16% ABV. That’s how much booze fuels the coffee-soaked drama of Avery Brewing’s Tweak Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. Think about it. That’s 32-Proof beer.

Avery is no stranger to ludicrous displays of alcohol, but it’s not just about the fire -- it's how they use it to funnel huge amounts of flavor into one beer. In Tweak, they soak their high-proof choco-roasty Imperial Stout base with real espresso beans. Then for good measure, they “spike” this coffee monster by aging it 4 months in bourbon barrels.

Once you pour this caffeinated kraken, your nose awakens with the smell of coffee and bourbon. The taste? Coffee and bourbon. That’s it. Its power is in its simplicity. Drinking it is so smooth with its thick mouthfeel, but damn that booze rears its fiery head at the end -- like you’re a newborn baby being smacked on the butt as you’re welcomed into the world.

When it comes to high ABV beers, Tweak is token of Avery’s boozy madness -- strong and packed to the brim with legions of barrel-aged flavor. Their insanity is contagious, seducing dark beer fans online into rating it one of the best Imperial Stouts of all time on BeerAdvocate. Take a sip, and you’ll be a Tweak-er, too.

4.46 on Untappd; 4.45 on BeerAdvocate