 aracauna (2357), Georgia, USA
Jul 25, 2005 Black with a small head. BIG porter. Alcohol, chocolate, touch of soy. Sweet and doesn’t play around. Lacks the roast and burnt malt bitterness of an Imperial Stout, but pairs up with the biggest and baddest of them in every other aspect. It sounds like I’m raving, but that slight soy (same qualm I have with some of the big boy impy stouts like Dark Lord) turns me off a tad. Still a great beer.
Drew (2406), Kent, Ohio, USA
Jul 23, 2005 Although Garin’s had this on tap a few times this year, I’ve only just this week taken the time to rate it. Met up with Aracuana and BKelley at the pub on a Thursday evening. This brew is nearly black with maybe a haze of brown, nice cocoa powder colored head, good lacing. Aroma is sweet chocolate, nuts, caramel - like a very rich dessert. Very chewy body, thick malts, strong flavors, the big hop finish is almost obscured by all of the other flavors here. Finish is long and lingering, almost roasty, but not quite. This is really really good!
MAP (1085), Lakewood, Ohio, USA
Apr 9, 2005 Just got back from the brewery and I had two of these from the cask. Poured a nice black with a good sized head to it. Aroma was a very malty one, heavy on the malt, and had some blueberry notes with it. Flavor was a very smooth relaxed one, hid the alcohol quite well.
bkelley68 (467), Lakewood, Ohio, USA
Apr 5, 2005 Black body with a brownish head that had a very bright red center. Strange! Very chocolatey nose, with a little roast and coffee. Thick and rich, like chocolate milk. Flavors of cocoa, chocolate, and a little coffee. There was a wierd, almost buttered popcorn flavor in there too. Herbal, hoppy finish. This one is all over the map, with high points and low points.
kujo9 (1077), North Ridgeville, Ohio, USA
Apr 4, 2005 Cask Conditioned made for the British Ale Fest 4/1/05: Pours black as a cold Cleveland night under a milk chocolate brown head that lasts. Nutty & chocolatey aromas at first, some alcohol and grassy hop. Very little roast or dark fruit, it’s mostly chocolate. Hints of caramel as it warms. Well balanced flavor w/ chocolate and caramel. Some herbal hop flavors while it warms, then it gets nutty and has some alcohol flavors. Very little dark fruit, and hints of sourness from grains. Again, very little roastiness. Low carbonation, lightly dry, well hidden alcohol, but slightly warming. Fuller body. This is a good beer! Not necessarily a great imperial stout, but it’s a good beer given the high ABV, more like an imperial porter, very smooth & drinkable. Some thought it was hot, but I didn’t think so.
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