Another year. Another imperial stout. Another holographic can with the little space dude.
The Felons brewers like to put their own stamp on this old style. Last year’s included experimental hop variety HBC1019; I’m sure you all remember my completely normal tasting notes of chocolate Yogo and melon custard. But this year, the point of difference is one of the malts.
“We’ve crafted a bold interpretation of the traditional style, brewed primarily using time tested ingredients, alongside the unconventional addition of roast Tibetan barley malt to inject an exotic charm to the already complex malt bill,” says Lincoln Gibbs, head brewer at Felons.
The heirloom Tibetan purple barley (grown and malted by Voyager) sits along seven other grains in Felons’ Imperial Stout 2024, and they work together to build the multi-layered stout you’d expect. It’s topped with a deep mocha-coloured foam, which clings to the side of your glass as securely as those facehuggers from Alien. It gives this beer a slow, contemplative vibe right from the beginning, and that feeling only continues as oozings of soft liquorice and Lindt chocolate take over: the super dark, 85 percent cocoa stuff. Meanwhile, the body manages to be thick without being heavy, sliding across the tongue like a puck across an air hockey table, or a pancake across a well-buttered frying pan.
Enjoy The Void is last year’s imperial stout, chewed up and spat out by some incredibly benevolent barrels. Since the American-style stout of 2023 brought plenty of self-confident hop character, the Felons crew decided to pair it with equally assertive barrel character – that of the heavily toasted ex-bourbon barrels Archie Rose used for their Single Malt Whisky. Nine months of soaking up that whiskied-oak and live music* has turned what was already a distinctive stout into a creature of nigh-unmatched flavour.
Biiiiig whisky notes tie together with the smoothest essence of dark chocolate; if the above beer is Lindt 85 percent, this one is dark Lindor truffle balls with that delicious praline filling. There’s an intriguing fruitiness in there that pays homage to the hop flavours in the base beer, with some plum and citrus tang lasting throughout. Tiramisu creaminess holds it all together, and that biiiiig whisky moves to biiiiig hot chocolate in the finish.
Both beers are available on the Felons’ website, as is a list of stockists. There are just 4,000 cans of this year’s imperial stout and just 200 bottles of Enjoy the Void floating around. Grab them before they drift out of reach like George Clooney in Gravity; he, in all likelihood, did not enjoy the void.
Mick Wüst
*You may have already read my spiel on Felons’ barrel program, including the role that pumping live music may or may not play in the ageing process. If you’re keen to soak up some music yourself while you drink, there’s a Spotify playlist to go with Enjoy The Void, bringing vibes of “Heavily toasted electronica and oddball indie disco for strutting around dark dance floors.” Personally, I prefer the “Deep, rich, modern jazz soundscapes" of Dark Distant Light.
Published June 21, 2024 2024-06-21 00:00:00
