Big Sky Imperial Stout

Brewed by Big Sky Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Missoula, Montana USA

Although it comes off a little light for the style, it is still a tasty brew.

FOBAB 2004, where it was called "Ivan the Terrible Imperial Stout." This is a headless black stout that smells stronger of the bourbon than of stout characteristics. There’s plenty of coffee and chocolate in the flavor as well as a hint of hopping, but the bourbon stays in the nose the entire drink. A very warming drink.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/events-detail.asp?eve of Barrel Aged Beers, Chicago, IL 11/06/2004<font size=-1>

A very good stout but not quite imperial. Well balanced flavors, good look and feel, but my rating is lower because it tries to be something it isn’t.

Draft (oak-aged): Jet black. Cakey walnut collar of foam. Aroma of baker’s chocolate, soft roast, smoke, black licorice, and espresso. Hint of ink and butter toffee. Thick bodied with fluffy carbonation. Flavorsome medley of dark chocolate and cocoa. Uncannily soft, with a roasted grain support dabbed with minerals. Twang of licorice and dried plums is overshadowed by rich butter toffee flavors. Grainy roast and burnt espresso dryness lasts into the finish with a chewy licorice texture, bittersweet chocolate, and char bitterness. Coffee and bready malt become more apparent in the aftertaste. Solid example.

i can tell these guys are trying hard to make this work but it’s falls a little short of imperial. flavor is ok well balanced,with a finish that just doesnt get there a little light

FOBAB’04: Sweet bourbon, and chocolate aromas. Black as night. Bourbon flavor is huge, like they mixed in some Jim Beam. Alcohol was well masked for how straight-up bourbon this was like. Missing all of the finer points of an Imperial Stout, but still an interesting drink. Are you sure they just didn’t pour some Jim Beam in?

Pours a jet black. Aromas of espresso/chocolate and roasted malts. Taste dark roasted coffee and bittersweet chocolate malt with a nice bitter bite.

Bottle at the Chicago Barrel Aged Beer Festival. Very dark brown with no head. The nose has lots whiskey and little "stout" aroma. Starts quite sweet and with plenty of roasted character. Not much whiskey flavor, which I liked, but not really that imperial. Chocolate and coffee, but not much in the fruit area.