Beer of the Weekend #945: Confluence Imperial Brown

Happy New Year!

The first beer of the weekend in 2021 is the last new beer I drank in 2020: Imperial Brown, brewed by the Confluence Brewing Company of Des Moines, Iowa.



Serving type: A 64-ounce growler filled on December 15, 2020, and poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: The color is hazy amber brown with a note of honey. One finger of tan, bubbly head leaves a ring and skim.

Smell: Twizzlers-like licorice is the most prominent aroma at first. Cherry-filled chocolate emerges, as do toasted malt and caramel. A scent of honey and alcohol combine to give it a hot toddy–like element.

Taste: The flavor is a pleasant and warming blend, though it is sweet more than anything—a bummer for me since I like toasted and roasted dark beers. The ABV is noticeable in the first sip. Cherry is prominent but does not remind me of Twizzlers. There are flavors of burnt sugar, toast, and honey, which provides a hot-toddy character. Caramel and cherry-filled chocolate emerge, and vanilla bean also comes to mind.

Fun facts about Imperial Brown:

• Style: Imperial brown ale.

• Price: I’m unsure. The growler was a Christmas gift.

• Alcohol content: 9.5 percent ABV, which surprises me because I did not think it was that “big.” I thought it was 8.5 or 8.8. No wonder three pints of it gave me a heinous hangover and all-day minor headache the next day.

The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.