Review of Heavy Seas Peg Leg Imperial Stout Beer

Size: Bottles and on tap

Availability: Some markets

APV: 8.0%

Website: http://www.clippercitybeer.com

Clipper City Brewing Company out of Baltimore produces the Heavy Seas line of craft beers. The line of beers is quite extensive and nearly anyone can find a delicious beer on their offerings list.

The Peg Leg Imperial Stout as the name suggests is a stout. It is extremely dark and appears very thick. In a glass the color of the stout is almost pitch black with a brown foamy head that fizzles down quickly.

The first sip is always key when sampling a new beer. In the case of the Peg Leg Stout you'll want a clean palate before taking the sip. This is not a chugging beer and is not really a hot summer day beer. So the first sip is taken slowly. Holding the stout in your mouth for a few seconds and swishing it around is recommended.

The first thing you'll notice is the smoothness of the beer. It has a very thick and distinct texture and feels very slick. Initially there is a bitterness to the beer, possibly due to the inclusion of dark chocolate in the brew. Some may find the bitterness too much.

However if you get past the bitterness you'll find a deep coffee flavor when mixed with the chocolate flavors almost reminds one of a mocha type taste. After the first few sips the bitterness subsides just a little bit and the rest of the beer comes with a coffee flavor although for some drinkers the chocolate will be more pronounced.

Unlike other "coffee" tasting beers, Peg Leg Imperial Stout does not have the nuttiness that other dark stouts sometimes have. This may be due to the use of chocolate instead of nuts like almonds in the brewing process.

Surprisingly this beer isn't as filling as it could be, given the extremely heavy look of it in a glass. It is heavier than most standard beers and the 8.0% APV makes this a relatively strong beer, one of the stronger ones on Heavy Seas' lineup.

Clipper City Brewing describes Peg Leg Stout as having luxurious character and the smoothness of the beer on your tongue is proof of this. Most drinkers will find the stout very drinkable and experience and almost silk like texture. Overall this is a great stout that might go well as a dessert beer or even a dinner beer with meats.