Well, here’s a first for me. A beer from Foothills Brewing of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Foothills doesn’t distribute in Georgia, at least not yet. Given that North Carolina is a neighboring state, though, I would expect that it won’t be long before we see their beers cross the border and show up on local store shelves.

If that didn’t make the beer hard enough to get, there’s also the fact that some of their “Special Release” beers have to be bought at the brewery itself, at least if you want them in bottles. Case in point: Foothills Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout. This is the February edition of the Special Release series, and though I didn’t make it to the brewery to get a bottle, a friend of mine did and was kind enough to send me one.  Thanks are due for standing in line at the brewery at the release party to get some.
Let’s let the brewery describe it, shall we?

A cocoa infused Imperial Stout – Opaque black in color with a dark brown head. Big chocolate aroma with notes of espresso, blackstrap molasses, dark sweet toffee and dark fruit. Smooth dark chocolate backbone with complex notes of coffee, dark toffee and dark fruit.

Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout has an alcohol content of 9.75% by volume and an impressive 85 IBUs. I’ve heard reports that it is available on draft as well is in the bottle.

Foothills Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout pours to a jet black color with a thin creamy tan head formation and a decidedly rich dark chocolaty nose. Taking a sip, the beer has an incredibly sinful texture that sets the stage for all kinds of decadent flavors to come. Rich dark chocolate is the first thing you get, along with espresso, a hint of licorice, powdered cocoa, dark fruits, and a hint of caramel. The finish is very roasty bitter, and has a slight, barely perceptible phenolic character.

This is a truly delightful Imperial Stout infused with cocoa, and to its credit the latter is not lost in the former. An impressive beer indeed, and one definitely worth seeking out.

Recommended: Yes