Maui Brewing Company - Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout

To close this exceptional collection of Maui limited releases: a rich, creamy homage to the classic dessert crème brûlée. This imperial milk stout incorporates Hawaiian vanilla, with homemade caramel, oak, and bourbon throughout, plus decadent, integrated barrel notes.

Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout pours a deep dark brown approaching black, with dark cola edges. The pour is capped by fine-bubbled dark tan foam, leaving behind solid lacing around the perimeter. A generous blend of bourbon-barrel impacts and deep chocolate lead the aromatics. Oak, almond, and spicy barrel character provide some nice structure alongside licorice and bitter chocolate. Super smooth, but this barrel impact isn’t messing around, and the caramel and lightly sweet lactose contributions keep everything aligned.

This is a full-bodied, very generous bourbon-barrel imperial stout. The lactose/milk-stout qualities contribute to a beautifully smooth character throughout. Bubbly carbonation keeps this feeling lively, along with a subtle warming vinous presence from the alcohol, with plenty of fresh fruitiness. Beautifully handled big beer, with tons of flavor but carefully structured.

The crème-brûlée character is here in spades, with well-developed caramelization that isn’t heavy, and sweet banana-like fruitiness. This is first and foremost a brilliantly crafted barrel-aged imperial stout, with all kinds of other stuff going on. There’s generous barrel, generous stout notes, special additions impactful and in proper measure… We’re just so impressed by these big beers from Maui—closing with a knockout, crème brûlée-inspired imperial stout.

This is definitely sturdy enough for six months or more of cellaring while keeping its caramel levels in check. Pair with hefty main or dessert courses that will work with bourbon, caramel, and chocolate notes to best effect. Pepper-rubbed steak. Perhaps some actual crème brûlée.