25 Drinks: Spicy Italian Imperial Stout

December 11's advent calendar surprise was Birrificio del Ducato's Verdi Imperial Stout. It's brewed with hot chili. This stout won the 2008 European Beer Star Gold Award. 

It was really rich. The spice wasn't drying or overpowering at all. It was just a hint of mellow spice adding to complexity of flavor. I could have savored this brew all night. This was an all-in-one kind of brew, I didn't need anything else at all.