Marble Decadence

Good afternoon all. It's certainly been a while since I reviewed a beer on the blog, but fear not as I've been preparing something a bit special for a post in the very near future that has been taking up my usual reviewing time, so look out for that soon. Last night was the first night I had to myself in a while, so I decided on something substantial and quite special- Decadence, a Russian Imperial Stout from Marble. Coming in a sizeable 750ml bottle I offered a glass to my family but they declined, so I opted to have the whole thing to myself. At least I tried, eh? Review after the pic....

Decadence (8.7% ABV) pours a deep black colour with a generous off-white head that retains itself well throughout drinking. The aroma is very rich and malty, with chocolate syrup, coffee, licorice, candy sugar and an initial "black IPA" quality in the form of hoppy citrus fruits. The hop quality hits at first and is very noticeable, but this soon gives way to the characteristic roasted malt aromas. There's also a sweet/sour Asian cuisine aspect, reminiscent of hoisin sauce or a similar sauce, which sometimes comes across as dark fruits like raisins, plums and blackcurrants. Some burnt sugar comes through and there's also a slight awareness of the alcohol amid the sweetness. Certainly very complex indeed! The taste is slightly more subdued than what I was expecting based on the nose, with yeast extract, fruity hops, light chocolate and coffee. The roasted malt hits first with a slightly watery texture, the coffee and chocolate come through in the middle and the finish brings an almost immediate dark chocolate bitterness and a fairly substantial dryness. The boozy character is noticeable but not overpowering, and the aftertaste has a hoppy, chocolatey profile that warrants continued sipping. The mouthfeel is quite thick and the beer is well carbonated, which works well with the richer, darker flavours. Overall, a decent offering from Marble that delivers a lot of aromas but unfortunately brings itself down slightly on the flavour. There's still enough flavour present for the beer to be thoroughly enjoyable, but I was certainly expecting a lot more based on the impressive nose. Definitely worth trying, but I wouldn't get it again in a hurry.

Until next time....