About a year ago, I was in South Carolina on business. Passing through North Carolina to get there, I stopped at Total Wine to see what I could find in the way of….beer. One of the gems I found was Westbrook Brewing and Evil Twin Brewing Mini Growler Imperial Stout. This collaboration brew is really a no-brainer, since Evil Twin does much of its brewing at Westbrook anyway. Evil Twin is what is known as a “gypsy brewery”, not having their own facilities but using several other breweries to contract their beer.

Anyway, I brought home my bottle of Mini Growler Imperial Stout and as I often do promptly forgot about it amongst the many other brews I had in the trunk. Then I got the urge to drink it, mostly because I wanted a Westbrook beer and remembered this one, and hey an imperial stout is nice with a year on it.

Westbrook says about Mini Growler on their website:

“Any store or bar or whatever who wants to do this is of course at risk of getting in trouble but for most they feel the reward out weighs the risk.”

-FrumptyDumpty, October 27, 2010

Released: November 2012

Formats: Draft and 22oz bottles

Whatever that means. Anyway, West Brook and Evil Twin Mini Growler Imperial Stout has an alcohol content of 10.5% by volume according to my label and 50 IBUs. I got this beauty for just $7.99, and as my old friend Irving Gordon used to say, what a buy, what a bargain shoppers.

Westbrook Brewing and Evil Twin Brewing Mini Growler Imperial Stout pours to a jet-black color with a thick, very creamy tan head and a full luscious nose of bittersweet chocolate and licorice. Taking a sip, the beer is thick and full in the mouthfeel with roasted barley and espresso and bittersweet chocolate and licorice and a big roasty finish replete with warming alcohol. Yep, that’s what I want in an imperial stout.

For $7.99? SHAZAM! Westbrook Brewing and Evil Twin Brewing Mini Growler Imperial Stout just keeps coming at you with wave upon wave of roasty goodness and I can’t think of anything about it I would change. I’ve never seen this before, but if I see it again, I’ll be buying more for sure.

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

 

 



Home