Sherbrooke Neapolean Stout

This bottle has been sitting in my fridge for a good month now waiting patiently for me to drink it.  My brother in law gave it to me in hopes I would write about it and I didn't want to disappoint him.  In the few months of my blogs short life I have purchased/received many different varieties of beer with the intention of writing about them, but I've developed a terrible habit of drinking and not taking the time to write about it while the flavors and nuances are still within reach of my very short, short memory. Meanwhile I've made a point to drink as much beer as I could, and so far I've managed to drink a ton of beer.  A real achievement, my Mother will be so proud.  The writing.....not so good.  Fortunately for you, I will not give up.  But anyways, the beer.

Brewed by Alley Kat for Sherbrooke Liquor store,  this stout is a take on the ice cream flavor neapolitan.  Sherbrooke and Alley Kat have produced a number of beers with a wide range of unusual flavors created by local Edmonton home brewers.  The only other one that I've tried other than this was a red curry flavored beer, unfortunately that one didn't really do it for me or anyone else at the bar that got a sample.  I suppose they can't all be hits.  The Neapolean is a rich stout with the added flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.  It pours black and viscous with a thick mocha brown head.  The foam fades fairly quickly leaving small dimples of lacing behind.  From what I've read about flavored beers, adding oils to the brew virtually destroys any chance of achieving a decent head.  I was pleasantly surprised to see this beer developed a substantial head despite being artificially flavored.  It smells sweet and heavy with fruity notes of vanilla and coffee.  You can definitely taste the chocolate and vanilla with a bitter coffee like aftertaste, unfortunately the strawberry doesn't really come through at all.  The carbonation is extremely low and the hops are barely present, adding only a mild bitter touch at the end.  Overall an interesting beer, a little to sweet for my taste, but tasty nonetheless.  It didn't conjure up any old memories of devouring bowls of ice cream as a child, and for that I am disappointed, but it wouldn't deter me from recommending it to someone willing to try it out.