Flying Fish: Imperial Espresso Porter

My last coffee/porter hybrid try (see Rogue's Mocha Porter) was such a success that I figured I should make my way back into the genre. Deciding I'd stay local this time (Flying Fish is out of New Jersey), I grabbed Flying Fish's offering, notwithstanding the "Imperial" tag.

If I had to pick one word here, it would be "sweet." This is definitely one of the sweetest beers I've had outside the fruit/lambic category. Caramel and vanilla are the principal flavors; they are there from the moment it hits your tastebuds, and they linger well into the aftertaste phase. The coffee is there too, showing up somewhat late in the taste, though they don't do much to knock out the sweetness. Hops come through just barely at the very end.

Fortunately, the carbonation and light mouthfeel keep the sweetness from becoming cloying, though all in all this is definitely sweeter than I prefer. I will give this beer props for masking the alcohol content though: while it's listed at 8% ABV, you can't taste the alcohol anywhere.