dand645 (75), Bayonne, New Jersey, USA Nov 10, 2009 DARKNESS...very little head, very little carbonation...creamy richness, nice roasty flavors, overtly coffee. pootzboy (1037), Hawgville, Ontario, Canada Nov 9, 2009 First time I have tasted-rated the bottled version:
Pours darker than a taxman’s heart, Smallish tight mocha cap - decent lace.
Aroma has all the character of the draft product; big roastiness - coffee-cocoa- figs...very lush.
Thick, oily mouth feel, big whack of roast coffee over cocoa-roast grain notes in the front, light dried fruit notes, rich oatmeal body.....finish is long and drying with increasing bittering. No hint of alcohol.
Not a complex impy but extremely intense, rich and satisfying. Unique. kopher (295), New York, USA Nov 8, 2009 very dark pour with thick foamy brown head.
intense coffee and cocoa aroma backed by vanilla, oak, and brandy.
very nicely balanced flavor of sweet coffee and a mild fruity alcohol bitterness.
when it warms it’s a bit nuttier and some more coffee-bitterness is unveiled.
just a bit thin -- though that helps keep it drinkable -- with a heavy oily-ness and long brown sugared coffee finish. thenick (742), North Bellmore, New York, USA Nov 6, 2009 Bottle. Pours pitch black with a coffee-colored head. Aroma is coffee, roasted malt, chocolate, toffee, with a bit of alcohol. Taste is the same, with a really subtle alcohol burn at the end. It’s a very good beer - though using it to toast the World Series made it 10 times better. corby112 (677), philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Nov 4, 2009
Pours a sludgy deep dark black with thin coffee colored head. Aroma is dominated by strong roasted coffee. Chocolate, toffee, roasted malt and alcohol also present. Very strong roasted coffee flavor with hints of chocolate, toffee, burnt bread and a nice alcohol warmth in the finish.
TheDoctor (27), Alberta, Canada Nov 4, 2009 Updated: Nov 5, 2009Perfection. Black as can be, smells and tastes gorgeous, a stunning example of its style. Overpowering flavor of coffee, but not in a bad way. Not as bitter as some other Imperial IPAs. ricke (68), Malme, Sweden Nov 3, 2009 Serving date: 2009-03-23. Served in pint glass.
The pour is rather thick, almost black with a fantastic head - Very big, pale brown color, thick and very creamy (almost reminiscent of a nitro-induced head). Very good head retention. The beer looks really great. Might be the best looking imperial stout I’ve ever had.
Plenty of espresso-like coffee aromas, very rich and powerful. Freshly ground dark roasted coffee beans, plenty of dark chocolate, roasted malts and notes of toffee.
The taste is very rich and powerful. Strong espresso flavors, freshly ground coffee beans. Big dark chocolate flavors as well making the taste resemble that of café mocha. Some creamy notes. The coffee flavors are backed up by a very firm stout-backbone with a solid sweet maltiness. Some nuts and molasses. The bitterness in the finish is gentle and has a coffee bitterness feel to it. Some warming alcohol in the finish, but other than that the alcohol is very well hidden.
Full bodied, soft carbonation, slightly sticky and rather smooth.
This is a great beer with a wonderful espresso-like coffee profile. Rich, rather complex, powerful and dense. Even though the coffee flavors take the lead, it still feels very well balanced.
Serving type: bottle
(Copy of old Beer Advocate review) fredthecat (180), Canada Nov 2, 2009 smells like barbecue, acrid burnt wood, coffee, cigarette butts, but not in a bad way... absolutely opaque brown with a small beige head. woah, intense flavour and feel, body like turkish coffee dregs, taste is burnt malt, coffee grounds, just a powerful taste, interesting tangy hopping and black licorice. awesome
|