Carolina Imperial Stout

Brewed by Carolina Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Holly Springs, North Carolina USA

Appearance: Pours a dark brown body with a small, light tan head. Smell: Aroma of black, roasty malts with a distinct note of charred licorice. Taste: Black malts, more of the licorice, and some unsweetened chocolate wrapped up in a mild sweetness. Roasty bitterness. Slight hit of grain astringency in the dry finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Creamy texture. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: A good, roast-heavy stout.

12oz bottle. dark brown color. Lots of coffee. Roasted malts. Rich body. Creamy. Flavor is very roasty. Good malt body. Very rich coffee bean flavor. (bottled on 01.30.08)

Pours a deep brown color with a light brown head. Aroma is malty, roasty, chocolate, nutty, alcohol, and some bitter hops. Flavor is malty, roasty, a touch of coffee, chocolate, toffee, alcohol, and a bitter roasty finish.

Bottle from Ucusty; thanks! Pour is dark brown with a beige head. Aroma is of roasted malts and chocolate. Taste is of roasted malts, chocolate, sweet malt, and some bittering coffee/chocolate. Finish is somewhat dry. Creamy and stickey mouthfeel.

Bottled 1/30/08. I have to say I am quite impressed with this beer. Pours black with tan head and some spotty lacing. Roasty aroma and a chewy mouth-feel. Complex flavor consisting of malts, roast, and hops. Dry finish with hints of chocolate, coffee, and licorice.

From a 12oz Bottle, dated 1/24/07. Obtained in a trade with afatty 9/30/07. Pours a mostly transparent, dark brown color with edges of tobacco tannins and a finger of fine bubbled, tan head. A bold molasses character dominates the aroma, complimented nicely by some roast coffee and dark chocolate. There’s definitely some licorice character in there as well, but the tar-ey molasses dimension dominates. Medium bodied, lightly carbonated mouthfeel with a bit of a thin texture. This has the weight and feel more similar to a porter than an impy stout, but the flavors are awesome. Like in the nose, the molasses flavors are incredibly intense. More dark chocolate, and almost a burned barbeque chicken flavor as well. Everything is cohesive and well integrated, balanced by a light kiss of minty hops in the finish. Molasses, choclate, roast, mint, barbeque (but no smoke). I had no expectations for this beer, so it definitely shocked me by how good it actually was. Light body included, this is one of the better imperial stouts I’ve had recently. Thanks, Glenn!

Draft, Flying Saucer. Poured a nice white head and looked amber. Very nice, would drink again.

12 oz. bottle dated 1/24/07. Pours opaque dark brown with mahogany highlights and a short-lasting whispy head. Aroma is of roasted malts and bakers chocolate and a little bit of licorice. Flavor is heavy on the roasted malts and reminescent of mocha, with some oak and bourbon in the back. Starts and finishes dry with some nice warming character. The palate is soft and smooth. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Nothing earth-shattering, but a pleasant, easy drinking imperial stout.