Blue Point Imperial Stout

Standard pour and head for the style. Aroma is of coffee and of liquid smoke. Taste is of burnt coffee with a creamy finish. There is absolutely no complexity here. Blue Point went overboard with the roasted malt here.

(cask @ The Old Toad - Rochester, NY) Dark black color with a thick and creamy tan head. Aroma is rich and roasty with lots of chocolate, fudge, cherries, and cream. Flavor doesn’t have as much of the sweetness as I thought it would, but still good. Lots of roasted malts and chocolate mix with coffee flavors, cream, and some caramel at the end. Finish is toasted and burnt. Very nice.

Cask at The Farmhouse. Nice black body with thin head. Aroma is of chocolate fudge, sweet molasses, and roasted coffee. Flavor is smooth chocolate, nutty with a light touch of bitterness. Creamy mouthfeel made this an easy sipper. I thought it was well done.

Date: 07/20/2005
Mode: Growler
Source: Tasting

black, scant tan head, smokey peat aroma, big malt flavor, oaky bitterness, hint of ripe fruits, a touch of roasted bitterness in the finish, some tartness tries to come through, the smoky roastness in the overwhelming character but almost enough other character to balance it out,

Aroma: 9/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Score: *4
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The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Cask at Barcade. Dark black beer with a creamy tan head. Intense chocolate aroma, dark chocolate character that is so intense that it seems like pure melted chocolate bliss. Palate is very creamy and balanced with loads of sweet rich dark chocolate. A bit of malted milk ball character appears as well. It has the roast of a good impy, but the roastiness is so smooth and sublime that it only serves to accentuate the sweet chocolate character of this brew. A soft but insistent smokiness on the back of the palate. The flavour is wonderfully balanced between smooth roast and complex chocolatey malt, with undertones of caramel, vanilla, and debittered coffee. The best Blue Point I’ve had and worth seeking out.

On cask at Sunset Grille, 9/10/2005. Pours a nearly opaque, muddy, murky deep black, with some light tinges of chocolate-brown on the edge, a bit of tan/mahogany highlights, I suppose. Head is foamy, wet, heavy and fairly well-retained, with spotty lacing. Aroma is full on black pepper steak and smoked bacon. Light anise, salty, rich, bitter chocolate espresso and a touch of light prunes and sweet toffee. Flavor takes the smoke and runs with it. Like a smoked stout, this almost qualifies for the "smoked" style designation. Chewy, unfiltered, dry, salty and rich, but with enough sweet chocolate malt through the middle to balance it fairly nicely. Sharp, raisiny, or perhaps vinous-like notes on the edge of the palate, with an alcohol apparency on the finish, that is a little unsettling. But a smooth, chewy, substantial palate. A bit jumbled, and I dont think they keep the casks well at Sunset (the beer being murky is enough evidence for me), but the smoke was tremendous. Low hop flavor, moderate alpha hops bitterness on the finish.

Tap at the brewery. Black color with a thin cream colored head. Aroma of big roast mixed with smoke and black coffee. Flavor pretty much matches the aroma. Medium to full body with a dry bitter finish.

Growler. Dark opaque brown pour. Huge huge ashy bitter coffee aroma. Reminded my of the first bottling of Peche Mortal. Roasted and smokey malts, and more big amounts of bitter/ashy coffee flavors. Thick - nice body. Brewers: I like thick bitter-coffee imperial stouts, but not to the point that it’s like I’m licking an ashtray.