Peg Leg (Clipper City Brewing Company)

Another visit to Clipper City and their Heavy Seas collection. I've been looking forward to this one for quite awhile now. 

The label reads:

"Beware the pirate! Our Peg Leg Imperial Stout is dangerously dark yet very drinkable with the luxurious character of roasted coffee and dark chocolate."

From the Clipper City site:

"A dry Imperial stout with rich black color and aromas of roasted coffee, molasses, dark chocolate, toffee and caramel. Rich, powerful, and lingering."

Pours a perfect pitch black color. Its quite a sight to behold really. It that inky, oily viscous beauty that only an imperial stout can be. The head is thin, coffee colored and less than half a finger in thickness. Ultimately the head dissipates almost completely and leaves a thin ring of foam that surrounds an island of tiny bubbles.

When I popped the cap of this beer I swear I smelled lots of fresh hops. It really surprised me. I don't get a whole lot of that now that its in the glass. What I do I get is dark roasted coffee, chocolate and sweet, sweet malt. This is great smelling stout. All the rich notes are there and the coffee smells really make me think of a nice shot of espresso.

First taste of this brings back those hops I smelled from the bottle! Its got the upfront chocolaty and coffee notes for sure but there is a definite hop presence as well. The sweet maltiness of this beer is very tasty and there is hardly any sense of the high alcohol content. As it warms a bit I really get a lot of the rich flavors hidden in this dark and mysterious brew. This beer is absolutely delicious, I think I can leave it at that.

Probably one of the best domestic imperial stouts that I've had from a 12 oz. bottle that is for sure. Incredibly smooth and just plain delectable. Clipper City, once again you've come through! Cheers!

BEER FACTS

Name: Peg Leg

Style: Imperial Stout

Brewery: Clipper City Brewing Company

Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Container: 12 oz. bottle

Malts: English Pale, Crystal, Chocolate and Black Barley

Hops: Fuggles and Styrian Goldings

ABV: 8%

IBUs: ?

The Heavy Seas Collection is:

Small Craft Warning Über pils - Strong Pilsner (Year Round)

Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale - India Pale Ale (Year Round)

Peg Leg Stout - Imperial Stout (Year Round)

Holy Sheet - Strong, Dark Belgian Ale (February Release)

Red Sky at Night - Saison Ale (May Release)

Hang Ten - Weizen Dopplebock (July Release)

Winter Storm - ESB (mid-October Release)

Below Decks - Barleywine (December Release)