Dark Horse Plead the 5th Imperial Stout

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

I’m doing my review on my second try of this. Because it was soooo good the first time I though something mush’ve been wrong. But thankfullly no....Its just as good as I remember it. Black pour with a small tan head and a very good smokey and roasted malts and chocolate. But the flavor is sooooooo outstanding. Chocolate roasted malts and absolutely not trace of alcohol. good mouthfeel and a wonderful finish. I know most wont agree but this is by far the best stout I have ever had. Unbeliveable. I will cellar a few of these.

I love this beer! Seems like it should pour slower, as thick as it looks. A truly enjoyable drinking experience by Darkhorse.

Wow. Awesome stuff! Pours jet black with no head. Aroma of sweet chocolate. Taste is smooth of roasted chocolate. Malty and nutty in the finish.

Super thick pour, oozing out as an opaque black mass, and I’m certain this will stain my snifter. No head or movement elsewhere. Blessed be. Rich dark chocolate manifests early in the aroma, joining a cast of brown sugared oats, mocha enriched espresso and cinnamon. Wonderful, in a word. Flavor leads in with dark chocolate in full array. Flame licked pecans smothered in a special mocha espresso blend. Traces of alcohol are discernable, but I’m already thinking about black currant and hammered French roast coffee beans. Oily, dense mass sludges across the palate. Thick and chewy, and succinct in every way. Finishes like an iced, sugarless coffee. Absolutely beautiful. Big thanks go out to Styles for the bottle!

At 10.6% this is so drinkable it is scary. No alcohol taste but warms on the way down. As with most dark horse beers it is very smooth. I think this one might be the smoothest of them all. As the consistency of Bells Expedition but has a much better flavor. Flavor is coffee, chocolate, roasted malts, honey, buttersotch and a almost peppermint after taste. This is a very good beer and one of my favorite imperial stouts.

Pours a thick motor oiy pitch black color with a tiny brown lacing. Aroma of chocolate syrup, roasted malt and cocoa powder. Taste is thick and slightly syrupy with hints of roasted malts, cocoa powder, chocolate syrup and lactose. Slightly sweet, but superb. Very similar to Bells Expedition Stout.

12 oz bottle via Styles (thanks!). THis just might be the blackest thickest pour ever. No head. The aroma is licorice, anise, chocolate, figs and alcohol. Mmmm taste starts out with some sweet chocolate, then some licorice, subtle plums, coffee, and ends with a very roasted and yummy chocolate pudding. Full bodied. Light carbonation. Aftertaste lingers and makes you yearn for the next drink....World class stuff. rerate-orig was 9/4/8/5/18-2005 bottle, rating august 2009, so approx 4 years old. Nose is roasty, coffee, licorice, anice. Taste is the same with some very nice dark currants and chocolate, and even some vanilla bean in the aftertaste. No head, and carbonation is almost nil, but that is ok as it really allows the flavors to shine. Has aged better than almost any stout i have thus aged...

Pours oily and black, with very little head. Persistent aroma, liquorice with some phenols. Oily mouthfeel, thick, sweet, with a good combination of malt, liquorice, roasted malts, nuts; more sweet than roasted. Excellent.