 502Flavors (230), Kentucky, USA
Jun 30, 2008
12 oz bottle into sniffer. Pours a pitch black with a thin and short lasting light tan head (not dark enough or big enough head to get a 5 for appearance). The pour was a lot thinner than expected for an impy, not to mention the 18 abv. Vinous aroma - very complex: chocolate, molasses, dates, wood (oak), earth, toasted nuts, alcohol (vodka), and more. Flavor was a surprise (not a great one). It isn;t bad, but it has that subtle soy sauce backbone that leads me to think my bottle might be bad. But besides that, there are some good chocolate and coffee notes, with a sweet feel and still a bitter finish. Maybe it is the sweetness that leads me to the soy sauce flavor. Either way, the alcohol is hidden very well (I have had 8 %abv. brews that taste more alcoholic). It is way thinner than it should be on the palate for the style and the abv. Overall - drinkable for abv. Good, unique, but not as good IMO as people make it out to be. That said, it isn’t worth the ridiculous price for a 12 oz. (I got it for 8$ and thats the cheapest I have seen it for). Worth a try I guess, but I doubt i’ll buy it again.
satan165 (116), River Grove, Illinois, USA
Aug 28, 2008 2005, 17.8%. yes indeed, the strongest beer ive ever had. i can drink scotch on the rocks easier then this one. the alcohol of course is blaring in the nose and flavor, it twists and turns through your brain and mouth morphing into different things...it seems to come across as spearimint almost. it becomes slightly more tolerable as you go on, either because you are tanked or your mouth is dead as a doornail. there is some touch of roasted malts in there at first that soon are overwhelmed by the booze. calling this an imperial stout is a bit unfair to other imperial stouts i think, this is not for me but unlike some other things i dislike i can see that others can appreciate this more that i.
JCB (1014), Durham, North Carolina, USA
Aug 27, 2008 2003 bottle from Chevy Chase Wine, D.C. Shared with my friend Eric, which was a good thing since this one is a real skullfucker if you’re not ready for it. Black as night, but a slightly more thin pour than I was expecting, given both the style and previous reviews I’d read. Not much of a head either. Very big chocolately nose, though, lush and lasting. Some astringency in there too, either espresso or anise, maybe both. Something bitter and hateful, though. So that’s all to the good. The taste, however, was a bit overly sweet to me, with syrupy malts tending to undermine the roasty, richer flavors I enjoyed in this brew. Of course it’s good stuff, but I found it over the top and too unbalanced.
kiefdog (419), Tampa, Florida, USA
Aug 27, 2008 12oz bottle from Willow Bend Liquors (Tampa). 2008 Vintage. Pours an opaque dark chocolate brown with a one finger tan head that settles quickly but still provides lacing on the glass. Aroma is complex with strong notes of ripe dark fruit, strong phenol notes like a brandy or fine port. Alcohol notes really overwhelm the nose. Flavor is sweet and smoky with woody and nutty notes as well. Some hints of coffee, dark ripe fruit, and chocolate with a slightly burning phenol finish. Interestingly, the alcohol does not really come through in the taste until the very end. Definitely a full-bodied beer that reminds me of Raisin D’Extra.
AndrewKScott (340), Lemont, Illinois, USA
Aug 23, 2008 2004 bottle. Pitch black, opaque pour with a bit of tan head around the rim of the glass. Aroma is chocolate, smoke, olives, and port wine. Tastes very similar to a port or a Cabernet paired with dark chocolate. Plum, tobacco, and raisin notes along with a deep alcohol burn. Lots of dark fruit as well, though I’m not getting the sweetness some ratebeerians lament in this review. Palate is thinner than I hoped. Perhaps the aging helped, but that credit goes to Discount Liquor in Milwaukee. The beer as itself is impressive: a slow drinker, unlike any imperial stout I’ve ever had.
blipp (724), Grand Island, New York, USA
Aug 22, 2008 Bottle (2007). Pours very deep ruby, close to black, with a tan head. Aroma is a bit boozy, with raisin, licorice, and dark chocolate. Snooth body, not as full as I expected. Flavor is sweet, with fruity notes of raisin and plum, molasses, chocolate, and a touch of coffee and roasted malt. Alcohol is much less noticeable in the mouth than it is in the nose. Very nice
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