Eel River Ravens Eye Imperial Stout

Brewed by Eel River Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Fortuna, California USA

A nice version of this beer. Went great with my hoisin glazed pork chop. Big roasted, smoked malt aromas. Bittersweet chocolate flavors. Slight alcohol ever so faint on the back end. Slight sugar sweetness as well. Pretty good one.

Bottle from trade. Pours a rich black color with a small tan head. Aroma of roasted malt, coffee and molasses. Taste is semi sweet chocolate and licorice. Has slightly bitter, acidic, metal type flavor in the finish. Decent RIS.

Bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy/creamy, brown, mostly lasting. Body is black (non-opaque, flashlight-tested). Aroma is moderately malty (chocolate, caramel, roasted grain), lightly hoppy (grapefruit), with notes of alcohol, vanilla, and plum. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, creamy texture, soft/lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. A nice example, but not quite on the top shelf for me...the alcohol sticks out more than expected; usually Impies (esp. American ones) are massive enough in body and flavors to hide quite a bit of alc, but even at under 10% it’s still a bit of a poke in the eye (and throat). The aroma is pleasant but a bit on the light/meek side. Overall a nice effort and could definitely be a real winner with only a little more work.

Bomber. Pours to a black body with a really tall and ultra creamy dark khaki head that looks rocky and has a nice lacing. The aroma is sweet milk chocolate syrup, crisp pale grains, and crisp chocolate grains. Some espresso coffee comes through. The flavor is chocolate malt and a seemingly organic graininess. Coffee and a dry roasted black patent malt. The palate is a bit thin but leaves a sticky coating dry feel.

(bottle from ledgers)black body with a nice dark brown head.as the head sits i see some small lacing.aroma is loaded with molasses and caramel.followed by coffee,roasted malts,and a tiny alcohol finish.flavor is a very nice blend of coffee,roasted malt,powdered cocoa,sweet chocolate,and a slight smoke finish.to bad i only bought one bottle cuz this stuff is pretty tasty.

Bottle. I dont know how I got this, someone sent it to me I think. I think it was Ken, but I am not sure. Anyway, thanks whoever you were. Pours out a dark black color with a brown head on it. Smell is full of chocolate and coffee and some sweet caramel flavors. Taste is thick and rich, probably a better candidate for a snifter than the shaker that I drank it in. Took me a while to drink this bomber, but it was good stuff. Perhaps a little underrated. No real hop bitterness so to speak of. Good stuff, now that we can buy it in NC I may get another bottle or two of it.

The color was a dark chocolate/black. The head was dark butterscotch colored, creamy and laced some. The aroma was soy sauce, molasses, vanilla, and caramel. The flavor was soy sauce, alcohol, molasses, roasty, and coffee. The palate was medium/thick bodied and very smooth. The finish was warm and roasty.

Dark brown with a moderate tight bubbled light tan head that settles to a thin lid rather quickly. Dark fruits dominate the aromas. Some dark chocolate and roasted malts infused with a touch of alcohol are also present. Somewhat simple, but yet quite calming, a thing many stout and especially imperial stout seem to lack. Full lightly oily feel. Cocoa and roasted malt dominate the flavors. Long singed earth and licorice linger. Traces of alcohol in the flavor and the fact that my stomach now has a mild burn. A nice, not overbearing imperial stout. Thanks Andre.