Dragonmead Imperial Stout

Brewed by Dragonmead Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Warren, Michigan USA

Date: 04/29/2006
Mode: Growler
Source: Brewpub

black, whispy brown head, sweet roasted aroma, big roasted malt flavor, long bitter finish, simple

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 4/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: *4

On tap at the Dragonmead Brew Pub. On Cask. Poured a deeper black color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of chocolate, roast, and some dark fruits. Tastes of chocolate, roast, dark fruits, and lighter coffee. Chocolate in the forefront of both the aromas and tastes. Lacing left on the glass.

Sampled from a day-old growler: Pours a mostly opaque black with a thin ring of lightly-lacing dark tan head. Bittersweet dark chocolatey, but fairly dry aroma has good complexity. Body starts with a sweet sticky dark caramel flavor turning more dry, earthy and roasty toward a slightly warming finish. Could use a little more body and complexity, but still quite nice.

Draft... This beer rocks!... Pitch black ale with a small, frothy, light brown head. Good retention. The aroma is a rich marriage of cocoa, espresso and hickory smoke. The flavor mirrors the nose and is perfectly balanced. The malty sweetness is totally equaled by the dark roasted malt and English hop bitterness. Lightly acidic. Extremely heavy with an ultra-creamy mouthfeel and gentle carbonation. Finishes burnt and bitter. World class Impy Stout!

RERATE #2 (3.5) thanks to Ibrew2or3’s sister; Opaque with creamy huge head and great lace. The aroma has notes of fig, apple, chocolate, molasses, lacto, coffee and a tad veggie, too phenolic IMO. Sweet tasting supported by a lacto twang. Chocolate, coffee and noble hop bitterness also detected. Taste is quite different than before. App:+1 and left everything the same.

Rerate #1 (3.3) from Fresh Growler: Not nearly as good, weaker nose and palate, disappointing.

Original review (3.7): At RAF Chicago: Deep purple brown hue with oily film which coats glassware. The aroma hints of apple, fig, molasses, roasted caramel malts, coffee, zesty yeast esters, and a touch of woody phenols. The taste starts with tart fruits tones and is followed by a nice mocha malt and tradtional hop bitterness. Additional undertones of coffee, smoke and fleshy fruits found as well. The body is full with a sticky and soft feel, real smooth. A nice straight forward impy, not huge but very solid.

Poured black with a brown head. Creamy chocolatey aroma. The flavor was chocolatey and fruity. Acidic hoppiness and a bitter finish. The body was a thin with a dry finish.

Cask at GTMW. Poured deep black with a creamy, well-retained cap of beige head. The aroma picked up dark chocolate and deep caramel on a rather weak nose with touches of coffee and vanilla sweetness following.. enjoyable, but it needed more power. The flavor had dark, semi-burnt chocolate and coffee at the core with dry coffee bitterness surrounding.. carried dry-roasted baker’s chocolate through the finish.. solid. Medium-bodied and quite dry on the palate with OK flow to it.. decent one.

On tap at the brewery. Dark colour with a good head. Light mouthfeel. Chocalety malt sweetness with a finish of sour astringency to it. Ovaltine beer.