A sorry stout

I do love an apology beer. This one was very kindly supplied by an off licence to atone for a small mistake in an online order. It's called Catch Me If You Can and is a 10.3% ABV imperial stout, bourbon aged and with added molasses, crackers and assorted spices. It's from California brewery The Bruery, best known (to me anyway) as a brewer of big stouts.

It glooped blackly into the glass and appeared completely flat at first, before suddenly frothing up in a most inconvenient manner. The head eventually settled into a thick layer of foam, resembling nitrogenation though nothing like as persistent. The mouthfeel is smooth and slick, troubled only by a faint sparkle.

Despite the complicated array of add-ins it smells quite simply of mushy banana, and that's in the finish of the flavour also, but before it there's a more orthodox milk chocolate character. You would need to be told about the spices to spot them. I could just about detect the advertised ginger, but cinnamon, clove, nutmeg or allspice? *shrug* 

The general bigness of this beer is its best feature: it's filling and very satisfying to sip. If the advertised flavour is what attracts you then I'm afraid you're in for disappointment. It's especially surprising how little bourbon character there is. I'm fine with mildly spiced chocolate, and especially for free.