Verboten Brewing | Pure Imagination Double Oatmeal Stout

ABV: 6% | IBU: 32

This is a sponsored post from Small Batch Liquors, Denver, CO.

This review has been a long time coming. Verboten Brewing has been on the PorchDrinking radar for years. We always look forward to their creative twists on traditional styles and the staff is above and beyond sweet to their very core. At festivals, they always pull out all of the stops and end up bringing fan favorites each and every single time. Pure Imagination is a great iteration but each of their bottle offerings is most excellent.

Verboten Brewing derives its name from the “forbidden” ingredients that were rejected by the German Purity Law for beer, the Reinheitsgebot. Under the purity law, beers could only be made with three ingredients: barley, water and hops. Yeast, once its fermentation properties were clearly understood, was added later. Verboten’s beers will embrace the trend of incorporating fruit and spice, barrel aging and other distinctive ingredients and processes to make our craft beers.

Home brewers Joe Akers and Josh Grenz, along with their spouses, Keri Akers and Angie Grenz, founded Verboten. Their space consists of taproom and adjacent 3-barrel brewery, designed so visitors can enjoy the community atmosphere of the taproom while still feeling close to the brewing process.

The brewery is located in the heart of Loveland on 1550 Taurus Court, across the street from local distiller, Dancing Pines Distillery. With the tagline, “beer for all”, Verboten firmly believes there is a beer out there that will appeal to everyone.

 Verboten’s Pure Imagination is available at Small Batch Liquors

This stout is part of their amazing wheelhouse of liquid sorcery. This 2014 World Beer Cup Silver Medal winner is made with English malts, American yeast, and Goldings hops.

This delicate and robust stout pours black with a huge, creamy khaki head. On the nose, this brew packs baker’s chocolate, a cherry cordial, espresso while balancing some alcohol heat, but overall, the smell is not fusel nor hot. This brew emanates its loaded, toasty character of chocolate, coffee and cocoa right from the first whiff. The nose continues with roasted coffee, toasted grains, crème, and woody highlights. Pure Imagination is pretty fucking accurate here.

On wafting the dark and viscous Pure Imagination, I can pick up saccharine and fruity esters that play off of the blackest of licorice and scorched molasses. The aroma promises all that the purest of imaginations could dream of.

The mouthfeel of Pure Imagination is ridiculous; silken texture, full body, and chewy, viscous finish. Razor-sharp black coffee brewed on a cold winter’s day with a dollop of sweet, Jackie Brown sugar. A bit of char present but no long burning effect. The malt backbone is polite, with significant roast and caramel joining the toast. Smooth as fuck. The esters are dialed back a little but that is typical of the style. Great hop flavor with a robust nuttiness and a sticky, sweet toffee note. Fusel heat is prolific in the finish but not overwhelming. That sweet, sweet slow burn. Hops are prevalent and vigorous throughout. The mocha aftertaste counters this well and supplements the roasted barley with sweet oats for a chewy, crazy-creamy mouthfeel.

Although this is a forceful beer with untamed roasty, sugary notes; I can peel back a 22 oz bomber of this sweet nectar by myself. This supersized oatmeal stout is the Kimbo Slice of oatmeal stouts. The alcohol heat is momentous and the elevated carbonation carries all the flavors into your palate at once, like a slug to the chest. The smooth, creaminess rounds out the quaffability well. Compliments to the brewer and recipe wrangler.

Much like Verboten Brewing’s other offerings, this double oatmeal stout shines like a diamond. I can’t dote on this brewery enough but crack one of their beers around me, and I might just try.

You can find this brew and many other fantastic carefully curated craft beers available for purchase at Small Batch Liquors in Denver, Colorado.

Small Batch Liquors

4340 Tennyson St.
Denver, CO 80212

---

Can't visit the site everyday like us? Bummer! No worries, we've got you covered. Submit your email below to receive our monthlyish newsletter on reviews, tours, events and more!

Email address:

Leave this field empty if you're human: