Year of New Beer: Buku, Mile Wide Beer Co (Louisville)

Written By: Dion on 04/23/2018

It's easy to find something you're good at and fall into a rut, seeking refuge in the comfort of what you know. And even though Mile Wide has shown the ability to brew a multitude of styles, it's the New England IPA that's been their calling card, so the decision to make their first bottle release a big imperial stout was a bit of a surprise. I love surprises, and I love this beer. The nose is filled with roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, and hints brown sugar, dark fruit, and pipe tobacco. The aroma transitions beautifully to the tongue, offering up burnt sugars and charred toast atop ribbons of caramel and chocolate. Warmth allows cooked raisins and traces of black licorice to emerge alongside a building, earthy bitterness. The finish finds the mouth coated in a sticky sweet layer of roasty, malty, goodness. Unbelievably smooth for the ABV, and quite simply one of the best non-barrel aged stouts I've had.