McKenzie 5 Czars Imperial Stout

Formerly brewed at McKenzie Brew House
Style: Imperial Stout
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania USA

Thanks to csbosox for sharing a bottle. Poured black as night with a brown and orange head. The aroma is dirt, caramel, mushrooms, vanilla and coffee. The taste is coffee, chocolate and a hint of tobacco. The finish is dirt with a little bit of sweet honey. The mouthfeel is a little thin. This is an awesome beer.

Another gem from zathrus13. Poured out a dark brown, almost black, with a nice foamy head. one of those heads that just makes a beer look friggin amazing. Nose was quite chocolatey, big roastiness that hit the spot on this particular day. Taste lets a little hop into the picture, but its overshadowed big time by the chocolatey roast and wonderful sweetness. Thoroughly enjoyed this impy.

(750 ml bottle: Obtained in trade with goldtwins, thanks Larry!) Phew, great news for both Larry and me. This beer leaked during transit (lost about 2-3 inches), and I was really worried that the beer would be flat, but there was quite a rush of carbonation escaping the bottle when I popped the cap. Poured into my Duvel tulip, I got about 3 inches of beautiful, bubbly, light brown head. So no worries with this beer being flat, though I still can’t figure how a bottle can leak like that, and then show no signs of lost carbonation. Anyway, the large head does diminish down to a thin, bubbly layer, but thanks to the tulip glass, a steady supply of carbonation bubbles results in a tall, creamy island forming in the middle of the glass. Pitch black in color, even at the edges, this is a very attractive beer, missing only one thing: lace! No lace whatsoever. But not a big deal to me, as the flavor more than makes up for that minor deficiency. Big and very roasty flavor, fairly bitter, chocolate, some dense and dark fruit like prunes, licorice, and a mild smokiness peaks out in the finish. It’s very sweet too, but the roast and bitterness really keep this beer nicely balanced, and the sweetness is not one of the first things you notice. Supposedly only 30 IBUs according to the label, but it sure seems more bitter to me than that, especially in the finish. The ABV also seems higher than 8.9% too, as I’m getting quite a sensation of alcohol in my nasal passages as I drink this beer. The nose seems fairly yeasty and somewhat sweet, with alcohol, mild roast and smoke in the mix as well. Thick and dense on the palate, sweet, a bit sticky, but not really viscous or syrupy. All in all, a super beer, and one of the better Imperial Stouts I’ve had in this string of tastings for this style so far.

Tasted blind against Dieu Du Ciel Peche Mortel, Stone Imperial Russian Stout, Dark Horse Imperial Stout, Southampton Imperial Russian Stout, Rogue XS Imperial Stout, Great Divide Yeti, Bell’s Expedition, Alesmith Speedway Stout, Victory Storm King, Thirsty Dog Siberian Night, Pizza Port Santa’s Little Helper, Avery The Czar, Hawk’s DM’s Imperial Stout, Three Floyds Dark Lord, Bear Republic Big Bear Black, North Coast Old Rasputin, and two of Scott Jackson’s homebrewed Impys. The 5 Czars from McKenzie’s came out # 6 for me, out of 19. Opaque black color with a large and dense mocha colored head. Fairly deep nose, with big notes of raisins, burnt malt and chocolate. Light oaky tones, thick, bubbly feel. Smooth & rich malts. Very well balanced and tasty.

Bottle. Aroma is cherries and chocolate, unique. Not much of a head, opaque color. Taste is sweet cherries, rounded out with a a roasted, drying finish. Bitter but not overly hoppy. Medium body, slightly coating mouthfeel.

750 ml bottle shared with MartinT, tiggmtl, Olivier_MTL, Rastacouere and Yowie iin Montreal. Dense blackness, foamy-bubbly dark tan head, lasting...dry, smoky-roasty nose reminiscent of cold coffee...lively carbonation supports a licorice presence, which along with the dark chocolate, coffee and an odd note of tarragon lends it some interest, but also creates an ill-defined texture...finish is moderately roasty, moderately sweet, with a full but not decadent mouthfeel. Just OK as an Impy, for me.

The aroma had roast, coffee, dark fermented fruit,a nd alcohol esters. The flavor had roast, coffee, a slight chocolate, and dark fruit note. The beer poured an opaque color w/ thin head and lacing. THe mouthfeel was full bodied, but thin and watery.

Pours with a black body topped by a thick, brown head with some lacing. The aroma is slightly bitter wtih a very slight sweetness, a touch of licorice and a touch of chocolate. The flavor is slightly sweet and slightly roasty wtih a nice mocha note and a touch of licorice. Full bodied, slightly tingly and a touch warming.