A few weeks back I did an entire week of writing about some Triptych Stouts in their Because, Stout line. I felt like they were good but almost too similar. So my buddy Niles sent me this beer. There’s been a lot of love for this on the internet lately so I’m pretty jacked about trying it. Forces Beyond Our Control is an Imperial Stout with Coconut and Vanilla, two of my favorite adjuncts in a stout. So let’s crack it open.
Forces Beyond Our Control looks like ink in the glass. It pours dark, like pitch black with a thin dark caramel head that dissipates quickly. Swirling the beer in the glass does very little to reinvigorate the head.
Aroma is full of sweet chocolate and vanilla. It’s also smells a little boozy, which is interesting, considering it’s not barrel aged.
This beer is thick, viscous, oily, and full-bodied. On the palate, Forces Beyond Our Control is chocolate-forward. It’s sweet and bitter all at once. Wow, that’s a nice flavor profile. Is it even possible to have sweet chocolate and dark chocolate all at once? That’s what this beer has achieved. There’s a hint of coconut on the back end. The only vanilla I get was from the aroma, so that’s a tad disappointing, but who cares? I do wish there was a bit more coconut, but this beer really hits the spot. It’s boozy, heavy, and full of chocolate. I do believe that it still has the same underlying sweetness of the Because, Stouts series, but this beer is beyond better. See what I did there? 🙂
Triptych continues to pump out excellent beers, and this is one of them. I look forward to more from this fantastic brewery.
Cheers!
Beer Stats
- ABV: 12.5%
- IBU: n/a
- Untappd Rating: 4.22
- # of Ratings: 501
