Year of New Beer: Death, Rivertown Brewing (Cincinnati)

Written By: Dion on 04/11/2015

A surprisingly mild nose yields a rather balanced blend of coffee, chocolate, and, with warmth, vanilla. Only near the end of the bottle does a bit of smoked chili pepper begin to sneak in. The taste is a very similar experience, as the traditional stout flavors present initially-roasted malts with traces of coffee and bittersweet chocolate pressing against an earthy green hop bitterness. As the beer warms, so do the ghost chilies, leaving a gentle but not overpowering burn. Not a bad beer if you like your stouts with a little heat.