Finally had the chance to get out for some of the Green Bay Craft Beer Week #GBCBW. Of course one first things I wanted to grab was an Imperial Stout. And one of the nights special beers was Black Gold by Central Waters.
Right now, as I’m making my decision, I’m hearing others around me ordering this, so thats a good sign!
In the snifter the very black beer has a thin-ish tan head that mostly stuck around as expected for an Imperial Stout. There isnt much info on the stats of this beer. So lets just enjoy it.
Right off the bat the explosion of raisins hits you right in the nose. I was ready to put the haters on, but then a very nice, but different grain aroma came thru and pushes back the raisin to reasonable levels. No hop and quite low roast surprisingly
The beer is quite cold, so I let it warm before I took that first taste. When I did I was expecting heavy raisin or plums,, and yes those are there, but really restrained. And again there is this grain taste,, but not like the usual wet mash grain, this is like fresh crystal 40 or something. What ever it is, I want to put that in my own beers!
The dark roast is soo smooth. Not over the top, not harsh. No crazy caramel malt levels. No crazy yeast notes. Just a great clean balance of sweet, roast and those dark fruits.
There is something hidden in the back ground that I can only explain as cumin, or… chili powder? Faint,, but there. No heat or anything, just taste. As I ask some others around me who also have this. They too notice something,, but cant nail it down. But,, it really goes well with this beer.
The bitterness level is not distracting, but definitely high enough to make you take notice. Only the slightest amount of hop in the after taste. And low enough where I cant get a good read on them. Not citrus, more noble-ish type
This beer is rated quite high. And I also rate it quite high, but for other reasons. This stout really reminds me of imperial stouts from decades ago. No one was trying to push envelopes or be over the top in ingredients.
This beer is so balanced and crisp and,,, plain, that it stand out from the others because of it. I gave it a 4/5 but probably should be higher
Stoutmaker.beer 