn't get caught up in the parameters of a specific style we just brewed a big fat hoppy beautiful beer. The timing of the law change couldn't have been better for us, because it has taken until this summer for us to get set up in our new brewery. We finally have some capacity to experiment with some new style. This could lead into a seasonal offering from us in the future. For now we're just glad we can satisfy the demands of the folks who have been on us since day 1 to make a stout.
Malt: 70/80 crystal malt, chocolate malt, black malt, roasted malt
Hops: Centennial, Willamette and cascade - on the dry hop!
We didn't get caught up in the parameters of a specific style we just brewed a big fat hoppy beautiful beer. The timing of the law change couldn't have been better for us, because it has taken until this summer for us to get set up in our new brewery. We finally have some capacity to experiment with some new style. This could lead into a seasonal offering from us in the future. For now we're just glad we can satisfy the demands of the folks who have been on us since day 1 to make a stout.
Malt: 70/80 crystal malt, chocolate malt, black malt, roasted malt
Hops: Centennial, Willamette and cascade - on the dry hop!
3.7
572 reviews
Atlanta, United States
Community reviews
Dark black like oil. Thick khaki head. Smells like an ipa. Thick chocolate. Several layers, it starts off like a stout and finishes like a thick black ipa. Hoppy finish for a stout....works well though. I dig it.
This imp stout poured a deep black colour with a nice big creamy brown head. Scents include smoke, wieners and a little cocoa. First swig was bursting with flavours of burnt malt, molasses, and a little camphor. Finish is smoking roasty with a nice light hop.
Bottle shared at The Cad’s 10 year get together. Thanks to Colin. Dark black coloured pour with a fading light tan head. Aroma is dark malts, liquorice, nutty, some hot alcohol. Little soapy harasser on the nose as well. Flavour is composed of caramel, dark choc, some smoked malts, back, liquorice and dry finish. Palate is medium full bodied, smooth on the tongue and moderate carbonation. Light pine hop in the background.
Bottle. Wood smoke, coffee, dark chocolate malt and hay aroma. Oil black with large tan head. Sweet raisin, coffee, dark chocolate malt, and lightly bitter herbal hay flavor. Smoky finish. Lighter body than expected.
Bottle shared during the Cad’s 10th anniversary bash - Clerkenwell, London. Thanks to Cloin. Pours rich black with a foamy mocha topping. The nose holds dried dark frutis and burnt grains. Medium sweet flavor with lightly tangy dark fruits, licorice, pine, dark bread and cocoa. Full bodied with fine carbonation and creamy texture. Lightly warming to finish with more dark fruit, burnt marshmallow, chocolate, scorched earth bitterness. Nice impy stout.
22 oz bottle shared with ebone1988. The pour is a darker brown, maybe light black with a nice khaki colored head and some light soapy lace. The aroma is a lot more hoppy than I'd imagined it would be. Lots of milk chocolate and some light roast. There is a lot of sweetness here that the initial hop doesn't lead on. The flavor is pretty bland. The hops are nice. It's like a hippy chocolate with a light roast. It's not awful, but it's pretty decent. The mouth feel is light and the carbonation is hit and miss, also light with a lingeringly chocolatey hoppy aftertaste that carries a little sweetness out the back
Bottle shared with koleminer20. Aroma is candy sweetness, a sugary candy licorice, the hops are melding pretty well. Appearance is black, light brown head, but it poured pretty light. Taste is roasted malt, hops, and chocolate, but light. Mouthfeel is decent, carbonation is ok but it’s a bit light. Overall, interesting, but it leaves something to be desired.
Crazy label huh folks??? Chocolate and dark malt aroma. Black pour tan head good amount of lacing tast of roasted malts and toffee and coffee. Earthy hops and thick rich mouthfeel.
It pours black with a brown head that produces lacing. It has chocolate and roasted aromas. It is initially sweet with flavors on chocolate. It is highly carbonated and the roasted flavors compliment the chocolate well. It also has a hoppy floral character. It is moderately bitter on the palate.
Aroma: chocolate, caramel, toast, caramel,
Apppearance: black, clear, brown foam,
Taste: medium sweetness, lightly bitter, chocolate
Palate:medium body, creamy, soft carbonation, long finish,
Well done impy stout, pleasantly surprised
Draft. Aroma is a very resin hop with some dry, dark malt. Appearance is black with a tan head. Taste is a very citrus and piney hop flavor with dark malt underneath. Palate is hoppy and dry. Overall, a good stout that has some very interesting hop character.
12 ounce bottle into snifter, best before 1/20/2016. Pours fairly pitch black color with a 1 finger dense tan head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toast, dark bread, light smoke/char, grapefruit, tangerine, citrus zest, light pine, and floral/roasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt and moderate citrus/piney hop notes; with good strength. Taste of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toast, dark bread, light smoke/char, grapefruit, tangerine, citrus zest, light pine, and floral/roasted earthiness. Fair amount or pine/roast bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, toast, dark bread, light smoke/char, grapefruit, citrus zest, light pine, and floral/roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice robustness, complexity, and balance of dark/roasted malt and moderate citrus/piney hop flavors; with a good roasted bitterness/sweetness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; wit ha very smooth, moderately creamy, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is a very nice American imperial stout. All around good robustness, complexity, and balance of dark/roasted malt and moderate citrus/piney hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.
12 ounce bottle. Thanks Dane. Pours black with a small tan head. Aroma of malt, chocolate, coffee, and fruit. Taste is roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, citrus, and pine. Unusual in that the hops are so forward. Nice.
Bottle from Bruisin’ Ales. Dark fruit and chocolate cherry aroma. Smoky roasty taste with chocolate and dark fruit notes. Very nicely balanced between bitter and sweet.
This is my go-to beer in the fridge. Pours very dark, brief head on it. Nice roast malt tastes but with good hops as well. Easy drinking.
Bottle at the Cads 10th Anniversary bash, picked up at some package store in Georgia, 29/03/15.
Light black with a decent tan covering.
Nose is light roast, chocolate, smoke, toffee, not a dominant nose.
Taste comprises chcocolate, roast malt, toffee fudge, spice, charr, coffee notes, dark fruit rinds, trace of liquorice.
Medium + body, fine carbonation, lightly warming alcohol in the close.
Ok impy.
Tried this on two consecutive nights. Rich nose. A little booze with cola and coffee. Booze and tootsie roll taste. Meh.
Appearance: pours with a large nice head, the head is tan but is a tan shade that has hues of gold in it, the beer is black and opaque
Aroma: chocolate, coffee, creamy, some hops poke through,
Taste: chocolate, not as much coffee, bitterness on the finish
Palate: soft carbonation, heavy mouthfeel, leaves mouth wet, bitter aftertaste
Overall: this stout tastes more chocolate that coffee to me but isn't overly sweet, hides the alcohol very well, very subtle nose and flavors, lacks complexity, not bad
Dark brown coloured body with a rich, three centimetre tall rich brown head. Aroma of hops, alcohol, molasses, brown sugar, coffee and a good amount of roasted malt - but the hops are strong in the nose. Full-bodied; Strong hoppy flavour with a large roasted malt presence, some vanilla, oak, molasses and a bit more hops on the finish - strong won both fronts. Aftertaste of course shows a ton of sugar and roasted malt with a big bitterness from chocolate and coffee, but even more bitter notes stem from the large hop presence, which is very nice! Overall, a very nice Imperial Stout with a big hop character but still a nice robust chocolate and vanilla flavour. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Total Wine in Chantilly, Virginia on 31-January-2015 for US$2,79 sampled at home in Washington on 11-April-2015.
Tastes like black licorice and chocolate with a smokey ham flavor. Pours black with a tan head. Smells smokey comes in a wax top bomber. Had at home.
Black with tan head. Bottle pour at christpunchers pad. Malty and Cocoa aroma. Fruity dark happiness. A little ham flavor.
Old rating. Ugh…that name. Big dark pour. Chocolate, roast, char, piney. Decent smooth mouthfeel. Good stuff overall.
Bottle. Pours a deep brown with sweet brown sugar and chocolate aromas. A bit of burn on the palate, some fruit and chocolate in the taste and a little bit of a smooth and silky mouthfeel. Not bad.
Milk chocolate aroma with very subtle pine and smoke notes underneath. Black, medium firm beige head. Chocolate and pine. Charred oak and tree bark finish. Medium body, creamy, alcohol not apparent. Great balance, decent complexity, actually quaffable for 9%. Damn tasty and so smooth.
22oz bottle shared at The Cad’s 10yr anniversary celebration at CBC Clerkenwell, London. Many thanks to Colin for the bast named beer of the event. It pours a dark brown color with a small brown head. Aroma is sweet and chocolatey, with notes of roasted malts, dried leaves, pine needles, marh mallows. Taste is also medium sweet and decently biter roasty and hoppy, with a minorly boozy finish. Medium to full bodied with good carbonation. Overall, nice enough to make me happy
From a 12 oz bottle shared in Avon NC. Pours black with a tan head. Nutty, roasted aroma. Flavors of tobacco and licorice. Bitter roasted finish.
12oz bottle via trade. Poured a solid looking viscous midnight black with a smaller tight foamy beige head. Aroma of burnt dark chocolate, soy sauce, black olives, sweet tobacco. Full creamy body, softer carbonation, sort of a slick mouthfeel. Flavor of dark chocolate, newspaper, burnt vanilla, oatmeal.
Bottle share at the Cad’s tasting. Thanks to Colin. 2015 bottle, 9%, black wax. Pitch black beer, small foamy tan head. Aroma is floral, smoke, grassy hop, tea, a little ash. Body is medium, slightly foamy, low carbonation. Taste is smooth malts, bacon, smoked ham, dry finish with some salt. Pretty nice.
Bottle at Toms 10 yr anniversary. Black beer lasting tan head. Roast aroma. Bit soy sauce. Some hop om finish. Fine.
Bottle into snifter a couple of times. Aroma is citrusy hops, roasted malts, chocolate, coffee. Pour is black, thick khaki head. Flavor is hop forward but still shows the roasted grain and coffee notes well enough. Very nice.