Beer Valley Black Flag Imperial Stout Hop Harvest Edition

Bottle from Bottleworks. Nose is fresh and hoppy with bitter coffee, roasted notes, light chocolate, and a hint of butter. The first smell was a fresh hoppy burst, but then it settled in. Dark cola brown pour with a frothy creamy tan head. The flavor is dark and roasty, soft hint of butter, light chocolate. Good chewy piney/earthy hop bitterness in the finish and throughout. Interesting use of dark malts and fresh hops. Body was a little thin and some alcohol showed up in the finish, but at 11% it drank well. Decent, and borderline really damn good if no buttery notes IMO.

Bomber, 2008 Hop Harvest Edition. Poured medium viscosity deep brown with a creamy, well-retained cap of tan head. The aroma had a hefty dose of earth and spicy pine hoppage over roasted coffee and black patent maltage.. the hops really drive the nose, and that’s a good thing because the underlying stout didn’t seem great. The flavor found tart roasted coffee, bitter floral, and pine character of the fore with syrupy, mostly generic black malts rolling onto the middle.. espresso and earthy bitterness around.. resiny bitterness left the best impression on the finish. Medium-bodied with a much lighter feel than I’d like.. the hops have faded some, but they worked well. Just a decent stout overall.

Bottle from the famed ditmier as well. Faint stamp on side of bottle to let you know this is the hop harvest edition. Aroma is a little roasty and a lot of dark chocolate and caramel. Flavor is pretty much coffee with a little cocoa texture. The finish is coffee bitterness but then a faint citrus hop finish that you are left with on the very end. I probably should lay off the 11% bombers on a school night but this one was just calling my name and the 11% is surprisingly well hidden by all that is going on here. Pretty nice.

22oz bottle from ditmeir - thanks, Eric! Just like the regular Black Flag, this one has a handsome pour, a dense black with minimal carbonation. The nose is filled with rich roasted malt and chocolate character, and it’s quite inviting. The hops are definitely a notable addition to the dense, oily flavors, and it’s a lovely beer, dangerously drinkable at 11%. Still not the fullest mouthfeel, but overall the hop edition complements the dry roasted quality of the regular BF. Nice one.

Bottle received via trade with ditmier. Pours opaque with an average, fizzy, light brown head, lasting with excellent lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (chocolate, nutty, toffee), average hops (flowers), average yeast (dough) with notes of dates, wood, vanilla, and prune. Full bodied, creamy texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, light sweetness and acidity, heavy bitterness.

Bottle brought by JoeTheYounger to Hophead22 house..One of the better beers we got to try that day..Pours black with an off white head..I would describe the aroma as a hoppy sweetness..The flavor was dark chocolate with a nice hop bite. The hoppiness really worked for this beer. Very very nice.

22 oz bottle. Pours a very dark brown, almost black body, with a nice creamy frothy beige head that left some nice lacing. Hearty roast and heavy dark chocolate nose with some licorice and a light to moderate green leafy hoppiness. Very thick and hearty. The flavor is dominated by the big burnt malt and dry dark cocoa. The depth of the flavor here is quite amazing. Just a touch of astringency coming out. Moderate bitterness from the hops, but not in your face. Mouthfeel is full and thick with a great creamy texture and perfect soft carbonation. Lingering roasty finish with zero noticeable alcohol. Pretty nice beer, way better than the regular version that I had tried, I could drink a lot of this. Wonder why it’s so different, I don’t think that it’s just the hops.

I brought this bottle to Hophead22 beer tasting. This was a birthday gift from my buddy Pat, who purchased it at Lone Hill Liquor in Glendora, CA. Very good fresh hop aroma. Very different for an imperial stout. I really really liked this one. Awesome stuff. I want to go buy some more.