Country of Origin: United States
Availability: Winter seasonal.
Price comparison: About $10.00 USD per 750 ml.
Alcohol percentage by volume: 7.9%.
Cute bottle/label? 750 ml opaque black, nearly-triangular bottle, corked, caged, and foiled. This is part of Magic Hat's series of Epic brews, but I've no idea why they call it Thumbsucker.
Appearance: Black as ink, with a sticky, quickly-dissolving cocoa-colored head. Poured very thickly with little carbonation.
Scent: Apples, cherries, rum, and bourbon.
Flavor: Very roasty, almost burnt quality to the malt, with sweet alcohol and a slight hoppiness. The finish is slightly nutty, with some bitterness more reminiscent of coffee than of hops. The drinkability factor is affected by a considerable afterburn, surprising with the low ABV on this imperial stout.
Impressions: The alcohol flavor is prevalent and nearly overpowers the beer.
Will I buy this beer again? Cute bottle, decent imperial stout at a more reasonable price (but less of a kick) than the Dogfish Head offerings. This is a seasonal, but I do like it well enough to get it again next time it rolls around.
If you have the opportunity to try this, don't attempt to finish the bottle yourself and don't drink it on an empty stomach. It's not classy enough to serve with a fancy meal, but it is warming enough to have after dinner, in six-ounce wine goblets if you've got some, or chilled rock glasses if you don't.
If you're not going to have a full meal with this, at least get yourself some salty snacks. It burns like whiskey. But in that good way.
Rating:
4½ out of 5 cute beer glasses
Reviewed: February 24, 2005
