Bos Solar Eclipse Imperial Stout

Formerly brewed at Bos Brewery and Bistro
Style: Imperial Stout
Pontiac, Michigan USA

12 oz bottle, shared by CaptainCougar. Oily pitch black pour that’s so viscous that it just coats the glass with a black film with a gentle swirl. The nose is heavy oxidation and soy sauce, there’s a bit of a vegetal quality to it as well. A lot of alcohol vapors. The flavor is loaded with heavy burnt malt and roast, a little acrid, with lots of oxidation and alcohol. This is like old WWS on steroids. Lots of dark fruitiness under all the roast. The mouthfeel is very oily but not especially thick or sticky. Soft moderate fizzy carbonation. This was just a weird one. Not overly big or sticky, but it certainly was very heavy and maybe a touch old.

12oz bottle shared by CaptainCougar. 2004 vintage. Poured a deeper black color with a small sized off whtie head. Aromas of roast, earthy, chocolate, and dark fruits. Tastes of caramel, chocolate, nuts, earthy, dark fruits, ashes, and coffee. Definitely some alcohol in the finish.

Sample from a 12oz bottle thanks to CaptainCougar. Intensely deep black, oily and viscous and think in the glass, holding up thick on the sides during a good swirl. Hugely sweet cloying burnt plum, smoke and charred chocolate nose, huge biting alcohol flavor, as expected, but over times it turns into more of a chemical acetone experience as the alcohol burns into the throat and the vinous and oily texture tingles the palate in a thick coating. Interesting for sure.

12oz bottle @Vero Beach Throwdown-pours no head and black color. Aroma is dark malt-licorice, dark fruit. Taste is acidic, dark malt-licorice, dark fruit. Alcohol. Minimum carbonation. Not my style. Thanks Hopscotch for sharing.

I sampled this at the Michigan Summer Beer Festival a few years ago, and it stands out as one of my favorites from the fest. Suprisingly drinkable for the high gravity, but definantly a sipper. Black as tar color, with minimal carbonation. Deep choclate malt, dark roast, and of course an alcohol zing, but what else would you expect for 22.5%? Well worth a taste.

Bottle (2005)… VBWT2008… Pitch black ale with no head. The aroma is a mix of dark, bittersweet chocolate, rubbing alcohol, caramel, molasses, prune and light acetaldehyde (aging eliminated what must have been a more significant problem when fresh). Full-bodied and velvety with restrained carbonation. Burnt, chocolaty, bitter and big-time boozy. Finishes chocolaty, bittersweet and, of course, pretty darned hot. A "sipper" to be sure. Cheers to CaptainCougar for sending the bottle!

2005, courtesy hopscotch. Pours black, with some reddish hints. Aroma is pretty boozy, with some chocolate and soft malts. Lots of alcohol in the flavor. The alcohol isn’t hidden at all. Roasted malts, too. Sharp piercing bitterness. Was hoping for more subdued alcohol.

Courtesy hopscotch. Pours black, with almost no head. Smells of light chocolate, mild roast, black malts, and some sweet raisins too. The flavor is pretty damn intense. It said 20% on the label I think, but whatever it is, its was monstrous. Big alcohol heat, chocolate malts, and roasty chestnuts were what I pulled out. Could have been toned down some, a little more balance would have helped, but still was a unique experience which I enjoyed for the most part.