Eel River Ravens Eye Imperial Stout

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

22 oz bottle - This beer has got it going on! Dense motor oil black with a thick lasting tan creamy head. Initial rich nose of espresso and heavy creamy, chocolate, toasted brown sugar, and creme brulee. As this warmed even further, it became apparent that someone threw s’mores into my snifter. The freakin marshmallow, graham cracker, chocolate and all. Very complex and ever changing nose throughout. Flavor was just as nice with soft burnt espresso tones, toasted caramel, and dark chocolate that fade into citric hop tone that plays out the balance. You think it’s going to be sweet, but it just never gets that far. This is almost perfect in my book. Medium to full bodied and a touch oily, light prickly carbonation, bittersweet finish. Stout lovers have to find this one ASAP. Excellent brew! Special thanks to my brother-in-law for busing it around Portland to get to Belmont Station for me. You’re the best....

Translucent chocolate amber pour settles darkly and opaquely in the snifter with icy tan sheafs lining the head like ice. Aroma breaks bread with dark, scorched chocolate, burnt mocha beans, crisp jojoba and unsweetened bakers chocolate sitting at the bottom of an espresso tin. Flavor tells a tale of dry, roasted revelations. The medium bodied fluid stakes its stopping power in the bittersweet baking chocolate morsels, unsweetened mocha brownie bars and heavily roasted mocha bean, lending a bitter acidity. Pulls off the perfect cloak and dagger routine when it comes to its ABV. Dry countertop cocoa grinds meet mocha beans and unsweetened chocolate ash. Burnt caramel sticking to the bottom of the candi pot gets smothered with singed hazelnut sheafs and disintegrating, burnt marshmallows for a dry, roasted, chocolaty café conclusion. Thanks for the bomber, tpkenned!

Bomber. Pours black as night with thin, but tight and resilient, tan head. Seriously I held this up to a lamp in a wine glass, and light didn’t even pass through the taper where the stem joins the glass. Some dark stuff. The aroma is molasses, baker’s chocolate, some pleasant roasty tones, and a faint hint of grill smoke. The flavor is a sort of ashy molasses up front, and melds into a mocha sweetness. Some earthy, woody, and ashy bitter notes come out toward the finish. Hop bitterness is minimal, but takes the form of an occasional lemon zest note. Pretty good. It’s smooth and graceful, but not aggressive like most imperial stouts.

Prunes right away in the smell. Look is midnight black with a decent tan head. Also roastiness and coffee are in the smell. Taste is dark fruits, roasty, coffee, pudding. Nice creamy feel.

Pours black with off white head. Aroma is roasted. Taste is filled with roastiness, coffee. with chocolate malts.Alcohol is very present and warming. Thick mouthfeel, one amazing good stout.

Bomber. Don’t recall who sent me this, but thanks! Black with a brown head. Bitter chocolate and coffee nose, some herbal hop. Creamy, smooth mouthfeel, nice lace. Strong bitter chocolate flavor, coffee and licorice. An almost peaty smokiness creeps in after warming. Solid.

bottle thanks to my brother. black with a cream head. nose is chocolate, coffee and roasted malts. not bad on teh palate at all, flavor is bitter sweet dark chocolate and light roasted coffee.

Black with an off white head. Aroma is very, very malty, raisin, prune juice, so much prune juice, eh. Taste is light caramel, prune juice, light roastiness, light cream. Why do brewers make organic beer so shitty?