Holy Moly

With imperial stouts one of the major yardsticks of the geekerie, the question is: Does Holy Moly! deserve its “!”? I smell coffee, intense graham cracker, dark grape notes, boozy strength and bittersweet chocolate. The mouth is not heavy, though full, and delivers all that, plus a heavy shot of bitterness, both from a stiff dose of hops and burnt grain. Maybe not a miracle, but I’d say it’s a blessed event.
- Lew Bryson

A beer that promised to turn “sinners into saints” has a tall order to fill, so let’s see if this jet-black ale is up to the challenge. The nose is espresso mixed with black licorice then reduced in a cast-iron skillet, while the body shows a surprisingly light sweetness ahead of a rather intense and unrepentantly roasty, coffee-ish bitterness and, finally, a boozy, burnt finish. Perhaps not salvation, but a respectable companion to chocolate mousse or late-night transgressions.
- Stephen Beaumont

Lew Bryson
Lew Bryson writes about beer and whiskey from his home in southeast Pennsylvania. He has a family and two dogs. That’s all you need to know.

Stephen Beaumont
Once described as “beerdom’s Brillat-Savarin,” Stephen Beaumont is the author of five books and countless articles on beer, spirits, food, travel and how it all goes together.