McKenzie 5 Czars Imperial Stout

From the Jug at the GABF, Colorado Convention Center 11/10/2007 (As McKenzie Russian Imperial Stout) Tan head. Coffee roast aroma. Black smooth on the palate and strong in alcohol with a crisp lasting coffee roast finish.

2004 Vintage.just sitting in my cellar since it came out. Poured a very dark brown almost black color with a medium sized brown head and oily legs. Roasted and mildly oxided mal aroma.. Nice dark chocolate and light fruit. But some ash mixed in there as well. I like the flavor better. Less oxidation and a good amoutn of roast but not ashy or bitter. Smooth and very tasty. Medium bodied.

Bottle shared by goldtwins. Dark black beer with a thick creamy tan head. Aroma is loaded with rich black licorice and a bitter earthiness. Rich cocoa flavour with a sticky bitter chocolate flavour. Very, very roasty flavour without ever getting astringent. Chewy and slightly salty. Tobaccoish earthiness with a light cherry flavour. There’s a bit of soft chewy sweetness Light earthy/spicy hoppiness on the back. Really intense brew, but still quite approachable. Very, very tasty.

2004 Edition. Bottle shared by goldtwins. Thanks for sharing this one, Larry! Pours a very dense black with a brown head. Very pleasant aroma of chocolate, caramel, and lightly roasted malt. The flavor is chocolate, caramel and roasted malt, but there is also an ever-so-slight metallic component to the flavor. Smooth and a bit oily at the finish while at the same time just a bit tangy, I think from the slightly off metallic component. Full bodied.

KSBF07 poured a dark dar brown tan head. Aroma was pine??? and then chocolate. Flavor was much the same bitter chocolate and pine hop some nuttyness as well. Good brew

Name: Russian Imperial Stout
Date: 10/13/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, GABF

black, fine tan head, rich dark chocolate aroma with a bit of sweetness bringing out the chocolate, rich dark chocolate flavor, lots of biter roasted character,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

KSBF07 bottle. Poured typical dark brown-black with a tannish colored head, ample retention. Aroma was chocolate and a light piney hop touch. The flavor was full roasted chocolate and grains, some dark fruit or vinousy type notes, all with a bit of bitterness, followed by a zingy hoppy (pine) finish, resulting from a nice carbonated-hoppy combo. Mouthfeel, again, had some light zing crispness, not syrupy or hot, a nice little brew.

Kennett. Scott was pouring vintage bottles. Had 2 separate samples from 2 bottles- both tasted the same. Pours a nice rich deep dark black with a very fluffy mounding beige head and higher than expected carbonation. Aroma is nutty and chocolately with lots of roasted barley and sweet caramel malts- real intense though. Flavors are a bit subdued due to the high carbonation (from slight long term infection or jsut overpriming?) Sweet and fruity flavors with lots of roast, some coffee, espresso, chocolate malts- roasty and burnt malts and hints of tobacco leaf dryness in the end. Good mouthfeel but wished it was softer in carbonation that would have made it smoother. Great impy stout though. Sucks we will probably never see this again.