Category: Beer News

2015 saw us release a few riffs on our Smokestack Series Limited Release Imperial Stout. As a base beer, Imperial Stout serves as a ridiculously sturdy starting point for layering flavors by incorporating new ingredients or barrel aging methods. Imperial Stout has a huge grain bill featuring several types of malted barley, wheat, rye, oats, and spelt. Robust grain and chocolate/coffee flavors are counterbalanced by date and plum notes from Scottish yeast.

The final installment, Imperial Stout X – Coconut, was originally scheduled to be released in late 2015, but due to an abnormally long backlog in the Missouri state registration process, the beer was delayed. We’re very happy to share that the regulatory obstacles have been overcome and Imperial Stout X – Coconut will begin to be released starting in the Greater Kansas City Area on February 9th. Available exclusively in 750 ml bottles, Imperial Stout X – Coconut will be available throughout our distribution footprint where you’d normally find other Smokestack Series Limited Release beers like Saison-Brett, Rye-on-Rye and Bourbon Barrel Quad.

Using the base beer for Imperial Stout as a starting point, our brewers suspended just over 2 pounds per barrel of raw and toasted coconut flakes in porous bags in one of our stainless steel fermentation vessels. Finished, cooled beer was then transferred onto the flakes and allowed to rest for 48 hours to infuse the aroma and flavor of the coconut into the base beer. The resulting beer is a marriage of huge, round, chocolate and caramel notes from Imperial Stout, with smooth layers of sweet, toasted coconut notes.

At 11% ABV and 63 IBUs, no portion of Imperial Stout X – Coconut is barrel aged.

- Jeremy Danner, Ambassador Brewer