Toppling Goliath — Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout 2024

Technical Details

Tasting Profile

The nose opens with pronounced bourbon-soaked oak, dark roasted coffee, and maple syrup, layered with vanilla bean and toasted coconut. The palate is luxuriously viscous, delivering waves of espresso, dark chocolate, and burnt caramel interwoven with Kentucky bourbon warmth. Molasses and brown sugar provide sweetness that’s tempered by roasted malt bitterness and oak tannins. The finish is extraordinarily long and warming, with lingering notes of vanilla, coffee grounds, and charred oak, while the substantial 12.9% alcohol integrates seamlessly into the rich, dessert-like body.

Food Pairing

Pair with dark chocolate torte featuring salted caramel and espresso buttercream, where the beer’s bourbon character amplifies the dessert’s complexity. Alternatively, serve alongside slow-braised short ribs with coffee-molasses glaze, allowing the stout’s roasted notes and barrel-aged depth to complement the umami-rich, caramelized meat while cutting through its richness.

About Toppling Goliath Brewing Company

Toppling Goliath Brewing Company was founded in 2009 in Decorah, Iowa, a small town in the northeastern part of the state. What began as a modest operation has evolved into one of America’s most sought-after craft breweries, earning a cult following among beer enthusiasts worldwide. The brewery has built its reputation on producing exceptionally bold, hop-forward beers with meticulous attention to ingredient quality and brewing precision.

Toppling Goliath is particularly renowned for its India Pale Ales, with their flagship offerings showcasing intensely aromatic hop profiles and complex flavour layering. The brewery’s commitment to small-batch production and limited distribution has only heightened demand for their beers, which often appear on allocation lists and trade highly among collectors. Their brewing philosophy centres on pushing boundaries while maintaining balance and drinkability, even in their most intensely flavoured offerings.

The name itself reflects the David versus Goliath ethos of craft brewing, with a small independent brewery challenging established industry giants through quality and innovation. Their beers consistently rank among the highest-rated in the world, cementing Toppling Goliath’s status as an iconic American craft brewery.

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