Ken Schmidt / Iron Fist / Stone Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout

Deep brown with a light brown head.

Herbal mint, cocoa, and hints of caramel, followed by roasted malts and hints of hops.

A zing of fresh peppermint on a foundation of cocoa on the front of the palate, followed by dark roasted coffee/cocoa malt flavors and those wonderful esters we so lovingly associate with beer. The mint and cocoa retain their presence throughout the palate, which finishes nicely with pleasing bitterness and a slight dryness. The balance of chocolate, mint and imperial stout flavors is amazing...the flavors meld together fantastically!

A very smooth and full-bodied (but not sweet) beer, with the refreshing effect of the mint and slight cacao dryness and bitterness on the finish.

I recommend serving this beer at cellar temperature (50-55°F), as a warmer serving temperature will really allow the beer to open up. This is a terrific beer to drink through a range of temperatures, because as it warms in the glass, the flavors get more pronounced with increased depth and complexity, thus making it very interesting to see how the flavors develop with each taste. It was exciting to use our very own fresh peppermint and chocolate mint from just a few miles away at Stone Farms in this brew. We got the cacao from the terrific Chocovivo in Venice, Calif., which came to us in big sheets that were stone ground for us, specifically for the brewing of this beer.