2015 Wreck Alley by Karl Strauss

10547156_10103117642177050_901989524375048358_o 10272606_10103117642980440_6738868236092388163_o 10392305_10103117643858680_3243286541705481776_nRating: 4.75/5

2015 Wreck Alley by Karl Strauss is a 9% ABV Imperial Stout brewed with cocoa nibs and Ethiopian coffee beans from Bird Rock Coffee Roasters.

Label:
Beneath the tides off Mission Beach rests Wreck Alley – a dark and mysterious seascape of forgotten ships. Amidst the rusted wreckage is a marine ecosystem, an artificial reef teeming with life. Our Wreck Alley is as dark as the depths of its namesake, an Imperial Stout of uncharted complexity. Brewed with darkly kilned malts, cocoa nibs, and Ethiopian coffee beans sourced by our friends at Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, Wreck Alley boasts rich layers of dark chocolate, toffee, and espresso-like roast.

==Introduction==

Got this one off one of my local markets. It has been a long time since I tried this beer and I wanted to bring it back for a re-review as I saw they are using a different brand of coffee with this brew. That and I do recall how much I liked this one back then so I figure, why not bring it back to the website for good ol’ time sakes. This time, Karl Strauss collabs with Bird Rock Coffee Roasters in San Diego. So it is good to see what new flavors might come about with this blending. Time for the beer, Cheers!

Aromas:
Coffee, Mocha, Kahlua liqueur hints , Dark Chocolate, milk chocolate, vanilla, caramel, toffee, dark fruits, coconut hints, tobacco notes, brown sugar, marshmallow smores, rocky road ice cream hints and toffee.

Flavors:
Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, German chocolate, Baker’s chocolate, earthy hop hints, espresso, mocha, roasted coffee, toffee, tobacco notes, licorice, anise, molasses, brownie batter, vanilla, caramel, toasted coconut, marshmallows, smores, rocky road notes, dark fruit raisins, cherries, Coffee cake, Chocolate cake, crème brulee hints, steamed milk, Irish cream and Kahlua liqueur notes.

Aftertaste:
Finishes with notes of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, dark fruit, earthy notes, vanilla and caramel notes. No alcohol in the taste, pitch black dark body, smooth, creamy, and mildly chewy mouthfeel with a moderate drinkability.

Overall:
A very delicious stout just like I remember it. While I have had many stouts in the past, this one brings back memories of how well it was made. It is still well made and delicious. A common go to beer for sure especially since it is readily available. Now that I see it often near me, I will be getting this one often. I recommend this one.

Anime Corner:
Etna from Disgaea was chosen to return to the brew like I did with the original review of the Wreck Alley Stout. At the time, one of the reasons I had chosen her to do the pairing was due to the dark and evil face which would make up the dark water this is but also her surrounding of rubble seeming like she brings death and destruction. Although she may seem like that on the outside. She really is a sweet heart in reality and in the series. I just like how well she paired back then with the idea so I added some new pictures that would fit with that aspect of wrecks, destructions and corruption but really is sweet like the taste of the beer is. Don’t judge books by their covers!

Sources:
http://i26.ltalk.ru/99/22/42299/6/2768406/16.jpeg
https://animebeers.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2b352-disgaeaportable12.jpg
http://cdn.myanimelist.net/images/characters/11/33671.jpg

Wreck Alley by Karl Strauss Brewing

Rating: 4.6/5Wreck Alley by Karl Strauss Brewing is a 9.5% ABV Imperial Stout. This was recommended to me by my friend Eric although he advised that it is better and fresher on tap. LOL I agree to some extent. Although this beer can be aged as stated on the bottle. So I took his word for it and sought this beer :).

Label:

Beneath the tides off Mission Beach rests Wreck Alley – a dark and mysterious seascape of forgotten ships. Amidst the rusted wreckage is a marine ecosystem, an artificial reef teeming with life. Our Wreck Alley is as dark as the depths of its namesake, an Imperial Stout of uncharted complexity. Brewed with darkly kilned malts, cocoa nibs, and Ethiopian coffee beans, Wreck Alley boasts rich layers of dark chocolate, toffee, and espresso-like roast. Save a bottle. This one has a stout shelf-life. 
The aroma of this beer is quite nice. Roasted malts, vanilla, chocolate, cream and almost like a faint tobacco. In terms of the flavors, Vanilla is king in this one. It is then followed by the sweet chocolate, coffee, licorice/anise, slight coconut and caramel. The after taste is not smokey or bitter but almost like a brownie or a chocolate cake with anise but the earthy notes settle the sweetness so it is not overly sweet. Well hidden alcohol as it is hard to tell that it is there. It is quite a nice imperial Stout. As with many stouts, each more unique than the other. It think vanilla is the big hit with this one. This is an awesome pick up if you can get it. I think it is only seasonal too.