Holy Mackerel Mack in Black

2008. Pours to a black body with a thin tan head. The aroma is like a German chocolate cake with a raspberry jam. The flavor has a dry roasted chocolate and German chocolate cake thing. Subtle fruit. The palate is extremely light and thin. Falls off the tongue. Very good but the palate doesn’t fit.

12-oz. Thanks, IBrew2or3! Pours opaque black with no head, lace, or legs. Chocolate and ripe pomegranate on the nose. Smells great in a sweet way. Creamy body well above medium. Chocolate, roast, pomegranate, and a bit of coffee. Mild, slightly acetic finish that lingers into robust coffee. Very intriguing and nice, easy-drinking beer.

12 oz. bottle courtesy of daknole. Thanks. Mack pours a very dark brown/black in color with a small tan head. The aroma has the nice roasted characteristics of a good stout with the more unique mild sour/tart presence of berries and pomegranate. The flavor seems to have a bit more going on: roasted malts, chocolate, pomegranate, mild coffee and a hint of bitterness in the finish. The tart fruit is an interesting addition to the style. A little thin for an impy, but a nice beer nonetheless.

12 oz bottle as a trade extra from Emacgee. Almost black in color with a tan head. Aroma of roast, a touch of chocolate. Taste is roasty with some chocolate, mildly fruity from the pommegranate, a bit on the thin side, but enjoyable enough. Finishes with a light hop bitterness. Thanks Ethan for sending this my way.

Bottle from dchmela knocks off Florida for me. Nice dirty stout nose, roasty with some grit and burned char, only faint chocolate, light coffee, and side fruit (which we’ll go ahead and call pomegranate, though there’s some generic berry tartness). Noisy dark brown head on a pitch black pour. Lightly metallic and very sticky with not-so-subtle coffee acidity. Still nice and dry, light touch of mocha, light bitterness. Pomegranate stronger than expected, as if someone had just squeezed one into an otherwise normal stout. Roast overtones remain but the chocolate and its friends left the party long ago. Lightish body for an 8% stout. Appreciate the effort, especially the fruit pairing (I love blueberry and cherry stouts), but ends up being too syrupy and off-putting in feel.

12oz bottle scored in a trade with daknole. Thanks Dakine! Pours an opaque black with a thin white head, only slightly thick with light carbonation. Aroma is very unique for an ’imperial stout’, very floral, fruity, black pepper, chocolate and spice. Flavor is similar, starts out with sweet roasted malts, then nuts and pepper come in, the pomegranate can be sensed at the end with a juicy like fruitiness. Finish is chalky, dry and medium bodied. Very pleasant and extremely unique. One of a kind actually. Doesn’t hold up well next to other imperials, but that’s because it’s a type of stout unique to itself.

12 oz. bottle courtesy of Beerlando. Dark black pour with a thin, dark tan head. Aroma of sour pomegranate and cocoa. Medium creamy mouthfeel. Flavor is very different. Initially, it is quite fruity, but that quickly gives way to sweet chocolates and roasted malt. Finish has a touch of bitterness with some smoky notes as well. Interesting beer, well done.

Bottle pours black with thin tan head. Aroma is coffee, cherry, roasty, and sweetness. Has a heavy mouthfeel to it. Taste is rich, smooth coffee and chocolate, subtle fruit notes, and has a creamy finish to it. Overall I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. Its a very good beer and I think is highly overrated.