 Ernest (4250), Boulder, Colorado, USA
Jan 7, 2007 Updated: Mar 12, 2008
2007 bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy, brown, mostly lasting. Body is absolute opaque black (flashlight tested). Aroma is moderately to heavily malty (roasted grain, coffee, cocoa), lightly hoppy (grapefruit), with notes of chalk, alcohol, vanilla, and soy sauce, hint of plastic. Flavor is heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Finish is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Full body, velvety/creamy texture, lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Not nearly as much hops in the nose this year (maybe due to the hop shortage). The same rough edges are still there in the nose though (chalk/dust, soy sauce). Still very pleasant to drink, though, as it was the first time around. More alcohol apparent, but still silky. Very good but, as with the first batch, short of excellent.
shadey (1340), Rochester, New York, USA
Oct 5, 2008 22oz bottle acquired in trade. Poured into a big brandy snifter, the color is glossy black. The aroma is lots of bitter roast and rich chocolate. The flavor is deep dark chocolate and biting hop bitterness. Good but not particularly interesting. Hopefully I can try it again the future and discover what I’m missing.
JFURYCAT (724), East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Oct 4, 2008 Bottle shared by Afterexile. I love the aroma and the licorice and woodiness in the flavor. This rich and complex flavor stands out. I love this beer! It has a certain tingly texture as I sort through all its nuances while other RIS beers are heavy and sweet. This one keeps my attention and has a nice coffee-like finish. Thanks Kevin! The only negative is there might be a bit too much of the licorice aspect when the wood pieces shine.
Acknud (607), Morganfield, Kentucky, USA
Oct 2, 2008 I drank this as number 600 on a crisp autumn afternoon. It went well. Black pour with a medium amber head. Taste is roasted malt, licorice, chocolate. Taste is dry and I would have liked it a tad sweeter.
Svesse (1811), Hässelby, Sweden
Oct 2, 2008 (Bottle, Stockholm Beer Festival, 20 Sep 2008) Pitch black colour with creamy, brown head. Malty, roasted nose with notes of tar, espresso and asphalt. Rather closed. Malty, roasted taste with espresso, cocoa, dark bitter chocolate, tar and loads of liquorice. Full body with chewy mouthfeel. Fairly sweet. Lots of bitterness with cocoa and coffe, nicely balanced by the heavily roasted malt. Really powerful beer. Excellent!
dalekliz (206), San Diego, California, USA
Sep 28, 2008 2006 bottle, sampled at RBSG 08. Pours a deep black with a nice tan head. Big, sharp aroma, of burnt toasted malt, chocolate, dark fruits, and molasses. Taste is sharp and bitter, of burnt malt, with hints of sweeter molasses, chocolate and coffee. Lingering bitter malt flavors. Wonderful.
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