This month's gotten away from me, but, honestly, I knew that'd happen. Between my returning to work, juggling homelife with a wonderful wife and two rambunctious beans, NaNoWriMo (which I've adjusted from writing fifty-thousand words this month to just "write every day"), and the rest of everything happening, well, it's pretty clear that the blog would fall by the wayside.

But it's maple month, the best month for beer drinking of the year! I won't let it slip away so easily. That's why, tonight, I'm getting around to Wandering Monsters' Viator Obscura: Maple Barrel Aged.

I only just did up a Wandering Monsters beer a handful of posts ago so, in the interest of preserving my time and yours, I'll just link to that. Give it a glance to learn about the brewery. I'll also direct you to their website for anything else you'd want to know. 

Viator Obscura: Maple Barrel Aged isn't on the brewery's website, so we'll head over to Untappd for our intel. The profile here for the beer bills it as an 13% ABV imperial stout (the brewery's flagship Viator Obscura) with sticky maple notes on top of chocolate and caramel. I never tried it on tap at Wandering Monsters, so this single bottle I nabed last month will be my only experience with the stout.

The bouquet on this thing's enough to knock you on your ass by itself. It's bursting with maple sweetness, with chocolate and caramel layered beneath it. I'm also picking up on some hops, some coffee, some dark fruit, and some boozy heft. Seriously, the nose is a killer app. Melba gave my glass six whiffs--make of that what you will.

Since I've poured this beer into a glass (as per the blog's rules--the bottle was sealed with wax), let's talk about how it looks. The head is a fast-dissipating, thin layer of intricate khaki-colored bubbles. The body of the stout's pitch black, used-motor oil goodness.

Finally, we're getting to my favorite part: the flavor profile. Maple Barrel's maple-forward on my palate, with a heart, sticky maple syrup coating my mouth. I get the chocolate, too, and, if I'm digging for it specifically, the caramel. I thought the finish here would be dry, given the hoppy aromatics. But, nope. It's maple and chocolate all the way through, with a boozy wallop hitting me as the chocolate falls away. A second swig brings the additions of plum, fig, and coffee, but, really, the maple and chocolate are the showstoppers here.

The mouthfeel is spot on for an American imperial stout. It's thick and robust, hearty and full. There's a touch of carbonation, but it drinks like a 13% beer, as it damn well should.

Maple Barrel reminds me of when Michelle and I take cabin trips by ourselves. No matter what, the first night's always a bear for me as I struggle to unwind. I usually wake up around three o'clock in the morning and can't fall back to sleep. I grab my book (I always bring a book or two with me) and post up in the cabin's common area with it, lighting a fire if the place is equipped with a fireplace. Eventually, around five, I'll brew a pot of coffee. Those first nights, sleep-deprived as they are, are ultimately relaxing. This stout's just like them.

I know I tend to rate highly during maple month. What can I say? I love maple syrup. It's the greatest beer (and cider) adjunct around. If it's incorporated well, I'm immediately smitten. Wandering Monsters incorporated it well in Viator Obscura: Maple Barrel Aged. This is an easy 10/10. This is the second beer I've done from them and the second "highest recommendation" I've given them. I may just have a new favorite brewery in town.