Great Lakes Blackout Stout

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

2008 bottle from mtoast (Thanks!) Dark brown(almost black) pour with a nice 1/4 inch cookie colored head and a heavenly roasted espresso/vanilla aroma. Flavor was creamy bitter chocolate, vanilla and fresh coffee. Soild Russian imperial stout, make sure you go out of your way to get some of this.

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Appearance: The body has a dark brown/black color that is nearly opaque. On top there is a Light tan head of modest size (about one finger) that fades down to just a small ring of bubbles that makes some slick lacing. Smell: The aroma has lots of roasted malty grain and a heavy vodka like alcohol presence. Taste/Mouth: It has a big sweet malt flavor up front with lots of roasted grain, roasted malt and roasted coffee notes. This is surrounded by a heavy boozy alcohol presence and tempered by solid hop bitterness. Also there is some mild odd fruitiness in there as well. The finish really hits you with sweet boozy alcohol that hangs on the tongue and warms the palate. The texture is full, smooth and slick with mild carbonation. Notes: This is a big full bodied slow sipper.

Pours black with a rich brown head. The aroma is roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and a hint of raisins. Chocolate flavor is quickly followed by malt, caramel, licorice, then a light smokiness. Alcohol provides a finishing burn. Mouthfeel is nice and chewy, though now as nice as some impy’s I’ve tried. Overall very complex and quite good.

(bottle from OSLO) Pours a dark brown/black with an off-white head that leaves good lacing. The aroma is very chocolate dominant, with plenty of milk chocolate that blends in with the roasted malt and coffee notes to create a mocha-like scent. The flavor also possesses that chocolate quality, but contains additional flavors of piney hops and some hints of dark fruits as well. The finish is rather roasted, but little spikes of dark chocolate show up upon exhalation. The carbonation is very smooth and the mouthfeel is full. Even though I have been less impressed with most Impy’s as of late, this one was able to stand out. Thanks Al!

[Bottle] Pours dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma is huge on mocha, and also has macademia nuts, faint port notes, alcohol, and molasses. Taste is big on dark chocolate, before transitioning to roasted malt, light anise, good bitterness, alcohol and a touch of plum. Very long finish of roasted malt, and good thick mouthfeel. A very nice imperial stout that perhaps is just a little too heavy on the roasted malt, but is otherwise enjoyable.

Pours a deep, warm, opaque sable that is just a red tomcat whisker above black. Head is thick and dark tan, but disappears quickly - half a point off there. Aroma is rich and fills the nose with smoke, fine coffee, unsweetened chocolate and molasses. Flavor does not disappoint - rich and lip-smacking, it is like fine roast coffee mixed with unsweet chocolate, a hint of charcoal and a touch of molasses. Texture is thick, oily, smooth and lively so it doesn’t just slide down the pipes but fairly dances its way to the tummy. A must for all stouties!

Pours a dark brown almost black body with a foamy tan head that slowly settles to a thin film. The aroma shows huge amounts of milk and dark chocolate, roasted coffee, and cream. The flavor is just as nice and complex with milk chocolate, rich, dark fruits, roasted coffee, and cream all blended together nicely. Some earthy hops add a touch of bitterness and balance out the sweetness. Medium bodied and very smooth on the palate with a long, roasty finish. This is a very nice base beer to the barrel aged version.

Bottle shared with Devonshire gents- Black pour with thin tan head. Robust aroma and flavor give a rich sense of rum, coco, with dark fruits and a smooth malt flavor. Great drinker that lacks only a certain something to put it at the top.