Grays Imperial Stout (Bourbon Barrel)

Served on draught at the Wisconsin Micro-brewers Beerfest in Chilton, Wisconsin. Pours a thick dark milk chocolate colored brew with a thick and creamy tan head that has some good retention and lacing. Aroma of roasted dark malts, a touch of bourbon whiskey, coffee and some dark pitted fruits. Taste is thick and creamy, full bodied with little carbonation and with flavors of toasted dark malt, some coffee and some soft chocolate and molasses flavors. Not much bourbon flavors in the taste of finish as detected in the aroma but a decent thick and creamy imperial stout that is worth trying again.

Dark brown with a thin lid of tan bubbles. Aromas of berries, roasted malt and coffee. Not overly complex but solid. Light toasted malt start that leads to roasted malt and lightly burnt coffee. No catching much bourbon in this. Perhaps they have toned it down since the earlier reviews. A solid imperial stout.

Dark, dark brown in color, but not black by any means...with an inch tall, light tan head. Aroma is soft, with notes of butter, bourbon and chocolate...not very many roasted malts. Flavor is very buttery, this is a smooth stout with more emphasis on the chocolate and sweetness than bitterness and coffee. The bourbon was very present, but not much oak. It was pretty good. Palate was medium-full with soft carbonation.

On tap @ Gray’s Tied House, 5/15/07. Got the last of the last--a pint of foam became four ounces of black beer--brown at the edges--and still managed a two finger tan head after 10 minutes of sitting. Aroma up front is fresh brown sugar (not that I’ve ever had it). vanilla, butter, strong alcohol, coffee and roasted malts. Flavor had strong alcohol up front with some whiskey--tongue numbingly so, unsweetened chocolate, some caramel and toffee. Too much whiskey, too much butter, too much alcohol. Almost flat with a thin body--though I can’t knock it because of the carbonation. I know this beer isn’t that crazy strong, but that alcohol kinda sucked. I guess I’m not a true dark beer lover.