This may be the best stout I've ever had...

This may be the best stout I've ever had. I wanted a beer after hockey (our fifth straight victory--go Tigers!), and this was the least exciting option in the fridge, which I thought no one else would be interested in sharing. I basically only bought it because of the label and because I thought it meant something like 'deadly peach', which was too strange to pass up (it means 'mortal sin', which is nearly as good).

The beer was bottled in 2001 and the flavors have since aged to perfection. This brew is rich and malty, but without the heavy soy sauce flavor that we've all tasted in other coffee stouts.  The finish is not too long, as with some stouts, and there's a pleasant nuttiness in the aftertaste that makes you want another sip. On top of everything going on in the mouth area it also has a sprightly freshness and a light hop aroma that help to pull this stout out of the dullness of its genre.  I call dibs on bringing this to any future stout tastings.

Tasting notes:

• Suggested pairing is Todd's birthday cake (chocolate-chocolate from Crumbs)
• Best after scoring a goal, starting a fight, and getting a penalty for 'checking'.
• Consider Clint and Todd's homebrew as an amuse-bouche (only three bottles left--time to start brewing.)