Free State Owd Macs Imperial Stout

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

[GABF 2004 first beer!!!!] A pitch black beer with no head. The aroma is sweet roasty with notes of alcohol, chocolate, and coffee. The flavor is also very sweet with notes of prunes, alcohol, coffee, and chocolate, leading to a very dry, woody finish.

(Handbottled 35,5 cl) Pours completely black and opaque with a pretty much absent head. Also the carbonation pretty much got lost in the handbottling process. Fat aroma of roasted malt and dried fruit - very vinous, sort of like the Amarone of the beer world. Extremely full-bodied, pours thick like tar. Wonderfully complex woth lots of raisins, sweet roasted malt, oak, vanilla, bourbon and a burning alcohol. Even without the carbonation this is a grand beer indeed. Wauw. 191206

Name: Owd Mac’s
Date: April 29, 2006
Mode: Growler
Source: Tasting, Dark Lord Day, 2006
Vintage: 2002
Appearance: muddy brown, whispy beige head
Aroma: rich malt aroma with tons of earthy hops
Body: thick body
Flavor: rich dry malt flavor balanced by tons of bitter hops, long bitter finish

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Name: Owd Mac’s
Date: February 25, 2009
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Vintage: 2005
Appearance: black, wispy tan head, drippy layers of lace
Aroma: sweet bourbon aroma with light roasted malt, sweet dark caramel along with the bourbon brings out a milky chocolate character
Body: creamy body
Flavor: rich chocolate malt flavor, plenty of bourbon sweetness, oaky goodness, vanilla adds more sweetness, touch of spicy alcohol
Overall: sweet chocolate covered bourbon candy

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 9/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 18/20
Rating: 4.3/5.0
Drinkability: 9/10
Score: ***4

12oz bottle, thanks ygtbsm94. Minimal tan head atop black body with brown edges. Aroma is moderately sweet, bittersweet chocolate, some raisin, alcohol. Taste is sweet, milk chocolate, caramel, molasses, raisin/prune, some Port, Sticky full body, no carbonation.

Handbottled thanks to Henrikb, blind tasting together with 4 other Bourbon Barrel aged Stouts. A black beer with no head. The aroma is oxidized, alcoholic, licorice and some wood. The taste is the same but not as oxidized, but it taste old. Medium to full body with a light sweet alcoholic finish.

(Tap at brewery) Pours a very dark brown body (almost black) with some deep mahogany highlights and a spare tan head. Aroma of chocolate, roasted malt, and coffee. Smooth, chocolately, slick & oily, and a bit thin for an Impy.

Thanks to mreusch for sending this one my way! 2005 Vintage. Poured a dark black color, with brown edges, and almost no head. What little that poured was tan in color. Upon the first whiff, I knew this was going to be one ’big’ beer. Aromas of chocolate, molasses, earthy, woody, nutty, and bourbon. Some new hit me with every smell I took. Tastes of bourbon/whisky, chocolate, raisins, plums, vanilla, and some wood. Light to medium alcohol in the finish. Softer body.

2000 vintage. Thanks Denis! Very dark brown hue. Light brown head. Well balanced aroma (very close to a 9 that one) hinting at whiskey and bold impy typical components with intensity when needed and restraint otherwise. Tar and soy flavours are quickly joined by banana and sweeter vanilla beans to muster enough sweetness to balance the strong anise reminiscent and peaty whiskey aspects. Complex nuances of chocolate, grapes, vegetal undertones… Strong and hoppy taste with more citrus than I’d expected. Vaporous alcohol is harder than the nose led to believe as well. This is ultimately an odd and pleasant mix of salty woodiness and fruity (peach) yet roasted and earthy malts. Oily texture, mildly carbonated, which leads to a slick mouthfeel. Impressively well aged.