Rain Check Spiced Stout

Sierra Nevada’s Rain Check is a spiced stout. It pours midnight black, thick and inviting, with a hefty amount of creamy head. It smells much brighter than the color implies- notes of ginger and lime mix with a nutty underbelly. It sounds weird but it really works. The flavor is a lot like the nose- there’s a big malt flavor here, and the spices come through just enough. The finish is smooth, not bitter at all. The mouthfeel is full, with just the right amount of carbonation for a beer like this. I’m pleasantly surprised by this one. Definitely a keeper!

Rain Check from Sierra Nevada was exceptionally dark with a finger-thick mocha head which quickly evaporated. For such a richly dark beer as this, I can't get much scent off of this. I expect coffee and/or chocolate, but what I smell instead is lime, ginger, and a peppery spice. I don't know if Rain Check completely redeems itself in the Taste category. I get coffee, but my tongue is mostly preoccupied by the chili-like spice, nuttiness, and a bit of dark fruits. Sometimes I'm happy and think the beer is complex. Other times I feel like I was served steak spices without the steak. Feels a bit more carbonated or the spice is kicked up by the bubbles. The Taste and Mouthfeel are more "interesting" than "enjoyable" to me. I think it is worth a sample for those folks who like chili stouts.