Partners in Crema by Wild Leap Brew Co. is being evaluated as a Spice, Herb, or Vegetable beer (Category 30A) with an Imperial Stout (Category 20C) as its base according to the 2015 BJCP guildelines.
This beer pours medium brown with a thin café au lait colored head of smalls bubbles which persists for the beers entirety. A moderate-high sweetness is apparent up front of the aroma with moderate coconut and moderate-low chocolate notes, though the coffee is not apparent in the aroma nor are any hop notes. In the flavor, there is a high malt sweetness on the sip followed by moderate coconut, low chocolate, light roast, and very low coffee. There is no hop flavor or perceived bitterness apparent in this beer. There is a low plum ester in the mid-palate. The balance is towards the malt sweetness. This beer finishes sweet with sweet malt, coconut, and light roast lingering and, despite being noted as 10% ABV, there is no trace of alcohol in the finish or flavor. This beer is full bodied with medium-low carbonation. There is no alcohol warmth in this beer. The beer leaves a light stickiness on the lips after it dries. Overall this particular sample falls slightly short of being cloyingly sweet. Though the stated flavors in the beer are present, this beer loses dimensionality and complexity to its almost overwhelming sweetness; even as a lover of rich barleywines I could only finish half of the can.