I have been a fan of Melvin since the way before times, the Wyoming times, the pre-Eureka era, the Thai Me Up days turning out classic clear IPA in a weird little Jackson restaurant. How rhizomes fly. In the interim they’ve press onward, had some PR gaffs, and now are widening their catalogue in the Stout realm.
This beer is both progressive and regressive. A canned, non-barrel aged, 10.5% imperial stout with Sump coffee. It gives and with each hand it takes away, like a Libertarian at Korean BBQ.
It isn’t excessively thiccc, nor does it have lactose, it doesn’t lean metallic or bell pepper, and it doesnt have a lingering depth of cask treatment. So in the modern era, what era we left with? You have an extremely well assembled beer that feels more like chocolate cake awaiting fondant.
If you have poured regular ass RYAN BROS Speedway stout for someone, you know this experience. You are giving the pinnacle of a previous gen. Like when a GenZ looks at the 200hp engine of an Integra Type R and you have to explain to them that this was very exciting in the late 90s.
There is something to be said for such a unified and focused approach, like the lost art of short stories, this hits the singular theme so considerably that it’s refreshing. You get floral Ethiopia grind, coffee cake, a nice whip of carbonation with sustain, bitter roast on the swallow without any needless milk sugar frapping things up. The swallow closes with a thin 85% bitter chocolate, then expensive TCHO bars at the Whole Foods register.
It won’t prolapse your espresso portafilter, but it’s also not 900 calories for a 12oz pour. It’s better than good, it’s like a very good free to play mobile game with no micro bean grinding transactions. Coffee crush, even your aunt cant feel relevant and alive, sharing QANON theories with khaki teeth jittering and watching I CAN SEE YOUR VOICE. Honestly her kids dont even miss school, they didn’t fit in there anyway, what’s the deal with everyone picking their pronouns these days, pass the stuffing.