Terrapin Wake 'N' Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout

Well I hoped you survived Super Bowl weekend. The Packers won, which I suppose is a good thing since there were multiple Alum's on the team from my University. I have to admit to not watching the second half; not from negligence, but for beer! After "gulping" the usual suspects during the first half, the second half was about breaking out the geographic specials. So we did, in the form of Victory Brewing Co. HopDevil Ale and Golden Monkey; and Leinenkugel Honey Wheat and Sunset Wheat (now affectionately known as the "fruity pebbles beer" - review coming soon). However, none of these fine selections are today's topic of conversation. Instead, I will be reviewing Terrapin's Wake 'N' Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout. Fortunately/Unfortunately I had this beer while out at our typical beer dive (World of Beer) so I was unable to get photos of the bottle and what it looked like in the glass. But never fear beer lovers, I will still be able to deliver the goods. Let's "hop" to it!

Image from http://www.terrapinbeer.com/

Pour before you GULP! Holy mother of chocolate. The Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout (COIS for short) is black. Like, straight up night time with no stars. What was great about it was that the head, as thin as it was, left hints of mocha chocolate coloring. That fact was very telling to what was going to happen during the drinking process.

GULP! It Up! Holy mother of coffee. Wait, did I already use that line? No? Okay I was close. This grandma terrapin did not screw around when making this little black mamba. Right from the get go your senses are pounded with combinations of coffee (a "premium blend of Costa Rican, Guatemalan, & Zimbabwe coffee") and chocolate. It was not thick by any means, the dense color fooling you, but the deep flavors make it an incredibly unique experience. The oatmeal flavor is not very strong, nor is the hop flavoring on the back end. But this multiple award winner is no slack in the alcohol department, weighing in at 8.6% ABV.

Grade the GULP! Stouts and Porters tend to have very unique flavor combinations. The COIS from Terrapin is no different. While you're drinking you may have an urge for vanilla ice cream or chocolate bars, but hold back. Be sure to enjoy a full drink first, then venture into other combinations - which is my plan. While having very intense alternative flavors, the COIS was unbelievable. Up to this point, I had never had a beer like this one. I personally wouldn't recommend having more than one due to the complex flavors, but enjoying one over an extended period is not a bad idea. Grade? 9. Congrats to the Terrapin Wake 'N' Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout for achieving the first 9 in GULP! history. What's the prize? Nothing. Well, maybe a few more purchases. Don't be scurred kiddo's, go give this turtle a shot!