Beer Review: Morning Delight (2013 release)

Reviewing the highly sought after Morning Delight from my friends at the Toppling Goliath Brewery out of Decorah, Iowa. This mega-delicious imperial stout drinks like an imperial Canadian Breakfast Stout, and its bottle release quickly put Toppling Goliath on the radar for those who had not yet heard of them. I have had this brew a few times prior, but I felt it was time to finally write this one up now that I had a bottle of my own to sit back and enjoy

Score: 99

2013 vintage bottle served in a Toppling Goliath snifter and enjoyed on 08/31/13 while on vacation in the Wisconsin Dells for Labor Day weekend.

Appearance: Pours an inky black color with a thin later of khaki head that settles to a thin ring around the glass. Below average lacing, but excellent retention. Very nice looking stout. 4.5/5

Smell: Bold notes of roasted coffee, chocolate chip pancakes and maple syrup! This smells like a hearty breakfast in a bottle. Love the interplay of the sweetness from the maple character and the roastiness of the coffee.  I could smell this beer allllllllllll dayyyyyyy longgggggg. 5/5

Taste: Taste is less coffee forward, but still pretty roasty. Excellent bittersweet balance here between the chocolate flavors, maple and coffee characters. Tastes exactly like it smells, but with less coffee and more chocolate pancake flavor. The flavors linger long on the palate, with residual maple and coffee. No alcohol booziness whatsoever; are we sure this is even 6% let alone 12%?!? Not too sweet at all, which aids the drinkability wonderfully. The maple flavor layers quite nicely as well. 5/5

Mouthfeel: Not quit full bodied, low carbonation. Super slick, oily mouthfeel with a slight umami feeling at room temperature (but no soy sauce flavor). Nice bittersweet balance leaning towards slightly sweet. 4.75/5

Overall: This beer is fresh CBS on steroids; it smells and tastes wonderful. I have to give a big shout out to my friend Matt for insisting that I check out this then-unknown brewery at the Great Taste of the Midwest in 2012, as Toppling Goliath consistently produces some of my favorite stouts and IPA's (my two favorite styles). Morning Delight is one of my all time favorite beers, and probably the best non-barrel aged stout out there. I think just a touch more body is all the more I could ask for, but this beer is by no means thin bodied like Last Snow. Seek out a bottle. You will not be disappointed. Cheers!

Cost: $10 for a 12 oz bottle.