Great Lakes Blackout Stout

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

12 oz bottle (I have no understanding of this crazy Imperial measurement stuff, metric all the way for me!) shared with Jan Primus, his bottle, thanks so much Jan! Pours a great, thick and typical viscous Imperial Stout look. Aroma is really nice, a lot of dark chocolate in this one, something I like. Lots of the intense "chocolate milk" character. Taste is more of the same, just a really good, enjoyable Imperial Stout. Chocolate, toned down hops and anise, but still good roasty bitterness. The key to this one is the nice thick, creamy mouth-feel. Very nice. I wish, had I not been under-age, that I’d had this stuff back during that blackout in 2003 (or was it 2004? 2005? whatever).

Pours black with thin lasting tan head. Malty aroma, not much there, hint of dark fruits. Sweet, caramel, a little coffee. It’s full bodied and worming but still a good drinker with the low ABV and not too much harshness.

Bottle. Pours black with a little dark amber around the edges and a thin brown head. Aroma is roasted malts. Taste is roasty chocolate with coffee. A bit of hops in the finish. Smooth and tasty.

Pours black with the slightest reddish tint on the edges and a ferocious dark tan head that is slow to recede. Aroma is very sweet...lots of caramel malts with some dark fruit intermingled. Some slight hints of coffee and roasted nuts as well, though these are in the background. Flavor is very good...very malty and sweet with lots of roasted nuts, chocolate, and a hint of coffee and dark fruit. Served cold, and it was very good at a temperature in the upper 30F range. Alcohol is evident late on the palate, and the palate is very smooth overall. Catching some hop bitterness right at the tail end of each sip as well...nicely done! I’m a fan of putting some age on my Impy Stouts, but this is a good stout as a pup...pretty damn good stuff here, and I’m interested to see how these do with some age... Quick update following morning: Left the auspices of my computer while it was still relatively cool in temperature for an IS...once it warmed, this beer got pretty darn hot in terms of alcohol...much more than expected....

12 oz bottle. Black as sackcloth With khaki head Nose is roast and chocolaty, slight caramel. Flavor is a good balance of roasted malt and sweet caramel, slight fruity character or raisin and dates. Big bitter from the hops melds with the astringency of the roasted malt to create a fantastic bitter finish. Good Impy. Lots of flavor, but not a huge stand out.

Bottle. Pours black with a red/brown head. Aroma is roasted malt, fresh brewed coffee, and caramel. Smooth, medium body. Flavor is roasted malt and roasted chestnut and also a note of coffee. Good amount of bitterness. Nice, but not quite great.

12oz bottle. Aroma has notes of alcohol, molasses, coffee, chocolate and dark fruit. Very dark mahogony hue with a light tan head that mostly diminished and left little lace. Flavor is sherry, molasses, alcohol, vanilla with a little hop bitterness on the finish. Palate is full bodied and oily soft. This may have been served too warm. Alcohol was all over the place here; on the nose, palate, and flavor. Way to upfront for a 9% brew. Good flavor and aroma though. Should taste best when a little chilly.

12 oz bottle from fiver29! Thanks this is one I really wanted to try! Nose of chocolate, vanilla, light amounts of coffee, and some pruny molasses notes; black with a medium cinnamon head; flavor has chocolate, light hop bitterness, vanilla and coffee noteswith a very chocolatey, but lightly bitter finish. Pretty darn good stout!