Eel River Ravens Eye Imperial Stout

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

Dark brown/black, small quickly fading head. Aroma is roasty and lightly sweet, alcohol. Tastes mostly of roasted malts, light coffee tones, and a strong alcohol prescence with a light burn at the finish. Body is heavy enough to deal with the strong presence of alcohol. Pretty good beer, and it’s organic for extra hipster points.

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!

Bottle with thanks to coyotehunter. Body is a somewhat thin dark brown with little head. Aromas are a decent mix of roasted malt, coffee and chocolate. Flavor is OK, but kind of thin... a lot of chocolate and scorched malt with a little bit of peat.

Draft @ Eel River. Pours a black color with a small tan head. Has a roasted malty chocolate aroma with some alcoholic hints. Warming roasted malty chocolate and coffee flavor. Has a long warming roasted malty espresso finish with some hints of chocolate in the aftertaste aswell.

Courtesy of After4ever, thanks my friend. It’s a pitch black impy with a light brown, creamy head. The aroma has notes of hard roasted malt, chocolate and preserved dark fruits. The flavour has notes of chocolate, dark fruits, roasted malt, licorice and a slightly burnt bitterness. The body is quite full, and it becomes even fuller towards the end.

Bottle shared by EDA. Pretty nice aroma, sweet with molasses, tar, beets. Flavor is molassesy, very dry actually, a fair bit of roast. Easily drinkable and calm. Pretty solid, one of the more relaxed and downplayed IS’s. A nice change from the super-sweet Dark Lord style stouts.

Tap @ Bailey’s Tap Room... Poured almost black with amber highlights and an off-white head. Aroma of nuts (almond and hazelnut) with roasted malt. Flavors of caramel and buttery toffee, minute hops (but definitely there) which blend with toasted malt and almonds. Finished with an amaretto sorta alcohol warmth.

Bottle. Pours black with a one finger tan head that leaves good lacing. Aroma of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and coffee. Taste is the same as aroma. Medium full mouthfeel with a moderate amount of bitterness and smooth alcohol. Very good.