McNeills Imperial Stout

Formerly brewed at McNeills Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Brattleboro, Vermont USA

Blackish opaqueness with a brown head and nice lacing. Awesome aromas of roast and chocolate. Sweet caramel, grapes or figs, some coffee. Bittersweet hops, and some tobacco. But maybe that’s just from the guys that just went and smoked at poker night. Dirties. Anyway, the flavors hold the same qualities as the aroma, but don’t do it as well. The coffee bitterness almost over powers the complexities of the malt bill. Slightly sour as well. There is hints of alcohol coming through. Thick and chewy. Long lasting flavors. Very bitter and strong alcohol laced finish of roasted coffee.

Black, opaque, brown head, small lacing. Nose of black licorice, smoke, lots of grapes: muskat, apparent alcohol/port. Roast character is strong with some astringency in the finish. Full bodied & very fruity with hops & noticable up front bitterness. The flavors are very good but the bitterness and sharp bite of roast is too apparent. A bit more aging would lend a lot to this youngun. THANKS TOM!!

10.07.04 bomber from Captain Cougar. Black and goopy, thick-looking pour; stout head for an impy that fades to a marbling film of head. Aromas are surprisingly hoppy and floral, complimenting the pitchy, burnt malts. The usual array of choco-coffee is present. What really sets this one apart is the extra dose of hops, and it’s a pleasant diversion that adds well to creating a better sense of balance in this still massive beer. Very nice stuff.

Pours near black and quite thick looking. Not as lutulent as Dark Lord or Rogue IS, but a close third. Only a small covering of dark tan bubbles. and a heavy lacing of these same small bubbles ringing the glass. True roasted malts aromas rise up and celebrate with a nice balance of fresh hopsand light spice (anise). Light on the palate, meaning it does not get slogged down like so many thick and ultra chewy brews. Rich dark malts, mingle with a touch of fruit - flambé’ of cherries and grapefruit. A touch acidic in the finish and linger, which I will attribute to the hops and black malts. I’m not a bit fan of black malt in this style - if I am right (likely not). I think this one would have rated slightly higher with a smaller bottle as the flavors wore out the palate and started to drag. Thanks to CaptainCougar for sending this one my way.

Black color, very small tan head with beautiful lacing. Aroma is sweet and chocolately, malty, with cherries and vanilla. Flavor is smooth and chocolately with some bitterness in the finish.

Drew-LaPalooza. Toasty cocoa nose, taste of anise, some dark fruit, just a little thin on the palate. Finished with some hops.

This bottled brew was tasted at DrewLaPalooza 2004. It poured a small head of fully diminished dark brown colored bubbles that left behind a fair lace. It had a opaque dark brown body with no visible carbonation. The aroma was hoppy and filled with dark malty notes. The mouth feel was initially coffee flavored with a malt bite then finished with a good biting hop note. The flavor also contained notes of coffee dark malts hops and other burnt characteristics.

Drew=LaPalooza brew #11: What a cool label - looks like somebody photocopied the label on a pale blue piece of copy paper then glue-sticked it onto the bottle. Super black shiny body - but look at the red edges when you hold it up to the light. Very roasty with sweet coffee and licorice. Good hoppy finish!