HopTown Old Yeltsin Imperial Stout

Formerly brewed at HopTown Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Pleasanton, California USA

Pours dark black. Aroma is sweet dark fruit, chocolate, and coffee. Flavor is of sweet chocolate and coffee. The aftertaste (the best part of this beer) is a nice chocolate chip cookie with a bit of mocha. The alcohol is well hidden. The palate is what kills this beer for me. Very water, the flavor also seems a bit watered down. Has some very good elements but needs to fix a few things.

THis imperial stout pours with a black body topped by a thin head with little lacing. The aroma surprises me. It’s weak! There is a slightly sweet maltiness and a touch of roasty coffe notes. The flavor is slightly sweet yet bitter and roasty with a note of expresso and a touch of licorice, as well as, a slight sourness and a little alcohol. Full bodied, smooth and slightly warming.

Drew-LaPalooza beer #4: Dark black sweetened coffee; cream and sugar help soften the strongly roasted espresso / hop ending (light sourness at the end - no big deal). Assertive and happy.

A rich, quality milk chocolate and tar aroma with just a twinge of vinegar. The label for this absolutely sucks. Looks like brownish India ink with a khaki head. Very bitter -- dark cocoa, hops and char. A bit phenolic. Tart, moderately sweet. Sturdy bodied, the finish is long mocha. I wanted to like this more, but it needs some work.

Delectable aroma of bittersweet chocolate and kahlua with some roasted notes. Motor oil like appearance with a thick khaki colored head - good lacing. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy - a tad chalky in the finish. Flavor has some bittersweet chocolate notes, licorice, and coffee. Started off strong - faded just a tad near the end. Still a very good stout.

Black body under a small, tan head. The aroma was coffe with notes of chjocolate and hints of fruit. Full and smooth in the mouth with just a touch of acidity. The flavor was mostly roasted coffee with some malted chocolate. Very good.

extremely dark brown with a minimal head. the aroma is of burnt chocolate . The flavor is slightly sweet, w/ dried fruit notes. Although the aroma is roasty, the flavor has more sweetness than most imperials. Very nice.

Malty, barley, somewhat musty aroma. Deep, almost black color with a good tan head and good lacing. Flavor mildly complex, with hints of chocolate, coffee and malt. Palate is where this brew really falls short, very thin with a light dry finish. Not bad but I like the Oatmeal Breakfast Stout from HopTown better.