Highland Imperial Black Mocha Stout

Brewed by Highland Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Asheville, North Carolina USA

Had this at the Brewgrass release -- first beer I went for! It’s amazing stuff. Appearance: Black, black, with a creamy-colored head. Inviting, in the way that a 7:00am java is inviting. Aroma: Mocha, malt, hops. Something near the end...I can’t quite put my finger on it....I want to say almost "fishy," except it’s pleasant rather than gross... Taste: Chocolate! Nice roasted malts and smooth hops finish it off. Palate: Smooth, the definition of smooth. How is this 9.5% ABV??? Overall: Absolutely amazing. Why is this not brewed year-round and always on offer? Serving type: on-tap

Tasting at mcbackus 10/19. Nearly black with a big beige head. Aroma is coffee, chocolate, molasses, raisins, and bourbon. Flavor is rich and chewy. Molasses, coffee, chocolate, dark dried fruit. Slight bitterness balances it well. This is a superb imp stout.

Appearance: Pours a thick-looking, black body with a frothed, tan-hued head. Smell: Aroma of rich, concentrated chocolate and coffee scents with lessened supporting notes of blackstrap molasses, roasted nuts, caramel ice cream topping, and dark fruits. Taste: Roasted malts with plenty of dark chocolate sauce, dark caramel, molasses, Madagascar vanilla beans, and coffee extract tossed with a fair amount of lip-smacking residual sweetness. Slight charred plumskin fruitiness. Handful of burnt nuts. Roasty, earthy bitterness hits midway through. Bite through some rather chewy toasted malts. Very tiny peak of alcohol warmth. Finishes exceedingly smooth and with a long, lingering roastiness. Mouthfeel: Full-bodied. Medium carbonation. Thick, oily mouthfeel. Drinkability: A top-notch Imperial Stout that’s somewhat underrated, if you ask me. How anyone can not find enjoyment in that is entirely beyond me. Fun to sip and savor or chug greedily, it’s up to you.

bottle. Really impressed with this one. Best offering from highland to date. Huge and malty with a nice hop finish. Alcohol well hidden.

Picked up this bomber today at Green’s and decided to use a tulip glass for the sampling. The pour looked good with a deep dark brown color, and opaque body. The head was well proportioned at two finger thick and looked a shade lighter than khaki. The aroma was full of coffee, toffee, and chocolate and was true to the mocha portion of the name. The taste was full of roasted grain goodness with a cracker like dry mouthfeel. The flavors were not full on like most imperial stouts, but were pleasantly meaty. The beer lacked much sweetness, and the hops and burnt grain made for quite a bitter finish. Quite substantial in body and therefore very satisfying. I don’t think this will be much of an aging beer, but I might try it if I get around to picking up some more.

Bottle. Black appearance, tan head, with nice lacing. Beautiful looking beer. Aroma is coffee, cream, roasted malts. Mocha is subdued some, compared to the regular stout, but still there. Flavor is thick, sweet, with caramel, chocolate, coffee and toffee.

Bottle from Phil. Thanks. I was really excited to see this one being released. Pours out a pitch black color with a nice tan head on it. Smell is awesome. Toffee, chocolate, vanilla, a touch of bourbon perhaps?, some hops, grass, and coffee. Taste sweet and smooth. Thick but more of a session type imperial stout. Easy to drink. Plenty of coffee and chocolate involved. If aged a few months this beer will be really better than it already is. The hops provide an off flavor that I am not sure I was crazy about. However, this is a really good beer, the best thing Highland has ever made, and a runner up to Sexual Chocolate. Nice stuff.

Sampled @ Backus’s Backdoor Bash.I love me my Impys!Poured a dark brownwith a roasted coffee and chocolate nose.Flavor had good, oily mouthfeel full of chocote and coffeeA very nice version of this stout