Cathedral Square Brewery
St. Louis, MO
This imperial stout boast a chocolate, malty backbone with a dry, hoppy finish that complements its balance.
ABV: 10.0
ABW: 8.0
COLOR: 57
BITTERNESS: 110
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1074
AVAILABLE: IL, KS, MO, NE
Beer Talk
Holy Moly
Published March 2013, Volume 34, Number 1
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Lew Bryson
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.
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Stephen Beaumont
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.
