Name: Yoda Condition (2020)
Brewers: Nerdbrewing (Sweden), Emperor’s Brewery (United Kingdom)
Style: Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer (Base Style: Imperial Stout)
ABV: 12.3%
Review Year: 2021
Brewed on May the 4th 2020, an Imperial Stout concocted with maple syrup and conditioned on home toasted coconut shreds, Yoda Condition is. Hmmm… a massive collaboration brew this is. Sweden’s Hannes Gruber (Nerdbrewing) and Damian Doherty (Emperor’s Brewery) joined forces… they have. Reviewing a series of collaboration brews from Emperor’s Brewery, the best way to celebrate Star Wars week it seems. Herh herh herh.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer (30A) with the Imperial Stout (20C) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Opaque jet black with a brown head. The nose exuded intense toasted coconut, dark chocolate, and coffee. Moderate scents of maple, nuts, dark fruit, and alcohol followed through. Full-bodied, low carbonation; mouthfeel was chewy, luscious but not heavily syrupy. No astringency. Dark, rich, and malt-forward flavors dominated the flavor profile. The dark malt flavor surfaced prominently as something akin to a decadent dark chocolate bar with 90% cocoa, backed by coffee, toasted coconut, and maple syrup impressions. Sweetness is moderate, just enough to accentuate the malt-forward flavors. The aftertaste lingered with dark chocolate and subtle fruity characters like lychees and cherries. No alcohol flavor.
THE VERDICT
With the Star Wars hype aside, an extremely decadent and smooth Imperial Stout augmented with toasted coconuts and maple syrup Yoda Condition is. The base showcased the key characteristics of an Imperial Stout from the appearance to the mouthfeel, without the astringency, syrupy quality, and hot alcoholic notes (even at 12.3% ABV). The toasted coconut and maple syrup were also showcased and complemented the base style rather than overpowering it. The relative drinkability of Yoda Condition is also worthy of praise: it is one of those Imperial Stouts that do not weigh heavily on the palate and one that does not bombard you with overly sweet flavors noted in several examples in the market today. Outstanding. Drink while watching Luke meet Master Yoda in Dagobah for the very first time.
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