Holy Mackerel Mack in Black

Bottle. Being categorized as an imperial I have to rate it as such. Black with a tan head. Tangy aroma of dark malt and a slight vinegar aroma. Flavor is sweet and some vinegar. Smooth with a tanginess which throws me off a little. I’m not saying this is bad but it is different. I see that it has some pomegranate but it has some vinegar flavor/aroma to it. Strange.

(bottle thanks for sharing OSLO!) pours black with a light tan head. As OSLO mentioned, the aroma is really strange. It’s a mix of chocolate, strong scents of roasted barley, and a subtle undertone of pomegranate that lends a slight sour smell to the beer. Although unusual, I didn’t find it to be all that pleasant to smell. The flavor possessed a lot of roasted malt, with a marshmallow and graham cracker like finish. There also was just a hint of that pomegranate flavor detectable too. The mouthfeel was medium-thin. This was definitely an unique impy.

[Bottle, generously gifted to me by daknole] Pours dark brown with a good sized tan head that lingers quite nicely. The aroma is very unusual. The predominant aromas are roasted malt, barley, and pomegranate (which I will admit I probably wouldn’t have identified had it not been on the bottle), with cocoa and dark chocolate also present. Taste is slightly tart with a little bitterness. The pomegranate is detectable, but much more subdued as the barley dominates. I also noticed a hint of banana at the end of the glass. Medium-thin mouthfeel with a good roasted malt and barley finish. Not a bad beer by any means, but the taste was lacking just a little. Still, a very interesting beer that I’m glad to have tried--thanks again, daknole!

Black pour with a tan head and lace. Chocolate, toasted malt and coffee on the nose. Semi sweet chocolate flavor with a decent bitter. A tad thin and foamy. All round very good offering.

Bottle (08) sampled at Columbus 11: Mahogany pour with a wispy white head. Aroma is chocolate, dark fruits, sugar, vanilla, dry chocolate malts. Flavor is smooth and malty, with some dark fruit, and the dryness of cocoa. It is quite tasty, but no imperial stout, and fades away a bit too quickly.

Bottle thanks to bitbucket. Black pour with no head. Aroma of capuccino, chocolate, maybe licorice. Flavor is similar, roasted at first, but then sweeter malt and the pomegranite juice take over. The juice sort of balances the roast. I think i like it, but i am not sure.

Bottle: Courtesy of major0429, pours a dark onyx color with no head. Aroma hints at dark malts, dark chocolate, espresso bean, vinous notes and some of the pomegranate...interesting. Medium bodied mouth feel. Flavor was an amalgam of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits along with the pomegranate finish that hits that special spot along the jaw line that makes me pucker. Much different than any other impy that I’ve had...kudos to this brewery for going out on a limb.

This beer tasted wood-fired. I was happy to try this beer, especially because I’m a fan of the Golden Ale. I would recommend this beer to anyone who likes stouts, porters, or dark beers in general.