Beer Review: Green Flash Double Stout

Reviewing the Green Flash Double Stout from Green Flash Brewing Company.
Score: 91

12 oz tap pour served in a St. Bernardus Watou chalice/goblet glass at the Lincoln Park beer geek bar The Local Option. The picture I took at the bar came out horribly, so I am using a stock photo from a liquor store's website.

Appearance: Pours a totally opaque jet black color with just under a finger of creamy tan/mocha head that settles into a thick ring around the glass and bubbly clump in the center. Average lacing. 4/5

Smell: Burnt/roasted chocolate, dark fruit and light coffee. A very pleasant smelling stout, but nothing unique or overly complex. 4/5

Taste: This is a very chocolate-forward beer. Tons of roasted/burnt chocolate flavors throughout. A nice blend of bitter dark and sweet milk chocolate coat the palate. Increasing amounts of raisin/fig/dark fruit sweetness on the mid-palate as the beer layers. A little alcohol is noticeable (8.8% ABV), but the booziness is not "hot" -- just detectable. Finish is lingering bitter, unsweetened dark chocolate, with an increasing amount of fig flavor as the beer layers. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation. Finishes dry and bitter for most of the beer. Halfway through the glass, the finish stays dry, but becomes bittersweet. 4/5

Overall: A very solid imperial stout that I could easily see myself returning to again. While it's not innovative or standout in any regard, the Green Flash Double Stout is a delicious chocolate-forward stout. My only gripe is the detectable alcohol, though there was not enough booziness present to ruin the beer. There was enough, however, to warrant grading down the taste rating from 4.5 to 4.0 between first impression and last sip.

Recommendation: A solid chocolate-forward beer for malty stout lovers, and a good starter imperial stout for casual beer drinkers.

Pairings: Steak.

Cost: $7 for a 12 oz tap pour or $10.99 for a four pack of 12 oz bottles.