WeldWerks Medianoche

Tasting Notes

Medianoche leads with dense aromas of bittersweet chocolate, dark roast coffee, and a pronounced vanilla warmth — the result of WeldWerks' extensive barrel-aging and adjunct program. On the palate it's thick and syrupy, delivering layers of fudge, toasted oak, bourbon-soaked cherries, and a touch of dark dried fruit. The body is full to the point of being almost chewy, with carbonation kept deliberately low to let the texture speak. The finish is long, warming, and gently boozy, with roast and vanilla lingering well after the sip — the 14% ABV is present but not harsh given the sweetness carrying it.

About the Brewery

WeldWerks is based in Greeley, Colorado, founded in 2015. They built their reputation quickly on hazy IPAs before establishing one of the most respected imperial stout programs in the country, centered on their Medianoche base recipe and its many variants. Their barrel-aged and adjunct releases draw serious attention on trading forums and at festival pours, and they've earned consistent recognition at the Great American Beer Festival.

Food Pairings

A rich chocolate flourless cake pairs naturally because the bittersweet cocoa in both pulls in the same direction without either overwhelming the other. Aged gouda works well since its caramel and salt cut through the beer's sweetness and add contrast. A bourbon-glazed pecan brownie mirrors the barrel character directly. Blue cheese is a classic high-ABV stout pairing — the funk and salt of the cheese push back against the sweetness in a way that makes both taste sharper. If going savory, braised short ribs with a dark mole sauce find common ground with the beer's roast and chocolate depth.

Style Guide

American Double or Imperial Stout is a high-gravity evolution of the traditional English stout, pushed to extremes of body, roast, and alcohol — typically ranging from 8% to well above 12% ABV. The style is defined by intense flavors of dark chocolate, espresso, molasses, and sometimes dark fruit, with a full, often viscous body and minimal hop bitterness relative to the malt load. American craft brewers popularized the style from the late 1990s onward, frequently aging it in bourbon or rye barrels and adding adjuncts like vanilla, coffee, or cacao nibs. It differs from a standard stout or porter primarily in sheer intensity and alcohol, and from a Russian Imperial Stout mainly in its American tendency toward sweetness and adjunct layering over drier, more bitter European expressions.