Trooper11 (464), Suffolk, Virginia, USA Nov 30, 2007 Wow, black brew with a light brown head Beautiful cascading show lasts a few minutes leaving behind heavy lacing pattern. Chocolate aroma, roasted notes Semi sweet, dry roasted chocolate flavor this brew is delicious and satisfying. Great warmth in the chest. lemasney (398), Trenton, New Jersey, USA May 9, 2008 Updated: May 10, 2008ABV: 9.5%
RateBeer rating: 99
Calories: estimated at 400C
Volume: 22 fl oz
Glass: small snifter
Purchased at: Joe Canal’s, Lawrenceville, NJ
Price: $7.29
Consumed at: home
First Impression: Aroma is chocolate, caramel, and espresso. Dark roasted notes. Aroma is simply amazing. Fills the room. Visuals are an oily black with a tan head that starts thick but dissipates quickly to a wispy film. There is no light penetrating - sucks you in. Taste is its greatest feature, with fuller chocolate notes than many others. Peppery. Reminds me of other favorite chocolate stouts, like Brooklyn’s. It is rich, deep, and satisfying - well balanced, and 9.5% is hidden expertly. Palate is sudsy, satin, and luxurious. This is worthy of very high praise. Second Impression: One of my favorites. I have to start getting a hold of some more Great Divide brews - I hardly noticed them before. There’s something about the more subtle notes that put this brew slightly above the others in its class.
Aroma: 10 out of 10
Visuals: 5 out of 5
Taste: 10 out of 10
Palate: 5 out of 5
Overall: 20 out of 20. I think this is my perfect beer. soapbox (15), Alabama, USA Sep 20, 2009 One of my favorite beers of all time. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find any of Great Divide’s other beers in my area.
For anyone who has never had this one, it will seem like a joke at first taste. It is absolutely intense and it makes Corona lovers sick. It pours a rich dark black with a dark orange head. This is the beer I compare all others to. A must drink! OD40oz (600), Box Elder, South Dakota, USA May 17, 2009 Pours black as old motor oil with a nice brown head. Had the aroma of roasted malt and cherries. Creamy and silky smooth brew with nice lacing. Great finish. This beer is definitely boneriffic!! shameusburp (171), Virginia, USA Mar 26, 2005 What a great IMPY this is. I can’t say enough besides it’s so well balanced that it’s easy to knock off a few bombers and not really notice it until you’re on the floor. Kudo’s to Great Divide for a great stout and great overall beer. NYMojoMan (12), Arden, North Carolina, USA Jun 13, 2006 The Only points i cut from this amazing barley nectar is because the oak aged adds another element. But other than that It’s the same amazing ungodly Imperial Stout noelcb (271), Toledo, Ohio, USA Sep 28, 2006 Poured dark, opaque brown-black with a generous rocky tan head. As it recedes, it leaves a nice trail of intricate lace. Aromas were malt, grain, dust, earth, coffee, cocoa powder, grapefruit, herbs, faint smoke and peat. Flavor was big, bold and absolutely wonderful, full of equal parts of smoky burnt malt and grapefruity bitter hops, with notes of sweet dark chocolate, espresso, toasted black bread, caramel, toffee, molasses, herbs, smoke and peat. Exquisitely malty and hoppy at the same time. I was encouraged to down this one way too fast and it was quite an effort to respect the 9.5 ABV. Palate was viscuous and mouth-coating, most appropriate. CharmCityHops (12), Maryland, USA Aug 5, 2005 Pours a heavily viscous motor oil-like black goodness. Blackhole like quality, with no light shining through whatsoever. It sucks in the light of the shade when I even attempt to spy out some red hues. A thick dark burned chocolate chip cookie colored head oozes up after the pour to a thick three fingers. Eventually dies down to an eighth to a quarter of an inch of clinging foam that leaves trademark lacing. Perfection.
The aroma is noteworthy, with all the expected flavors of molasses, espresso, bourbon. It smells thick and chewy. I already want a thick piece of chocolate cake to enjoy it with.
There are three levels of flavor here. Initial rush of malty sweetness as the molasses shows off its goodness. Light bitterness, almost hoplike in nature comes next and perfectly compliments the former. It finishes nicely bitter, like the remains of a turkish coffee. You know, that thick chewy blackness at the bottom of the espresso cup. I always mix a little table sugar in it and spoon it into my mouth. I get wonderful images of seaside restaurants in the Meditteranean enjoying after dinner coffee.
As with that image, I think I’d need a limoncello just to clear the bitter and sweet mixture that has infected and taken over my tastebuds. Mmm, the thick and chewy, but easy, mouthfeel is captivating.
9.5%! Are you kidding me! This one isn’t even close to being a sipper. I could, evilly and stupidly, pound this baby at happy hour and pay the price. Yes, mid west trips will have me picking this up again.
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