El Toro Imperial Stout

Brewed by El Toro Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Morgan Hill, California USA

Draught at the brewpub as Old Nicholas Imperial Stout. Black with a beige head. The aroma was somewhat funky with some dried fruit and roast. Smooth, roasty flavor with lighter bitterness. Relatively light overall. Medium-full body with light carbonation. Pretty nice flavors but something was going on in that aroma.

On tap @ El Toro Brewpub poured a nearly opaque black with a minimal brown head. Aromas of roastiness, licorice, coffee, vanilla and bitter chocolate. Palate was medium to full bodied and smooth. Flavors of roastiness, coffee, vanilla, licorice and bitter chocolate with a smooth lingering bitter finish.

GABF 2006. Black body with a small brown head. Nose is coffee, dark chocolate and roasted malts. Taste is more coffee and dark chocolate with roasty malts and intermittent burnt notes. Body is medium-full with a silky carbonation. Finishes with more dark chocolate and coffee. Pretty typical for the style but nicely done.

GABF 2006: Just about opaque black with a brown colored rim and brown head. Chocolate hits the nose first then big coffe notes that grow and grow. The flavor is dominated with coffee and fairly roasted malt. Bitterness on the finish is moderate with some chocolate notes mixed in.