Solace Brewing Co. - "The Fig Lebowski" stout

Bonus snow day post! Here's one of the more recent releases by Sterling, VA-based Solace Brewing Co.; it's called "The Fig Lebowski" and is an 11.00% ABV imperial stout made with lactose, vanilla, and fig - perhaps the first one of which I am aware to use fig as an ingredient.

Pours inky black out of the pint can. Really dark beer! There's some brown bubbles, but these die away quickly and forms thin orbital ring in the glass. There's a nose of roasted malts, chocolate, and a slightly vegetal note I can't place.

OK, interesting. It's milky smooth, thanks to the lactose, and presents some soft chocolate flavors right up front. There's some malts in there, no hops, and I can appreciate the hints of vanilla. More like vanilla extract, to be honest, but it works. The only place the fig makes an appearance is on the finish / aftertaste, actually. I really dig the flavor and I feel it's not too overly pulpy. And what's more, after the beer goes down, and I breathe out, there's a tiny bit of salt and smoke.

On first blush, the risk for some might be that the stout is too figgy, when in fact, it's just right. And, man, this does NOT taste like it's 11.00% ABV. It really hides the alcohol. I'm digging this and I think this is great for anyone interested in subtle, creamy stouts that pack a punch. I paid $4.50 for one pint, but it's usually sold in four packs. But yeah, it's worth it. But in the words of the Dude - "that's just, like, my opinion, man."

Also, there's something about The Big Lebowski that is attractive to brewers...Center of the Universe Brewing Co. released a stout billed as a "white Russian stout" a few months back called "El Duderino." Who knows, maybe we'll see more beer cans featuring Jeff Bridges!