Goose Island The Muddy Imperial Stout

This 9.0% ABV stout brewed with licorice is from Goose Island Beer Company of Chicago, Illinois (now owned by AB-InBev).

The beer pours black, with just the slightest bit of translucent brown at the top edge when held to the light. The aroma is quite mild for a stout, some char and light anise. The taste follows the aromas, char, light anise, and just a touch of some other dark roasted malt flavors, more implied than obvious. The beer drinks smooth and round with a tingle of carbonation. The finish is as dry as sweet with a light to moderate bitterness. This is an enjoyable enough stout, but it is much lighter and more subtle in flavor than I expected from the bottle description of “amplified sweetness with licorice notes.”