Two Brothers Northwind Imperial Stout Review

Name: Two Brothers Northwind Imperial Stout
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.1%
IBUs: 45

Even though Spring is here, I've still got one more winter seasonal in my reserve that I've been sitting on for a while. Since it's a nice and balmy 41 degrees out right now, I figured today was a great day to warm up with Northwind Imperial Stout from Two Brothers Brewing.

As for the name I couldn't come up with too much, but almost anyone can guess that anything with the name "North" usually implies that it's going to be a darker and/or heavier beer.

Appearance - Opaque black color that makes it hard to pick out any type of visible carbonation. The head is fairly foamy & khaki colored with some very good lacing retention

Aroma - Strong chocolate malts and roasted barley followed by some marshmallow and vanilla notes. Tucked away in the back of the nose is some chocolate-cherry sweetness and bitter hoppiness.

Taste - Strong roasted barley and chocolate maltiness upfront with a surprisingly strong smokey profile. Middle of the palate consists of light vanilla & cherry notes while the back end of the flavor is a mix of dry hops and light roastiness.

I'm one that isn't usually a stickler for consistency but it's always nice to see the nose & flavor identical to each other and that's the case with Northwind. It's got a strong chocolate/roasty flavor profile with enough components underneath to add some much needed complexity. It may not be winter anymore but it is still very much worth seeking out should you happen to see it.

Two Brothers Northwind Imperial Stout - 9.25/10