Flying Fish Imperial Espresso Porter

Smells of burnt coffee grounds and raisins with a sharp black licorice bite. Flavor is upfront deep roast earthy coffee beans and a lactose like sweetness. This beer is not smooth nor is it balanced but it’s strangely endearing somehow. Mouthfeel flimsy and terribly average. Wierd attempt here. Thanks Flying Fish. 2009 12oz.

Dark brown with medium head. Freaking beautiful espresso and chocolate malt aroma. Slightly sweet chocolate malts and light espresso throughout the taste. Espresso is more intense in the aroma. Rich malt keeps going. Drinks light for its 8.2% ABV. Big thanks to mpollack for this one. A bit thin.

Sample from July Beer Club Meeting. Amber-brown color... dark, but thin-looking. Aroma is nutty, almost of hazelnut. Flavor of lite espresso. Very well-flavored. Well done...

12 oz. bottle - thanks riverside!! pours thin and dark brown with trace tan head; nutty aromas mixed with sweet chocolate and mild coffee notes; coffee fade so seems aged; drinks smooth and thin; decent though and glad to have tried;imperial porters or FO!!

Pours a deep brown-black with a small dark tan head that was gone quickly. Strong aroma of coffee with a slight malty-sweet undertone. Slightly oily on the tongue. Strong flavor of coffee that lingers on the tongue. Noted a slight acidity to the finish, possibly also due to the coffee. Very nice.

Tap. Only thing for a long time i liked at a nearby bar, great flavor which gets better as it warms to its correct serving temperature. Best flying fish offering i have had yet.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown body with a wispy, lightly frothed, off-white head. Smell: Sweetish, fruity nose smelling of chocolate, roasted barley, espresso, candied raisins, dark brown sugar, and a small snifter of Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry. Taste: Toasted, chocolaty dark maltiness with some definite sweetish qualities. Enter in a good shot of espresso, but the taste fades all too soon. There are some strong raisiny, and distinct sherry-like notes to the beer, which makes me question the age of this beer, but, as is often the case, there is no born on/expiration dating whatsoever on the bottle. Light earthy bitterness, just enough to show some hops were in use. Tastes of brown sugar and raisins precede the finishes that adds a revisit of coffee and chocolate, but mainly still tatses of brown sugar and raisins. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: Sweet and easy-drinking, and, perhaps, showing some oxidation as a ramped up fruitiness, but, it’s still plenty drinkable. On the other hand, it doesn’t really live up to the implied "imperial" promise and feels pretty light, overall.

This is probably my favorite NJ beer. However, this year they changed up the recipe a bit and I feel the body is a bit thinner in taste and feel. Still a great beer!