 TBone (4529), Pori, Finland
May 14, 2008 Bottled, alc. 11 % (vintage 2005)
Pitch black, no head. Vintage nose: raisins, vanilla, oak, tarry smokey wood, dark malts. Sweetish, a bit sticky. Vanilla, bourbon, licorice, warming! Bourbon in the aftertaste. Barreling is not overused here and is not dominating which is nice. Balanced fireplace stout.
oh6gdx (4757), Vaasa, Finland
May 14, 2008 Bottled (thanks heemer77!). 2005 vintage. Very deep ruby red colour, close to black. Not much head. Aroma is earth cellar, licorice, alcohol, vanilla and some wood. Flavour is licorice, alcohol, some mild acidicness. Aftertaste is big licorice, alcohol and very peppery.
IMtheOptimator (1078), Bethel, Connecticut, USA
May 12, 2008 Come to think of it, I’ve held on to this bottle for a while, and I cannot remember who gave it to me. I know I didn’t acquire it myself. Oh well, my thanks are with you, whoever you are. Pours jet black and thick, as expected, with a small brown head that dissipated quickly. Aroma of butter and bourbon, some dark chocolate, a bit of grassy hops. Flavor is complex, with the first thing I notice being that this beer is sweeter than most imperials... which is probably why I’m enjoying it more. There’s lots of complexity, with a bit of bourbon whiskey dryness, some rich dark chocolate, perhaps the smallest touch of fruitiness. The alcohol dryness has a bit of smokiness to it. NIce combination of standard stout flavors with the dry complexity of harder liquor. Body feels pretty full, but still shy of Kalamazoo or Three Floyds imperial stouts. A bit of fruity chocolaty sweetness stays with you... a nice change from the bitter finish accompanying most imperials. One thing I enjoy about imperials is the surprising amount of variety that can be found in their flavor composition. I can see some imperial fans not liking the lack of coffee flavors or the surprising sweetness, but I find this to be an excellent dessert stout. If only I didn’t open it before dinnertime...
Beerman6686 (418), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
May 11, 2008 Pours a dark black with a nice tan head. Aroma is of chocolate, licorice, alcohol and some espresso. Taste is very sticky sweet dark chocolate with a nice coffee finish with the alcohol present the whole time.
Pastor (196), Maine, USA
May 11, 2008 Thanks to Jay23 for this one
2007 Bottle poured into a sniffer produced a tan colored head that turns to a nice ring around the glass. All this on top of a jet black body
Aromas of vanilla roasted malts, bourbon, and a slight oak note as well
Flavors are bourbon, sweet roasted malts, vanilla caramel and a hint of black licorice. Great flavors almost no bitters but the alcohol heat keeps the sweetness in check. Sips extremely well, smooth is a good word for it thick and oily in the mouth
Again drinkable would not be the word I would associate with this one, sipping is a must .one of the ultimate desert beers I have had so far. A great night cap and should be enjoyed as such
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