Sweetwater Happy Ending Imperial Stout

Brewed by Sweetwater Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Atlanta, Georgia USA

Bottle that traveled from Atlanta, GA. Pours a black cloudy color with a moderately sized, brown head. Lacing is very strong. Aromas of raisins, spruce, citrus, and resin. Hops abound on this stout from the smell! Mouthfeel is very active with a bitter taste throughout. Nice bitter aftertaste as well with a strange, creamy finish. Flavors of hops (citrus, spruce, resin) at the beginning, a middle of a traditional strout, then the finish of an IPA. Honestly drinks like an IPA instead of a stout which plays with your mind given the color of the beer.

My bottle had a little fishing scene. Black with dark brown head. Nasty lace. Just kills the glass, like oil from the Veldeze coating a defenseless shorebird or otter. Nose is sweet and hoppy. Taste is sweet hoppy to light soy sauce to light coffee. Malty to cocoa. Not overly heavy. Rather velvety in the mouth.

Pours dark with a white/espresso head. Wonderful taste and even a bit hoppy. Great brew. Wonderful job Georgia boys.

Pours black with a thick tan head with nice lacing. Aroma is of carmel and citrus. Taste is of pine and citrus with a nice hoppy finish. Happy ending indeed.

Draft @ Brick Store Pub. Pour black with a tan head. Hoppy nose, slightly roast, very green hops, chlorophyll. Hugely hoppy, citrus flavor with a bit of roast and caramel, bitter end. Rather.

Fairy tales were once told not as delusions of riches, glory, and the ever happy ending, riding off into the sunset with Mr. Prince Charming. Instead, fairy tales were folklore and legend told to children, and adults alike, as warnings and advice against life’s oft-times cruel twists of fate. Tales acting as wards meant to turn children away from dangers, it is only now in our modern economically superficial materialistic world do we dangerously delude ourselves as to the imaginary happy ending. That’s not to say happy endings can’t and don’t exist; they do, based in reality and within reason. The happiest people aren’t the ones who waited for happiness to come knocking; they went knocking for happiness and discovered the joys and sorrows of life’s adventures along the way. I’m not one to wait for life to hand me what I want; I’ll be left standing alone with empty arms outstretched for eternity. On the flip side, it was through a recent beer-tasting which I hosted that I was lucky enough to share a happy ending with many good friends, specifically the Happy Ending Imperial Stout from Sweetwater Brewing in Atlanta, Georgia.

Black as pitch and as deep as the night, there is just a wee smidgeon of clarity grazing the sides of my glass while a generous covering of dark tan clouds hover ominously. Bracing myself, his nose reaches me upon a cold midnight breeze and proceeds to set my heart at ease. Freshly brewed coffee burbles and sputters while black earth, licorice root, and charcoal offer a solid ground upon which the rest of his nose stands. Dark pitted fruits, especially dates and figs, dried black cherries and cranberries, and a current of melted black chocolate with a touch of brittle baker’s chocolate for good measure. Permeating his entire nose is the freshly brewed coffee, clean, a bit heavy and exuding freshness. No Starbucks or Seattle’s Best here; this is the real deal, and as I gaze out upon green mountainsides covered in coffee plants as a chilled haze hovers, I cradle my glass in humbled bliss. Dark roasted espresso beans dipped in bitter chocolates sit in a dish next to me, an appropriate accompaniment. Hints of ash, charcoal, and burnt caramel and maple lead into toasted brown sugars while figs and dates fill out his body. A continuously smooth, clean, slightly heavy body caresses my tastebuds with each quaff. A black delight, the Happy Ending Imperial Stout is exquisitely easy to drink, despite his growing warmth. Unfortunately, like all Happy Endings, this one too is destined to come to an end, and as he does, I savor the moment before setting foot once more on my endless journey.

Appearance: Pours a midnight brown with a rich ,creamy looking cap of froth. Aroma: Roasted malts, Amarillo hops and Colombian coffee. Taste: A mouthful of green danky hops, roasted malt, finshed with dry bitterness. Mouthfeel: Thin body and moderate carbonation. Overall: A kick ass Black Double IPA, a so so Imperial Stout. I shouldn’t get caught up so much with styles, this beer is good, end of story.

This stuff is not what I expected. Looks like a stout, smells like a piney hop bomb. Tastes like a black ipa/lager. Strange but drinkable.