Bent River Jingle Java Holiday Stout

I keep thinking I have gotten through all of my holiday beers, but I keep finding new ones, some now in the discount bin.  So I will be doing a few more holiday beers in the next several days, these are the last, I swear!

This is a 6.5% ABV oatmeal stout with coffee, vanilla, caramel, pecan, cinnamon and rum. It is from the Bent River Brewing Company of Rock Island, Illinois (original brewpub in Moline, Illinois). Their motto: Get Bent!

The beer pours dark black, just the lightest hint of dark brown on the edge if held directly to the light. There is over an inch of thick, creamy head, the color of coffee with lots of cream. The aromas tick off like the ingredient list, with dark roasted malt, coffee, vanilla, pecan, caramel, and warm, sweet, boozy rum. The taste is a delicious meld of all the aromas, well balanced, all working together, none taking over. The cinnamon is hard to pull out in the aroma, but is subtly present in the taste. The beer is medium-bodied and fairly smooth, with a light carbonation.  This is so very nice!