Every time Freehouse taps up something adventurous like Stockade Brewing Co.’s Mountie Maple Imperial Stout, I will automatically find my way back to the house.

The Mountie smells like coffee candy (Kopiko, anyone?), and tastes pretty much the same but with an additional alcohol bitterness that is quite overwhelming. Think of it as a coffee that got Irished too enthusiastically, and you’re there. Also, it dries out the mouth like nothing else. Yes, even ajinomoto and ve-tsin can’t compete.

If you like your stouts sweet and packing the punch of a wine (that’s right, Mountie is at TWELVE percent ABV), Mountie is the brew for you. I kinda wish Freehouse would venture from IPAs to strong stouts more often, to be completely honest.