Great Lakes Blackout Stout

Brewed by Great Lakes Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Cleveland, Ohio USA

Having rated this before I guess Ill do it again. pours black with a nose of oak ash and burnt malt, with some chocolate. Big taste of roasted or burnt malt with molasses, anise, and a light floral hop in the back. Fairly thin and not so robust, but nonetheless, a very good beer. Finishes with a slightly bitter note.

2007-huge wood in the nose. color is pitch black. flavor is of hops yet still mellow.<P> 2008-big chocolate in nose and flavor. sticky and sugary, very sweet and nearly cloying. <P> excellent representation of the style either way, solid big beer.

Bottle thanks to MrChopin. Bottled 9/22/08. Dark dark brown with red hints and a finger of light tan head. Aroma of molasses, soy sauce, roasted malt. Taste is lightly roasted malt, berries, coffee, small bits of licorice and soy sauce in the finish. Body is a bit thin.

Draft. Included as part of a sampler at the brewpub in Cleveland. I remembered liking pretty much everything but do not remember specifics. Do remember that they have an excellent brewpub with excellent beer.

On tap at GLBC. Pours black with a nice beige head. Roasted flavor with a burnt coffee/chocolate presence. Chewy mouthfeel. Definitely a good big beer.

Bleh... fresh 09 is a bit of a mess right now. Pours a dark but still clear brown with a small fine beige frothy head. Strong roasted aroma, green earthy hops, some chocolate, touch of banana and bubble-gum. This beer is not quite so good this year and I’m not sure time will fix it either. Green green green earthy hops with some hard roasted slightly burnt malts, tobacco, loads of diacetyl, yucky banana and bubble-gum that has no place in a stout, bitter and astringent. Chocolate finish... reminds me of how off Darkness was this year.

12oz bottle. Pours black with a foamy tan head. Medium carbonation. Aroma is of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, and brown sugar. Taste has some bitter alcohol up front, followed by roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, brown sugar, and caramel. Lingering coffee and vanilla taste. Alcohol is very present and greatly warms. Body seems surprisingly light without being watery. Very drinkable for being a stout.

Bottle. Pours deep brown / black with a small beige head. Smells huge of dark roasted malts with hints of bitter chocolate. Taste is more of coffee notes and chocolate. A nice impy stout, good balance and complex flavor.