Here we are with another holiday seasonal to keep us warm through the cold winter nights! Pressure Drop’s Faded Clauz, an Imperial Chocolate Milk Stout. I was hoping to get this done earlier in the week but we’ve been busy and my time has been limited. But I am glad to be doing this tonight! I hope you enjoy it!
The Beer: Faded Clauz by Pressure Drop Brewing
Style: Imperial Chocolate Milk Stout
ABV: 9.0% IBU: 28
Brewer’s Introduction
Found on Pressure Drop’s website, https://www.pressuredropbrewers.com/#beer, you’ll find a nice synopsis of what it held within each can!
‘This stout is conveniently timed for the holiday season! It starts with notes of deep, rich milk chocolate, has a mild hint of roast in the body, and has a smooth, creamy finish. It is a perfect pairing for your favorite holiday cookie!’
Crack One Open!
Faded Clauz pours a very attractive dark chocolate almost black color with delicious accompanying aromas. The aromas are jammed packed with rich chocolate that has a nice sweet accent to it. There is also a nice touch of roasted malt thrown in there as well. What jumps out the most though is the rich chocolate aroma that feels thick but still smooth as glass. One interesting aspect that surprised me a little was the lack of head with my pour. Maybe it’s the style of glass or if it’s on tap or from a can. Either way Faded Clauz is off to a great start.
Let’s Drink
To start things off there is a burst of rich chocolate flavor with a sweet touch to it. I imagine Lactose or Milk Sugar was used to obtain the sweetness. All I know is I am not complaining. Once I hit mid sip the chocolate flavor remained but there was a roasted component as well with a slight bitter coffee characteristic as well. Though the bitterness doesn’t linger for long, the sweetness comes back rather quickly to replace. At the end of the sip the roasted characteristic of the beer makes itself more prominent. And from there lingers on and has a small presence within the aftertaste. At the swallow the 9.0% ABV gives Faded Clauz a nice boozey bite that teams up well with the roasted flavors. The aftertaste is very interesting for Faded Clauz. It’s a perfect trio of a bitter roasted flavor, rich chocolate, and milk sugar sweetness. All three parts fade in and out and I guess you could say they rotate around each other.
For a 9.0% ABV Imperial Stout, Faded Clauz is relatively smooth if you ask me. Light to medium body, though there is a lingering creamy mouthfeel that lingers for sometime. Though don’t expect a dense creaminess, I feel as if the sweetness factor thins it out slightly or provides a more refreshing tone.
Concluding Thoughts
To be honest when I had my first can of Faded Clauz I was not entirely impressed, though I am always willing to give a beer a second chance. And I am glad I did, maybe I needed a cleaner palate or something of that sort. Either way I really enjoyed every aspect of Faded Clauz the second time around. The rich chocolate flavors accompanied by the sweet accent flowed very smooth with the roasted bitterness. Going from one side of the spectrum to the other, Pressure Drop did very well fitting them both into one beer. I wouldn’t be surprised if Santa would prefer a Faded Clauz with his cookies instead of regular milk. Just be sure to limit his intake, he has to make it around the world in one night!
Thanks for reading.
Cheers!
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