Dark Horse Plead the 5th Imperial Stout

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Marshall, Michigan USA

Thanks to Rogueone for sharing a bottle, part of a Too-Tres-Fore-Plead The Fifth horizontal tasting. The beer pours nearly black with reddish highlights around the edges. Medium thick brown head that diminishes steadily. Sticky patches of lacing. Aroma of roasted malt and dark fruits, plus some chocolate. Rich body with flavors of roasted malt, mocha and hops. Dark fruity flavors at times here as well. 12% alcohol is never noticeable. The finish is roasty with a lingering coffee and chocolate aftertaste. Very good overall.

Trade with Silphium. Deep black pour, minimal brown head. Sweet smoky coffee aroma. - almost like the aroma of the Dog House grill in Fresno. First impression is the palate - coating and creamy, per the good ones. There is some tartness here, suprisingly. Upfront is good, but tough to describe. Maybe rum cake, not sure. Chocolate aftertaste. 12%? not pronoinced enough. Thank you Silphium, can I get a 6 pack?

Courtesy of tpd975 (again, you the man). Pours black with mocha to brown head. Impressive looking brew. The aroma is dark and roasty moving toward burnt malt, coffee and chocolate. I do get some heat with a bigger draw. The taste starts with a creamy almost velvety feel bringing burnt malts to coffee as well as rich malt roastiness. A full yummy dark chocolate goodness. Into the finish the coffee and burnt malts hold on into the after taste with lingering notes of rich chocolate. Very tasty.

bottle from jw77/jw347/johnathan... medium viscous black pour is quite opaque and dark. orange-brown head leaves behind some spotty and drippy lacing before it goes still. aroma of richly tanned leather, chocolate, ashy/smoky grain, very dark juicy fruits and a light tartness. fruity flavor as well... tart cherries and milk chocolate covered goji berries mix with molasses, charcoal, dark malty grain, floaral hops and grass/herbal. spicy tart finish with alcohol noticeable. medium body. very soft smooth mouth feel and velvety texture from a perceived lack of carbonation... solid....

Bottle, courtesy tpd975. Pours pitch black, with thick lacing. A giant creamy tan head sits atop this beer like a king on a throne. Smoke and sweet pears and apricot in the nose, roasted malts are big and strong, caramel is in there, too. Flavor is creamy, malty, coffee and roasted chocolate, gooey caramel. Very delicious, smooth, creamy, full-bodied, and quite balanced. Yum.

12 oz. bottle courtesy Pailhead. Thanks! Dark brown pour with nearly no head. Roasted malt aroma with a subtle coffee, chocolate, fruity thing going on. Taste is very similar with a more pronounced and slightly tart fruitiness. Full bodied but feels like on the tongue. Alcohol extremely well hidden. Very intriguing.

12oz bottle from MrBendo and drewbeerme - thanks, Todd and Andrew! Very still, settled pour. Rich chocolate aroma, some faint traces of roasted malts in there. Bitter taste up front, with a chalky finish that dissipates quickly, leaving some slightly sour fruits. Strange finish to what comes on as a strongly malty (albeit somewhat anonymous) imperial stout. Not quite up to DH’s other entries in this series, but still solid.

The Dan Journal #202. Tasted 7/10/08. 12oz bottle. Dark brown and dense hue. Sparse khaki ring of head. Aromas of cocoa dust and raisins. Full bodied with a bitter cocoa flavor. Raisins and coffee, yet with less bitterness. Tangy and sticky. Solid rolling palate.