A while ago someone said they got ahold of one of the Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti variants and I was very envious. Tonight I got to know one myself:
The Imperial Biscotti Chili Hazelnut Break Imp Stout.
Encountered this one by chance at my local establishment after it popped up on the draft board. Saw the price tag and thought:
"Hey man, that seems a bit steep for a growler fill."
Asked for and was given a small sample, and I was sold within the first few cursory sniffs. (Three-sniff method for the win, yo!) This one is something special for the price tag if you like hazelnut.
Color: Dark brown.
Nose: Hazelnut, spicy chiles, some roasted malt
This beer joins the ranks of the most impressive beers on the nose. The hazelnut is very vivid, to the point that it sorta brought back memories of sitting in the waiting room at my car dealership sipping piping-hot hazelnut coffee waiting for the techs to figure out what the hell was wrong with my engine.
Taste: Hazelnut, some chiles, some roasted malt
That isn't to rag on the malt at all, it just had some very distinct flavors to compete with. Hazelnut is a note that permeates this beer just about completely. Hazelnut is very strong, along with some of those spicy chiles.
Mouthfeel: Moderate to heavy. There is noticeable warming on a fresh draft pour from both the ABV (11.3 % ABV) and the chiles. Both seem to calm down as the beer acclimates to room temperature and/or exposure to oxygen.
Finish: Hazelnut, some chiles, touch of roasted malt. Hazelnut show once again. Little bit of those chiles to keep things interesting.
Overall a very interesting dessert-style beer. Not as sweet as other offerings in that class, mostly because of the new flavors offered. I could see it nicely complementing a scoop of dark chocolate mousse after dinner or perhaps even a late-night decaf black coffee.