 tsarman (794), Northern, New Jersey, USA
Mar 16, 2008
Wow. This was complex and great. I think this is underrated. The only thing that brings it down for me is the price. 7 dollars for a swing top 11 ozer. Dark as an eclipse. Very complex. Noticed a slight sour feel, and definitely a little heat from the pepper. An imperial stout that I savored. Smoky and fruity. This a beer with layers.
JoeMcPhee (3615), Jackson Heights, New York, USA
Jul 7, 2008 Dark black beer with fairly creamy brown head. Aroma is quite different from any other imperial stout that I’ve ever had. Licorice, black pepper, toasted barley malt and a touch of lighter lactic tartness. Fairly vineous and woody with a light oaky/herbal character. Flavour is very vineous. Lightly herbal and spicy with some black pepper, cocoa, cardamon and a touch of vanilla. It is actually a nice change from the usual US imperial stouts. Lingers with a bright red wine tannic type of quality. As it warms it takes on a lightly tobaccoish quality. Doesn’t taste like a 10% beer. Very unique but pretty decent.
Mes_and_Sim (3903), London, Greater London, England
Jul 6, 2008 A Mes rate: bottle from Spuyten Duyvil.
I’m guessing from the rates that this one varies a bit. There is no doubting that this bottle that Sim and I shared with Ang was a cracker. A deep, dark noir violet colour with a thin beige film that reappears briefly when swilled. Thick and tarry English imperial stout style nose with loads of raspberry, blackcurrant. lashings of alcohol and some pepper and peat. Bloody good! Once in the mouth you can really tell that this is from the same brewer as Bon Chien. Huge fruity sourness that really hits you. Wonderfully light for a beer of this strength. I really feel like if it wasn’t for the carbonation, I could down this. In contrast to the aroma the alcohol seems like only half of the very accurately noted 10.276%. Glorious wooden notes with a good lingering bitterness in the finish followed by a tarty tang at the edges of the palate. So fruity and bright. Glorious zesty mouthfeel. Not really anything like an imperial stout but this really is excellent stuff regardless.
Davecooks (1126), Bay Area, California, USA
Jun 30, 2008 Bottle. Very deep brown pour with a effervescent, tan head. A faint Ban-Aid aroma fills the air but seems undetectable when I bring the glass to my nose. Lively fruit aroma, strawberries and raisins. Slightly sweet smelling with some vanilla and sour notes. This beer is a wreck... very thin mouthfeel, extremely sour . This has to have gone bad. Crap, a $9.99 drain pour.
marcus (895), Sacramento, California, USA
Jun 23, 2008 This dark brown ale poured with almost no head. There is a strong malt and alcohol nose. The flavor is slightly sour and very malty with both chocolate and raisin notes.
bhensonb (2687), Woodland, California, USA
Jun 23, 2008 330 ml bottle shared with Marcus. Brown/black color with no head. LIght aromas of roasted malt and coffee. Near medium body with mild carbonation. Vinous toasted malt? Very mild pepper which tends to build. Finish is very smooth and tasty.
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