Night Tripper Imperial Stout

Brewer: New Holland Brewing, Holland, Michigan
Alcohol Content: 10.8%

Official Description from Brewer:
"Night Tripper is an Imperial Stout for a Fat Tuesday release. Dark, mysterious and poetic, Night Tripper’s abundance of roasted malts, combined with flaked barley create a rich, roasty beer with deeply intense and lush flavors. Night Tripper’s layered, nuanced tones invite intrigue and reward a curious palate. Beads and masks aren’t required, but are encouraged."

Wilk's Take:
I suppose there is always a possibility of grabbing a seasonal brew late in the year.  I have passed Night Tripper on the shelf several times but never had the presence of mind to buy it, which is a little troublesome as it screams Imperial Stout right on the label.  On top of that, it has been sitting in my fridge for weeks as circumstances have continually drawn me away from this brew.

Fate had a plan.  You see, a beer like Night Tripper needed to be enjoyed in the perfect drinking vessel and this weekend, this vessel came to me.  Introducing: Das Boot.  Surely a 36 ounce boot glass can accommodate a 22 ounce bomber with ample room to spare.  However, as I am here to talk about beer, the boot will have to wait.

When I popped the top off the beer and the warm air met the cool liquid the vapor that wafted from the bottle's contents to my nose was furious.  Maybe robust would be a better word to use but how creative is that?  It really was the first time that I felt floored by the smell of a beer without so much as spilling a drop.  I emptied the contents into das boot and the aroma just grew more powerful.  It reeked of bourbon of all things.  Maybe not bourbon, maybe an Irish whiskey or a scotch because although sweet, not that sweet.

The roasted malts were delicious.  Notice New Holland doesn't tell you chocolate or coffee but keeps the descriptors vague: rich, intense, lush, nuanced.  That's probably because they couldn't label it!  I can hardly describe it myself except to say it drank so smooth and when I finally made it to the end I was disappointed it was all gone, but thankful I was done because 10.8% can floor you  (especially when your favorite football team is winning).

Suggestion: Go forth and procure, but only if you like stouts.  If you're trying a stout for the first time, Night Tripper is not the answer unless you're that brave.

Value: I can't remember what I paid for Night Tripper, but if I had to guess it is a bit on the higher end because it is seasonal and I bought it out of season.  It doesn't matter though, I'd buy it again.

Michelle Factor:  Michelle could smell the beer before I ever brought it to her.  The sour grapes expression on her face was all I needed to see.

Guest Factor: So we tried the "Melanie Factor" this week.  Melanie drinks beer so this was a new little spin.  She didn't like it either, but she detected something in the beer she couldn't quite label.  I believe it was the whiskey smell I described above.  She could tell me otherwise.