Carolina Brewery Imperial Stout

Brewed by Carolina Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Chapel Hill, North Carolina USA

Bottle from 19641948. Very dark brown with no head. Aroma of chocolate and coffee. The taste was the same with good roasted flavor. Nice balance. Bitter/sweet chocolate finish.

Draft at the brewpub, October 24th, 2005. Was told this was the first beer brewed by this brewery after the percentage law changed. Poured dark brown with black oily highlights and a small waning head. Incredibly fresh and captivating aroma, after my far too cold glass warmed a bit. Scents of creamy chocolate dominate, with smaller notes of roasted malt and mld hop bitterness, fresh Venezuelan coffee peeking through. Flavor follows suit, focused on roast and chocolate notes, alcohol only popping its’ head up for a moment to scope out the scene. Perfectly rounded body, not too thick, nor too thin. I found this to be a dynamite first try for a brewer who was doing largely unimpressive beers prior. Hopefully this is a sign of better things to come.

Pint @ brewpub. Good aroma, roasty. Very vinious, baking chocolate, got a little banana as it warmed. Brownish black color, small head that quickly reduced to a ring around the edge. Minor lace as it went down. Bitter flavor, Big baking chocolate flavor, a little viney. ABV makes it a bit brash. Medium body, smooth mouthfeel, bitter roasty finish. Leaves you warm. Very tasty and while not as chewy as some impy’s it was a nice sipin brew.

Draft at the Durham World Beer Festival. Black with a brown foamy head. Big roasty malt, coffee, something like teriyaki notes. Flavor follows the nose. Rich thick mouthfeel. Odd about the teriyaki, but somehow it seems to work. I liked it.

Clearly by nose and taste this is an American style Imperial Stout, which makes it a bit thin to me. The body is a solid, dark, dark brown, nearly black, and it sports a creamy light brown head. The aroma is roasted barley and roasted barley malt with bittersweet chocolate and some coffee grounds. The flavor is much like the aroma, stirred with a black licorice stick and having a light touch of alcohol in the finish.

<font size=-4>On tap at the <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Brewery, Chapel Hill, NC.<font size=-1>

On Tap at the brewpub. Poured ice-cold into a small snifter. Tried to catch a whiff of this brew but ended up getting a little stout up my nose. After waiting for it to warm up a bit, was finally able to catch some of the aroma. Typical to the style, lots of roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee beans. Some alcohol, but not overbearing by any means. Might even call it a bit light for the style..Or at least the way many American brewers are interpreting the style nowadays (the extreme being Dark Lord) Overall very quaffable, although I wished it was a bit warmer when served. Small side note: The owner of this brew-pub was my basketball coach in a rec-league in middle school. I just found it funny.

From notes 9/27/05: Mmmm, roasty! Pours a jet black color, virtually impenetrable to light. A modest chocolate milk head formed and exhibited some meager staying power. Lacing was sparse and loose. Aromas...roasty. Roasted malts, coffee bean, and chocolate bar dominate. A faint whiff of alcohol. Flavors...roasty. More roasted malts, roasted barley, some char. Alcohol seems more hidden to me in the flavor vs. the scent. Smooth chocolatey Ovaltine finish. Aftertaste...roasty. A lingering roasted note. Very drinkable and smooth. A fine offering from Jon. A quality first brew post-Cap popping.

Opaque black color with smallish tan head. Aroma is full of roasted barley and hints of vanilla. Flavor is malty, roasty, dry, with a hint of caramel, bitter malts and an alternating sweet then bitter finish. Very nice, not incredible but very solid.