Name: Fovos (Beast Mode Series)
Brewer: Seven Island Brewing Company (Greece)
Style: Mixed-Style Beer (Base Style: Imperial Stout)
ABV: 12%
Review Year: 2021
Fovos by Seven Island Brewing Company (Greece) is an Imperial Stout brewed with Honduras coffee beans roasted by Cafetierra Roasters, Tahitian vanilla, and Canadian maple syrup.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Mixed-Style Beer (34B), combining Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer (30A) and Alternative Sugar Beer (31B), with Imperial Stout (20C) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The said guidelines were used since we reviewed this beer before 29 December 2021, the date of publishing of the 2021 update. The most current version can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Opaque black; medium head with poor retention. Dark roasty coffee was the most dominant aroma at a fairly high level. The advertised maple syrup and vanilla were also present in support of the coffee. Impressions of cacao and pecan nuts were also present. Medium-full-bodied; moderately low carbonation. Slightly syrupy but smooth. In contrast to the aroma, it was the maple syrup that dominated the flavor profile, with coffee (spicy, roasty) only surfacing weakly. Some vanilla and cookie-like accents add to the complexity. Sweetness was more notable than the bitterness. Fovos concluded with lingering notes of grapes, syrup sweetness, and coffee.
THE VERDICT
Fovos is a “Pastry/Dessert Stout” that featured coffee, vanilla, and maple syrup. While the advertised adjuncts were present, we think more of the roasty and bitter coffee flavors, and less of the syrup sweetness, could elevate this beer further. Overall, it is a sweet beer meant for sipping or sharing. Good.
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Seven Island Brewing Company
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