West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 is a 15% imperial stout from West Coast Brewing, based in Mochimune, in Shizuoka, Japan. It’s part of their canned and draught lineup, though with it being part of their Lab Series of beers, it looks like it could also be a limited availability beer. West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 is brewed using coconut puree and also some coffee sourced from Creative Coffee Factory in Shizuoka.
West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 : At A Glance
Basics
- Alcohol : 15%
- Style : Imperial stout
- Hops : –
- IBU : –
Sale Information
- Availability : –
- On Sale : From January 2022
- Size : 500 ml
- Price : From 1,400 yen
Aroma & Taste
- Notable Aromas : Thick coffee and chocolate aroma with bold creaminess and light coconut aroma. Big alcohol nose when warm.
- Notable Tastes : Thick body of fruity coffee and milk chocolate, along with some smooth coconut. Bold alcohol warming sensation as beer warms.
West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 : Aroma & Taste
There are a fair number of stupid things I have done in my life, no doubt some of the readers of this site have been around to see them occur in real time. Opening up West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 on a weekday definitely is up there, as I really had no idea what I let myself in for when I began to drank this beer. I know the can is dented – that’s partly due to the fact that I took this picture after having drunk half of this beer and then pouring the remaining part into the glass and dropping the can.
It poured out a thick, gloopy pitch black colour with a thin amount of brown head on top that faded fast to a few bubbles around the edge. The aroma from West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 was a rich coffee and chocolate, nuanced with a bold creaminess and light coconut aroma. It was quite an intense aroma in the beer and that should have been warning enough for me to take it easy. To reiterate that I should have been drinking this beer on the weekend, or with a holiday the next day, as West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 warmed up, there was a big nose of booziness present in the nose – more warming than burning but I still carried on drinking.
The thick body did mean that West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 was not going to be a beer for gulping down – unless someone has a wish to pass out very quickly – and I was not up for the challenge. The body had a thick fruity flavour of coffee and milk chocolate present, along with a nuance of coconut lingering in the background for a twist. As West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 warmed up, the alcohol presented itself both on the palate and on my brain, giving it a good smack around the head, before leaving a lingering fruity coffee and chocolate aftertaste.
West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 : The Bottom Line
West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 is a big boozy beast of a beer that deserves respect – or sharing.
West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 : Where to Buy
West Coast Dark Lab Series 02 can be bought online at the following places:
