Barley Island Franken Imperial Stout

Brewed by Barley Island Brewing
Style: Imperial Stout
Noblesville, Indiana USA

Tulip at BI - Strong aroma of dark chocolate, coffee, tobacco, brown sugar and charcoal. Flavor has some molasses, burnt dark chocolate malt, dark roast coffee and a touch of bitter hops. Alcohol is too strong in the flavor. Palate is ashy and sticky. Interesting and tasty.

Hand bottle... Pours dark with a bubbly, light brown head. The aroma is a glorious swirl of sorghum molasses, pipe tobacco, chocolate and espresso. Full-bodied with a velvety mouthfeel and faint carbonation. The flavor is bold with lots of bittersweet blackstrap molasses and dark chocolate. Black malt and the accompanying ashy bitterness is added to attempt balance. In that regard, this beer fails. However, I’m not always looking for balance. I’m looking for interesting malts and hops and originality. So far, this brew is grossly underrated. Give it another try... or don’t... your loss. Bottle shipped to me by StFun!

tap at the brewpub - Pours black with a thin, tan, lasting head. The flavor is of dark roast malt, some coffee and an alcohol taste that’s too forward. It needs more going on with bigger flavors to keep up with the abv. It’s alright, but for the style, my favorite style in fact, it was really lacking.

Tap at BI, this was a real crowd-pleaser at my table. Pitch pour with light brown head. Heavy booze aroma with some fusels floating around on top of the chocolate. Watery body, a bit boozy, chocolate, a little side rum’whiskey. I enjoyed this, but in the end, about average for draught impies.

New one from Barley Island. Not quite as good as Beastie Barrel, but sessionable nonetheless. Aroma is a tad weak; roasted grain and chocolate. Flavor is the same, nice mix of chocolate and roast, with a touch of cream and grain. Slightly boozy with a small burn. Mouthfeel is a little too watery. Overall, nice but not exceptional.**** Liked this much better the second time around, much more roast and a creamy mouthfeel.