Clipper City Peg Leg

I haven't made it any secret how I feel about Clipper City as a brewery. They are one of the local breweries that I consider to be among the top nationwide, especially when it comes to consistent quality of their offerings. Although they might not all be the best renditions of a particular style that I've ever had, they always are flavorful and good. I picked up a 6-pack of Peg Leg to give to a guy in California who is a fan of Imperial Stouts. I don't think that I had ever tried it before, but it was pretty highly rated, and I trust Clipper City.

The smell of the beer is not weak, but not exactly strong. There's a healthy dose of roasted malts, coffee and chocolate, and a sweetness that evokes a fruity sense, possibly of cherry or fig. There's not much else beyond that in complexity, but possibly a touch of alcohol.

The first taste of the beer offers a toasted bread quality, backed up by a mild caramel sweetness. Shortly after the roast kicks in full gear, with a present but not overbearing bitterness. Beyond this is a dash of chocolate, and a smooth overall silkiness. The aftertaste had a lingering smokiness to it as well. I felt that it could possibly have used some coffee flavor as well, and a bit more bitterness, but even though it was a bit on the sweet side for the style it was far from cloying. Don't expect this one to be a crazy over-the-top Russian Imperial Stout.

In the mouth the beer has a medium body, not as thick as many in the style. There's a moderate level of carbonation to match. There's a slick coating in the mouth as well, combined with just a touch of warmth in the throat. It's on the wet side a bit as well.

Overall, it's an enjoyable beer, although not the intense RIS that some brewers tend to make. I would consider this an every day Imperial Stout. I wouldn't place this at the top of Clipper City's offerings. Honestly, this probably belongs more at the high end of a regular stout rather than an Imperial. It would make a decent introduction to the style, or be great when you want a flavorful stout that doesn't fill you up too much. It also goes great with food for that reason. If you go into the glass expecting that rather than a boozy, bitter, thick stout, you won't be disappointed.

- Adam