Brass Monkey Ill Intent Imperial Stout

Brewed by Brass Monkey Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Kokomo, Indiana USA

Sample at 2008 Indy Microbrewers Fest - Aroma is dark roasted malts, vanilla and dark fruit. Pours black with a lasting brown head. Flavor is burnt dark malts, chocolate, vanilla and raisin with a hoppy finish I didn’t expect. Palate is crisp, tart and ashy. A great brew that is going to force me to get up to Kokomo for a proper pint.

IN Brewer’s Guild Festival. I was hoping someone would add this as I didn’t have the name listed other than "Brass Monkey Imperial Stout" on my notes. I enjoyed their Belgian IPA more than this beer, but I thought this a well crafted imp. stout, and especially impressive given the brewery is fairly new. Notes of coffee and dark chocolate with a touch of maple syrup and port wine with a viscous mouthfeel. My sense was that this was not as complex as some of the great imperial stouts, but admittedly, I would have liked to have let it warm up in my glass for another 20 minutes or so to see what flavors came out. Excellent stuff, and if the brewer happens to see this rating, let me say that I hope to see you again in a few weeks at the Great Taste in Madison.

Indiana Microbrewers Festival: Basically opaque with a excellent lasting creamy head. The aroma has prune, raisin, anise, coffee, and coconut esters along with heavy roasted and chocolate malt vapours. The taste is rich malts, charred, and a bit of dark fruits mostly. Some hop bitterness appears towards the finish and a tad astingent as well. The mouth feel is outstanding, chewy and oily with a warming finish. Big but not over the top. WOW, really good stuff. Looking forward to trying more beers from the Brass Monkey!