Beer Review: Pipeworks Brewing/Hacienda Beer Co Sundae Sauce

I typically will grab anything Pipeworks Brewing will release, so when I saw this stout I knew I had to grab it. Pipeworks made this in collaboration with Hacienda Beer Co out of Wisconsin. Did it live up to the hype in my head?

ABV: 10.5%
IBU: N/A
Style: Stout – Imperial/Double
Brewery Description: Imperial Milk Stout with cacao nibs, cherries, vanilla, and pecan. We collaborated with our friends at Hacienda Beer Co. to brew this super sundae. Like a good sundae, all these flavors melt together. We did pull some of this beer into a barrel, so this release is more limited than most of our stout releases. We do hope to be able to drive some into Wisconsin, the home state of Hacienda Beer Co!

I picked this up at a local bottle shop after seeing a few different places.

Appearance: This poured a thick black with a little tan head – think motor oil. There was little head retention and almost no lacing on the glass.

Smell: I got a lot of chocolate and pecan with hints of vanilla and toffee. I didn’t get the cherry.

Taste: The chocolate, toffee and vanilla were front and center here. There was less of the pecan in the taste with just a hint of the cherry. The flavors were all well balanced and the sweetness was refreshing.

Mouth: For as dark as this was, I was expecting a fuller mouthfeel. This was a thinner stout, but it was easy to drink for 10.5%. There was no afterburn like some boozier stouts.

Overall: A very good beer. Well balanced and easy to drink; the alcohol sneaks up on you. One of the better “dessert” beers I’ve had that isn’t a fruit beer.

Rating: 4.00 out of 5. A very good imperial stout that I’d be willing to get again if I can find it.

The average rating on BeerAdvocate is 3.89 (on 9 ratings). The Untappd rating is 4.08 (1314 check-ins).