Price
Meter
High!
OK, so this is pretty cool. Not long ago I picked up my first bottle of an Evil Twin beer. Yeah, yeah, I know I should have done that a long time ago, but they are pricey folks. Sue me. I actually had had an Evil Twin beer before, at least it was a collaboration between Evil Twin, Stone, and Stillwater called “The Perfect Crime”. That was at a beer tasting though and I don’t really remember much about it.
Anyway, I saw a bottle of Evil Twin Lil’ B the other day. It was $3.99 for the 12-ounce bottle, so I picked it up. I have to say that I’m glad I did. This is one of those beers that really is worth the high price (in this case $23.94 a six-pack) because it’s, well, really good and also a beer you will only drink as the rare treat.
Evil Twin Lil’ B is an imperial porter, and a very formidable one at that. At 11.5% alcohol by volume it is stronger than most of the examples of this style that I have tasted. My sample was bottled on 6/10/2013. I drank it with about a year of age on it.
Evil Twin says this about the beer on the label:
Shall one compare thee to a fair beer,
Not even this perfect porter before thou will do thee justice.
Thou art more complex, brave and cunning.
Thou have changed more than a brew will ever.
Thou may be lil’, but thy mind is greater than words can speak and beer will ever taste.
Doesn’t tell me much about the beer, but then I was never one for poetry. Evil Twin brews its beers all over the place, and they claim their products are contract brewed at different breweries. Lil’ B is made by Two Roads Brewing in Stamford, CT.
Evil Twin Lil’ B pours to a jet black color with a medium sized head of creamy tan foam and a powerful nose of rich dark molasses and licorice. Taking a sip, this one is amazing in its intensity: chewy nougat and nutty caramel candies, molasses, coffee, licorice, caramel, light vanilla, subtle phenols with a very thick viscous texture and full mouthfeel, and a balanced finish of roast. There may have been some hops there too, but really it’s all those malty flavors that make this one so wonderful.
I’ve had imperial porters before, and for me this one could just as easily be an imperial stout. What was different in this one from both of those styles were those wonderful candy bar flavors, the molasses, the nuts, the caramel. So thick you could stand a spoon in it, this is a beer not to be missed.
Now excuse me, I’m off to find some more Evil Twin beers.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft