Puppy Giggles Imperial Stout

Puppy Giggles is a big beer. Roasty, toasty, and 9.5% ABV. It was actually brewed in May, but took seven months to mellow and mature.

Grainbill:
10.0 lb Liquid Light Extract
4.5 lb Maris Otter
1 lb Barley Flakes
.5 lb Chocolate Malt
.5 lb Carafa® TYPE III
.5 lb Crystal 120
.5 lb Crystal 60
.25 lb Black Malt
.25 lb Roasted Barley

Hop schedule:
1.0 oz Warrior (16.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60.0 min
1 oz Amarillo (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 10.0 min

Yeast:
1.0 ea White Labs WLP099 Super High Gravity Ale (0.5 gallon starter)

Rather than mashing 12 extra pounds of grain, I used malt extract to get the right amount of fermentability.

After aging for seven months, it’s delicious. Jet black with a dense, tan head. Medium-thick mouthfeel with low-medium carbonation. The smell is coffee, dark chocolate with a touch of burnt wood. The taste is of roasted espresso, dark fruit, cacao, with slight floral hop bitterness. Warming, yet pleasant alcohol in the finish reminds you that this is a sipping beer.

Puppy Giggles is a real crowd-pleaser and an intense, tasty reminder that good things come to those who wait.