smith4498 (406), Miami, Florida, USA Sep 2, 2008 Pours black with minimal brown head that dissipates quickly. Big chocolate and coffee aromas. Flavor starts out with bitter burnt malts, caramel and molasses and finishes with the sweetness of the pomegranite juice. A very interesting tasting imperial stout. Full body with very minimal carbonation and a soft mouthfeel.
BMan1113VR (1122), Los Angeles (and Dallas), Texas, USA Nov 20, 2008 Bottle thanks to Turdfurguson. Pours thick with a light brown head that fades revealing a black body. Aroma is roasty with leather, smoke and a bit of pomegranate fruit in the finish. Taste is very smokey and choclatey with the fruity rounding it off quite well, Creamy mouthfeel and light bubbles. The fruity finish and Belgian yeast makes it very drinkable. theisti (1166), Leawood, Kansas, USA Nov 19, 2008 12 oz bottle courtesy of Phillybeer2112. <u>2008 Vintage</u>. Pour is black, with a tan one inch head. Some brief settling on the pour. Aroma of red wine, dark fruits, some sour and a coffee roast underneath. Very much a wine nose. Taste is roast coffee, the pomegranate and a sour bitterness that is a little disjointed from the rest of the flavors. Interesting attempt, but the flavors are too disjointed and un-integrated for my liking. Palate is medium, chalky, with a long dry roasty finish. Thanks for sending this my way Dan. Brigadier (931), Chagrin Falls, Ohio, USA Nov 18, 2008 12 oz bottle
Thanks to daknole for sending this a few months ago in a trade. Now that the site appears to be back I can finally enter my belated rating. This was a decent experiment with blending stout and fruit but overall I think the novelty wears off about halfway through. The last six ounces were pretty boring; this was an average imperial stout at best.
Aroma / Appearance - The short lived tannish head served as garnish for the black oily body underneath. A sticky film of lacing made it evident this was not a low alcohol release. The nose was a blend of smoky dark chocolate, raisins, pomegranates and malt. A oily texture held everything together.
Flavor / Palate - The mouthfeel was much more carbonated than I was expecting. Fruity and fluid it washed across the tongue leaving a trail of chocolate, smoke, black coffee, and plum. The warmth of the ABV comes out in the finish which also serves to moisten the back of the throat. A unique twist on the typical imperial stout I’m still not sold that this is anything more than a one trick pony. Nonetheless I would probably give it a try again if I were in the area and it was on tap. CharlesDarwin (1430), State College, Pennsylvania, USA Nov 18, 2008 2008 12oz Bottle. An imperial stout fermented with Belgian yeast and made with Pomegranate juice from Florida, eh?
A filtered pour produces a dark black-brown oil, with a bright ruby corner and swirling head in chestnut heartwood. Noses tends classically to a standard Imperial Stout malt profile, touched with a kiss of red fruit. A touch of cigar and some salt. Flavor is surprisingly well-integrated and un-confused. I’m surprised at how well the juice works. It weaves in with the tannic grain qualities and some of the natural malt sugar tanginess. Balance this with a good roast character and a well-integrated alcohol level and this isn’t a bad beer, really. Certainly straying from the typical form, but maintaining quality and character. Finishes on a wooden dryness over a bit of aril pith. Nice. Thanks Dave! AllAboutStout (587), Cincinnati, USA Nov 16, 2008 Pours a very nice black in color with only a frothy ring of head forming on the pour. Pours viscous and looks nice. Smell is plenty of black roasted malts and a bit of dark fruit. This has a very nice, full and creamy mouthfeel. Very pillowy soft, best thing about this beer. Not sure that I care for the pomegranate juice that much. I know they say there’s not that much in it, but I could taste it and it wasn’t placed well.
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