Bayou Teche Loup Garou Review

From the Bayou Teche website: "Loup Garou is the Cajun French phase for a werewolf and is also Bayou Teche Brewing’s limited edition, Belgian inspired Imperial Stout.  Crafted with an insane amount of chocolate roasted Belgian malts, brown sugars and French hops, our stout is then aged on oak for several months.  Loup Garou is just around 8% ABV and will be released in 22 oz. Belgian-style bottles and a very limited number of kegs."

I'm going to consider this a Foreign Export Stout (category 13d) for review purposes.

Aroma:  Strong chocolate and coffee notes.  Touch of tobacco.  Warming alcohol aroma.  Slight woodiness.  No hop aroma to speak of.  Very slight dark cherry-like esters.  No diacetyl or other off aromas.  Dark malty breadiness starts to present itself as it warms. 10/12

Appearance:  Black as night.  Just like its prey, no light escapes the Loup Garou.  Opaque, but not hazy.  Thick initial brown head with good retention.  Texture  of a good espresso with fine creamy looking bubbles lining the surface. 3/3

Flavor:  Coffee and tabacco are prominent.  Chocolate follows close behind with a touch of wood.  Bitterness from roasted barley and hops are enough to balance the sweetness and lingers only slightly.  Slight pleasant alcohol warmth.  No off flavors detected. 17/20

Mouthfeel:  Full bodied with medium carbonation.  Slight alcohol warmth.  Slight creaminess.  Balance is slightly dry, but not astringent.  No diacetyl slickness. 5/5

Overall Impression:  An excellent beer.  My new favorite beer from Bayou Teche.  I don't get as much licorice flavor as I would have expected unless that's what contributed to the tobacco-like aroma and flavor.  Regardless, a very pleasing beer. 9/10

That puts it at a 44/50 in my book.  The only thing I can really fault them on is that I didn't get a whole lot of licorice character in the aroma.  That being said, it's only a slight ding and this is certainly a great beer in my world.