Siren Noire - Clipper City Brewing Company, Baltimore

Heavy Seas is an interesting brand. I haven't bothered to do my research into why Clipper City markets these beers as a brand apart from their namesake Clipper City beers... This bottle of Siren Noire seemed particularly interesting because it's not only labeled with the Clipper City name and the Heavy Seas name but it's also part of the "Mutiny Fleet" ...whatever that means. As far as I can tell, that just means it's a bomber rather than a 12 oz bottle, possibily a limited release. Either way, the text on the label that sold me on this beer was the part where it says "Imperial Chocolate Stout".

This bottle of Siren Noire pours just as dark as you'd expect given the name and the style. It's jet black with an oddly bright red highlight around the edges of this beer. The head is quite thin but it's persistent and keeps the beer covered for quite some time. The aroma in this glass is very, very inviting. It smells like warm cocoa. There's a powdered chocolate and marshmallow aroma that's accompanied by malted milk. It smells absolutely delicious, despite there being very little actual beer that hits your nose.

The flavor is predictable but rewarding. There's a lot of chocolate in this beer, but it doesn't go overboard. The Siren Noire has the perfect amount of chocolate for me, it's the dominant flavor but there is still a nice complement of vanilla and a subtle amount of malt that gets through. For an Imperial Stout, this is very well done. The label is spot on, calling this an Imperial Chocolate Stout because, in some ways, the chocolate does outshine the malty Stout backbone. I really don't mind, but I could see why some people may feel a little disappointed by the lack of a big malt bomb.

At 8% ABV the Siren Noire is strong enough to be taken seriously as an Imperial Stout, but approachable enough to encourage new drinkers to give it a try. The chocolate will certainly help there as well. I'd recommend this beer to anyone looking for a chocolate Stout that is well done but not extreme in terms of ABV or flavor. Likewise, new drinkers who may have been turned off by huge malt bomb Imperial Stout, should give the Siren Noire a shot.