Zombie Apocalypse

Zombie Apocalypse is a pretty ruthless 10% alcohol imperial stout from the clever beersmiths at Toronto’s Indie Alehouse. I had a 10oz pour at one of my favourite local establishments. My beer turned up looking ghoulishly dark, adorned with a thick cowl of tan head.

Mocha and leather are the predominant aromatic notes, though the flavour tends more toward punchy, bitter chocolate, with a pinch of fruitcake. It’s a very robust ale with no attempt made to cloak the high percentage, though a velvety mouthfeel does help soften the blow. The finish is definitely bitter, but in a chocolate and molasses sense rather than a hoppy one.

I like my Imperial stouts to be strong (check), thick (check), and bitter (check). I tend to shy away from overly sweet ones, and this one does tightrope the line at times, but it manages to keep its balance and left me with a smile. I’d have liked a slightly higher IBU count to really hammer home the point, but it did have enough hops to compete with the big chocolate front end. And it is worth mentioning that as my beer warmed a bit, there was a lot of additional bitterness unlocked.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.