Free State Owd Macs Imperial Stout

Brewed by Free State Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Lawrence, Kansas USA

Appearance is black! Aromas of roast malts and cigars. Some woody qualities along with port and chocolate. Flavor is bliss. Chocolate and vanilla come out with some heat. Vinous. Finish of smooth vanilla. Great beer. Thanks to Chad for this one.

Hand bottled by doppelganger a couple months ago. Thanks so much for this one. I was a little nervous about the age on it, but no worries, apart from loss of carbonation it was great.

Buttery bourbon, chocolate malt, some black malt notes, vanilla, cherries and a nutty caramel. Soft and well blended with little to no alcohol noticeable. Dark black in color with a hint of light brown head. Sweet flavor: chewy caramel, chocolate, buttery bourbon, nutty, some grainy malt bitterness, hint of dried fruit or licorice. Very full bodied, thick and creamy. A great beer.

12 oz hand bottle from hezron, by way of doppleganger

This was the last drink of the night, and as usual, the best. It struck me as very similar to the previous Imperial stout (Full Sail Bourbon Barrel Black Gold) at first but then the differences started to stand out. On first sniff, I got hints of coffee, bourbon and a light cherry aroma. The body was a deep black with little or no head. After admiring it for a few minutes, wishing there was more, I took a tentative first sip. Inside was an impressive mixture of caramel, creamy vanilla, bitter expresso and sour cherries. The aftertaste lasted seemingly forever, cycling through various permutations of the flavors until nothing was left. At some point I would love to have this on tap just to see how much better it is fresh.

Dark, black/brown pour. Quickly diminishing head. Virtually no lacing or carbonation: hand bottled from a growler. Heavier cherry aroma than the Full Sail Black Gold we had earlier this night, with a lot less alcoholic presence; hidden a lot better. Decent medium body. Slightly dry wood finish. Thanks to doppelganger via hezron for this tasty treat.

From Growler, via KUEric. Pours an inky black with a thin ring of beige bubbles. Thinner looking than I was expecting. Enormous bourbon nose off the bat, then a heavy dose of charred oak, then alcohol. Notes of vanilla, soy, dark chocolate, and black patant malt. Bourbon is very pronounced in the flavor as well, as the flavor very much mimics the aroma. Bourbon and charred oak up front with soy and chocolate on the finish. Completely still carbonation and very oily in texture, it leaves a long lingering finish. A very nice beer for those who enjoy the big bourbon Imperials. For those who don’t, you may want to avoid this at all costs. Me like.

I was expecting a little more just based on all the positive ratings and the "hype" of this beer. Deep brown murkiness, oily like 30W, with aboslutely no head. Aroma is intense and immense with rich dark chocolate, some dark fruitiness and just a touch of alcohol. Lots of sweet alcohol, plums and other dark fruits permeate the flavor profile, aftertaste is wonderful with creamy vanilla and a hint of bourbon, brown sugar and spicy cinnamon. Very good and complex for a sweet stout, but I was just expecting a little more balance.

Sampled from a growler. Deep murky black color, completely opaque. Nose of bourbon, licorice, soy sauce, maple syrup, mocha espresso, ethanol (but fruity), light vanilla and raisins. The flavor is nice and creamy, smooth with the perfect level or roast and astringency. Sweetness blends with the bourbon which blends with the other alcohol notes, which are there, perhaps a bit more than I like, but it works for me on this beer. Excellent example of balance and control of extreme flavors. This beer shows me the creamy drinkability sides of a strong sweet stout. Perhaps it’s the low hopping (only ~100 IBUs!) or the strong residual sugars, but it’s good. My hat’s off to harlequinn for getting his folks to pick this up in Lawrence.

Inky black appearance, wiht light brown hints in the bubbles, laces the edges heavily. Aroma: molasses, brown sugar, fruits, cake, roast, some prunes. Flavor is like burnt brown sugar, roasted coffee, sweet, tangy, fruity. Very rich. I really enjoy this sort of Imperial stout. The body is velvety, thick and very cloying. It’s really everything I really love in an Imp. Thanks to Doppelganger for bottling some from his growler for me. And thanks to Aaron for picking it up for him.