The Late Night Crypt(ical)

Earlier this week, I was deciding on a beer to enjoy as we sat up late one night (or was it early morning?) visiting with a friend. I saw the Starr Hill Cryptical Imperial Stout in the fridge — there's a fitting nighttime libation! I had first had this beer on cask a few weeks ago, and was looking forward to trying the bottled version that came as part of the brewery's Jambeeree! mix pack.

As dark as night, but not scary

The beer was as dark and as rich as I recall. I enjoyed the dark roasted and bitter chocolate flavors. It did seem to me that the citrus hops that come out at the end were more intense than I recall from the cask version we had previously. The hop flavor lingered for some time in the finish. The mouthfeel was smooth and with low carbonation. Plenty of sticky lacing was left behind on the glass.

I savored my dark nightcap slowly, enjoying the full flavor, in a not-too-heavy beer. Soon it was time for bed and sweet, not scary, dreams.