New brewery alert! Truth be told, I’ve never heard of Black Diamond Brewing of Concord, California before. So, when I saw that Stout’s Growlers here in Canton had their Peak XV Imperial Porter pouring, I popped on over to their website to check them out. There’s no history that I could find, so I’m not sure how long they’ve been in business. Their selection of beers does seem to favor heavier beers, though, and hey, they do have a really cool website.

If Black Diamond Peak XV Imperial Porter is any indication, this is a brewery to watch and I am very happy they decided to export to Georgia. I haven’t seen them in bottles yet, so special thanks to the gang down at Stout’s for bringing this in. Irene was telling me she tried it at a beer tasting and was impressed enough to order a keg. I’m sure glad she did.

From the brewery website:

A smooth drinking, dark porter brewed with raw cacao nibs and hand-cut Madagascar vanilla beans. Balanced between a coffee-like bitterness and a rich malt character, this ale is deceptively drinkable for an Imperial.

Black Diamond Peak XV Imperial Porter has an alcohol content of 8% by volume with 35 IBUs. I paid $17 for a 64-ounce growler fill at Stout’s.

Black Diamond Peak XV Imperial Porter pours to a dark brownish black but not opaque color with a thick creamy head and a light roasty nose with a hint of vanilla. Taking a sip, the beer has a smooth body and full dry roastiness with creamy vanilla and bittersweet dark chocolate notes all poking through. It finishes dry roasty bitter, satisfying and moreish. It doesn’t seem as strong as it is for sure.

The chocolate and vanilla notes here reminded me of chewy dark chocolate brownies, and had I had any ready at the time, I would have enjoyed them with Black Diamond Peak XV Imperial Porter. As it was, I greatly enjoyed sipping this beer, and refilled my glass several times from my trusty Drink Tank growler, which I left on the coffee table as I enjoyed my beer.

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