Beer Name: Gorillas in the Grist
Brewery: Great Notion Brewing (Portland, OR)
ABV: 11.5%
How sold: 16 oz tallboy cans; on draft
Where bought: Unknown
Price: Unknown, gift from a friend.
Date Canned: January 28, 2021
Date Drank: March 14, 2021
When brewed/released? Rotating beer.
Brewery: Great Notion Brewing (Portland, OR)
ABV: 11.5%
How sold: 16 oz tallboy cans; on draft
Where bought: Unknown
Price: Unknown, gift from a friend.
Date Canned: January 28, 2021
Date Drank: March 14, 2021
When brewed/released? Rotating beer.
What's on the Can: "Imperial Stout with bananas, chocolate, and vanilla."
Commercial Description: "We're going ape for our first banana stout! Gorillas in the Grist was brewed with bunches of banana and gooey chocolate."
Where distributed: Great Notion Brewing currently self-distributes their beer. They do can releases (4-packs of 16 oz cans) at their NW location, and otherwise may sell leftover 16 oz cans or 32 oz crowlers at their NE Alberta taproom. COVID-19 affected dine-in service in 2021.
Smell (25%): Virtually all roasted chocolate. Vanilla makes sure everything is not overly bitter. The first few times I got the banana, but later on, just roasted chocolate. Still successful, as advertised. 4.25/5
Taste (40%): Roasted chocolate from start to finish. Noticeable octane - which isn't surprising given its 11.5% ABV. Banana present on the second wave and aftertaste; it gets more noticeable as the beer warms up. Slight tart notes on the aftertaste. 4/5
Mouthfeel (10%): Full-bodied, good carbonation. Sticky with some dry tongue. 4.25/5
Overall (20%): An awesome Imperial Stout. The banana is there on aroma and flavor, and although it is a natural pairing with chocolate, banana can get lost among the chocolate jungle a bit too much here unless you give the beer time to warm up a bit. Contrast this with Double Stack, where the maple was strong enough to play co-star with the other ingredients from the start. Great Notion has a ridiculous standard to meet, so while it is not among my top picks, I still enjoyed it. 4/5
Final Weighted Rating: 4.113/5
REVIEW:
Appearance (5%): Poured black into a pint glass. Some tan head, virtually no lacing. 4.5/5Smell (25%): Virtually all roasted chocolate. Vanilla makes sure everything is not overly bitter. The first few times I got the banana, but later on, just roasted chocolate. Still successful, as advertised. 4.25/5
Taste (40%): Roasted chocolate from start to finish. Noticeable octane - which isn't surprising given its 11.5% ABV. Banana present on the second wave and aftertaste; it gets more noticeable as the beer warms up. Slight tart notes on the aftertaste. 4/5
Mouthfeel (10%): Full-bodied, good carbonation. Sticky with some dry tongue. 4.25/5
Overall (20%): An awesome Imperial Stout. The banana is there on aroma and flavor, and although it is a natural pairing with chocolate, banana can get lost among the chocolate jungle a bit too much here unless you give the beer time to warm up a bit. Contrast this with Double Stack, where the maple was strong enough to play co-star with the other ingredients from the start. Great Notion has a ridiculous standard to meet, so while it is not among my top picks, I still enjoyed it. 4/5
Final Weighted Rating: 4.113/5
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