Free State Owd Macs Imperial Stout

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

Courtesy of Mreusch. The aroma is soy sauce, caramel, chocolate, pumpernickel and huge roasted/burnt notes with a mild note of oxidation. The beer poured a gloppy black and was utterly without head or carbonation. HUGE milk and dark chocolate flavor with hint of dark fruits and hot alcohol. The mouthfeel is oily and sticky and the lack of carbonation detracts from my drinking experience. The flavor isn’t really subtle in fact what makes it good is the massive concentration of chocolate. But, the stillness and lack of range keeps me from being wowed by the beer as a whole.

Growler shared with Quake1028 and Degarth courtesy of Degarth, thanks again Joe.

2004 vintage pours jet black like decade old motor oil with absolutely zero head. Big aroma of chocolate malts, burnt malts and alcohol. With a big draw I get some really nice smelling caramel candy but also an unmistakable sense of distain that gives me the feeling this beer was brewed during a particularly bad week for the brewer. Maybe the brewer’s favorite baseball team was swept that week. It comes in with a nice thick mouth feel that gets thinner and thinner as the ounces are consumed. The flavor starts off somewhat fruity with plums and dates. It then moves into chocolate notes of milk chocolate and some dark chocolate. Lots of chocolate actually. Then I get a nice caramel candy taste that goes together flawlessly with the chocolate. There is an un avoidable alcohol note that borders on being hot and detracts from the overall experience. Into the aftertaste I get some toffee too. All in all the alcohol presence from the modest Imperial Stout level 9.5% ABV and the complete lack of carbonation both keep this beer from being simply stellar. Very enjoyable nonetheless.

2004 growler, huge thanks to Degarth for sharing this rare beauty.

Pours a dark brown, almost black body, with no head and no carbonation at all. Looks like pure used motor oil as it’s glugging into the glass. No film on top of the beer or lacing on the sides of the glass. Very still, looks like black coffee in the glass. Nose of sweet milk chocolate, roasted malts, dark fruits, alcohol heat. Flavors of both bitter and sweet chocolate, malts, bourbon or whiskey. The heat really comes through in the finish, too much so for a 9.5% beer in my opinion. Flat on the tongue, oily and smooth palate, light to medium bodied. Finish is medium length, bitter chocolate and bourbon.

Very very black with a hint of somethign on top. Bourbon and chcocolate in the nose. Stine gave a very good description of char and meat. It’s funny how you can’t quite put your finger on the taste. There’s a bit of woodyness in there and maybe even some tobacco like flavours. Quite a bit of sweetness with some alcohol showing through. Didn’t really feel any hops in there.

Growler from 04 vintage thanks to drewbeerme. Black pour with a film of a white head that fades to a ring with spots of lacing. This beer takes awhile to finish a snifter of, so while I sip and sniff this brew moves through an array of notes. Aged notes at first pour, soy bourbon, a little dark chocolate and overall rich. Prunes and dark fruit start peeking their nose out, the sweetness overcomes as it warms in my hands. Brown sugar leads to tobacco ending with charred oak. The rich flavors follow a similar journey. Chocolate, toffee, carmel, bourbon, then to a beautiful balance of tobacco, toffee, bourbon, and charred oak. The charred oak leads to tar and as it approaches room temperature. And in the end these two heavy flavors won’t let anyone else come out. My lips stick the snifter, wanting more. But a half a growler is all i can take of this beautiful beast.

Vintage 2004. Oily black pour with a skin of roasted marshmallow. Aroma is top heavy with port and bourbon notes, while grapes and chocolate shadows dance in the background. A somewhat pungent lavender perfume taste gives way, awkwardly at first, to a sort of charred steak and oak character. Still quite hot. Luxurious, velvet smooth palate. True milk chocolate begins to shine through the cracks eventually, coupling with a quiet vegetal hop presence. Very different. Thanks for sharing, Zac!

from a 2004 vintage growler from Mreusch, courtsey of WeeHeavySD. Thick black brew with no head. sweet oaky aroma. Taste was sweet, roasty with noticible but not overpowering alcohol. Thick and sticky and very yummy

Serving from a growler courtesy boboski. 2004. Poured a rich black with essentially no head, but it was sure thinking about forming one. A thin floe of dark tan hovered around the middle of the glass. Great aroma - a dark wall of roast, a subtle complimentary helping of alcohol, with bourbon and oak notes. It all works together. Medium to heavy bodied, but still real drinkable. Finish is tannic and roasty with a nice warming quality. Mad chocolate and roast in the middle. The barrel-aging is used to great benefit.