Lost Abbey Serpents Stout

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: Imperial Stout
San Marcos, California USA

Bottle from Monument in Concord, CA. This Imp Stout was a wonderful malt/coffee/chocolate dream of a beer. The only drawback was drinking it on a 100 degree night. Great palate and mix of flavors.

Bottled. Cloudy dark, short off-white head. Aroma of roasted malt, some coffee. Not as bitter and as much chocolate as some other stout, but nicely balanced.

Corked bottle, vintage 2009
Black color, with big creamy head, brownish. It has light aroma of roasted malt, bread and molasses. The flavor is very rich, considering also the strong body and the smooth mouthfeel; there is chocolate, caramel, some roasted malt, a hint of liquorice (that was a bit disturbing in the beginning, but tends to disappear later). It has a correctly strong bitterness that mixes well with the alcohol warmth in the final. Not vibrating, not surprising, but solid chocolatey Imperial Stout, extremely good and well balanced.

Bottle. Pours opaque with an average, dark brown head, somewhat lasting with fair lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (chocolate, coffee, burnt grain, caramel), heavy hop (perfume), average yeast (leather) with notes of alcohol, oak, tar, prune, and plum. Full bodied, alcoholic texture, lively carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, heavy sweetness and bitterness, moderate acidity.

Bottle. Black with a light brown creamy head, nice lacing. Quite a bit of alcohol on the nose. Loads of different stuff going on here, tar, fudge, coffee, anise, dark fruits, chocolate. Fat and chewy. A bit too hot, but undeniably enjoyable none the less.

Bottle. Black. Thin dark head around the edges and a ghostly wisp across the surface. Dark black aroma. Black tar smokey flavour. Big imperial stout nose. Can’t taste the alcohol but can feel the fumes rising in the finish.

2009 bottle. Pours opaque black with a light brown, average, pillowy head which is somewhat lasting and leaves minimal, frothy, sporadic lace. Nose is nice but not exceptional; wisps of alcohol, notes of rich fudge, faint grape skins, some black strap molasses, light anise, and faintly roasted malt. Flavor is very nice with more rich fudge, some molasses, similar light anise, toasted almonds, light grape skins, and some roasted coffee with mild acidity moving into the finish. Palate is perfect; very full, round, velvety, chewy, soft to lively, and nice warmth. Finish remains rich but does pick up a moderately light coffee bitterness and some darker, bittersweet chocolate to match the fudge and almonds. Almost too rich but somehow the finishing bitterness from the dark chocolate and coffee keep it from being cloying. The grape skin notes create a vinous, almost brandy-like similarities. The whole bottle took quite a while to finish due to the richness and the viscous palate but I only liked each sip more than the last. I think LA achieved exactly what they were looking for in this one; thick and viscous, notable warmth, and rich malt notes. What a great brewery.

Black colored brew. Aroma of dark choclate, malts, caramel. Smooth, creamy, chocolate, coffee, rich flavor. Very nice one.