Arcadia Imperial Stout

Brewed by Arcadia Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Battle Creek, Michigan USA

2006 Vintage

4/15/2008: Arcadia Ales Imperial Stout is near black in color and has a very thin crown. There doesn’t appear to be much carbonation left, but that’s okay by me for this style. A wonderful chocolate liqueur aroma is both rich and complex. The flavor is extremely smooth and contains rich dark chocolate, light coffee, creamy hot cocoa (like the kind made from scratch with Hershey’s cocoa), and some roasted malt. There is also some subtle dark, dried fruity flavor blended deep within the complex, chocolatey flavor as well. There is a bit of heavily roasted malt/char around the edges, but it works well with the other flavors and is definitely not burnt or acidic in any way. Overall the flavor and aroma are on the sweeter side which is absolutely fine be me! The alcohol is well integrated into the flavor, but provides a nice warming effect that enhances the overall tasting experience. This beer is full-bodied and has an extremely smooth body with a soft and creamy texture.

12 fl. oz. bottle from Party Town. Rating #313 for this beer...

Poured a dark black with just the hint of a tan-colored head. Felt thin in the mouth despite being so dark. Smelled and tasted of coffee. Went down pretty smooth, but felt weak on the palatte. A decent coffee stout, but not the best ever. Pretty drinkable beer.

This is my first offering from Arcadia, and I must say it is a very solid brew! Pours a solid black color with tan head. Smells heavily of alcohol, dark fruit and chocolate. Taste is very fruity with hints of coffee and chocolate. A little thin in the mouth, but finishes very smooth.

Poured a nearly opaque black color with a medium size tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of molasses, anise, roasted malts, chocolate, and a bit of smoke. Lots of anise in the taste, more molasses, smoke, roasted malt, and sweet chocolate, with a fair amount of alcohol in the finish.

Vintage 2007. Pours black as coal with a creamy brown head that laces beautifully. The aroma is of chocolate, dark roasted malt, dried cherries and light coffee. The mouthfeel starts full-bodied and creamy-smooth with a lightly tart and bitter roasted finish. There is a touch of alcohol heat at the end, and the palate seems to thin a bit as I delve further into the glass. Chocolate and dark roast ride up front with supporting notes of dark fruit, faint coffee, and mollases. The finish is more roasted malt along with fruity and lightly bitter hops, lingering long after the swallow. This is a tasty beer and the best offering from Arcadia that I have sampled, to date.

Pours black with no head. Aroma is chocolate and sweetness with some presence of hops and a little boozy. The flavor is strongly coffee with roasted malts with some minute sting of hops. I think it’s rather tasty.

No head. Nose is vinously fruity, a tiny bit o’ chocolate, alcohol, a lot of boring not dark enough malt. Taste: chocolate and coffee, still kinda vinous. Body is definitely too thin. Finishes fairly dry.

Pours a dark brown with a thin, quickly dying tan head. Aroma of irish coffee, chocolate and burnt malts. Also a bit of a winey aroma. The flavor is pretty nice- more burnt malt, a nice creamy coffee flavor with some decent bitter hop notes thrown in there. The palate is thick and smooth, very nice for the style. Solid brew overall.