Alpine Beer Company Boris

Brewed by Alpine Beer Company (CA)
Style: Imperial Stout
Alpine, California USA

Sampled from 22-oz bomber and shared by joebrew. Pours a hazy dark brown brew with a thin beige head that dissipates to a fine film. Aroma of toasted dark malt, some bourbon, dark chocolate, vanilla and a hint of coffee. Taste is full bodied, thick with flavors of toasted dark malt, vanilla, coffee, some dark chocolate and bourbon. Finish has a toasted dark malt, vanilla and a mild bourbon aftertaste.

Bottle courtesy of Tampa Tasting Group. Pours a dark brown to black color with tan/yellow head. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of roasted nuts, wood, phenol, butterscotch, whiskey, coffee and earthy notes. Flavor is much of the same with some bitter phenol notes, dark chocolate, bourbon, coffee and toffee. Generally full bodied with roasted malt finish.

22 oz. bottle. Pours black with a moderate, luscious brown head that faded to a ring after two sips and left a few spots of lace on the glass. Very pleasant aroma of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and vanilla. The flavor is definitely a step back from the aroma and is frankly a little disappointing. Roasted malt and coffee give way to an odd slightly metallic flavor, with some bourbon and some very noticeable alcohol at the finish. Moderate coffee bitterness at the end as well. This beer starts off with lots of promise, but in the end does not deliver.

Bottled. Dark color, short dark head. Aroma of roasted malt, coffee, hint of vanilla, bourbon. Thick malty taste, soft vanilla, some chocolat. Nice, but lacks a bit of complexity in taste.

22oz bottle from South Bay Pharmacy. Pours a deep brown almost black with a thick tan head. Nose was big on bourbon and booze, with some fresh coffee as well. Flavor held some dark fruits as well as the above mentioned. This brew was a little over powering and slightly out of balance.

22oz bottle - I picked this up at the Pizza Port Bottle shop after stumbling out of the Strong Ale Fest on day 1...Im glad I did not drop it on the walk back to the Hotel. Poured a dark black color with an averaged sized tan head. Aromas of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, earthy, some coffee, and roasty. Tastes of bourbon, wood, earthy, coffee, chocolate, and some dark fruits. Light alcohol in the finish. Smooth and creamy body.

Dark ebony color with a caramel colored head. This beer has a very inviting aroma. Molasses, brown sugar, vanilla, dark chocolate, and just the faintest bit of bourbon. Flavor is nowhere near as enjoyable. Roasted coffee, a bit of dark fruit, and a slight lactic quality. Creamy mouthfeel. Good, not great.

22oz. bomber, with thanks to wetherel for this great bonus. Pours a cloudy dark brown-black with a two finger foamy tan head that lingers, good retention and minimal lacing. Aroma is a nice blend of milk chocolate, fresh ground coffee, molasses, vanilla, oak, and hints of bourbon here and there, but not dominating. On the flavor the cold pressed coffee seems to take over, but still with some chocolate and dark fruits, and very little oak or bourbon to be found which is disappointing. Enjoyable, but wish the flavor could keep up with the aroma a little better. Thanks again John, much appreciated.