McNeills Imperial Stout

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

This is a fine, fine imperial. Deep black in color, with a huge body, as is typical of the style. The thing I really enjoy about this beer is how pronouced the hops are. Rather than taking a backseat to the malty goodness, they stand out and add their own flavor, particularly in the beginning of the taste. I think this is one of the best and most drinkable imperials I’ve tried so far. I’m so glad the russians decided they needed stout from britain.

Best beer I’ve ever had? Perhaps. HUGE coffee-ish head (nitro-pour) with aromas of coffee, booze, and... beer. This is an imperial stout without extreme abusdities like 32%ABV or 343IBUs to be memorable. McNeills makes classy and damn damn good beer.

I would die for this Imperial Stout. The most flavorful beer I’ve ever had. If’n theres a better dark beer on the planet, I don’t what it is (any suggestions,let me know).

8/9/01 I"ve always thought a sweet stout should go down kinda like milk chocolate & coffee; this Imperial goes down like very strong bitterweet chocolate & Turkish coffee! Excellent pungent alcoholic nose; darkest body I"ve ever seen with a thin brown head; and a powerful, rich and complex flavor with the aforementioned notes, as well as licorice, roasted grain, and smoke. Very smooth finish for such a powerhouse brew. In the running for best-of-show for this great brewer. More properly enjoyed when the wind"s howling and snow"s blowing.

6/15/02 rerating. Bumping it up a point purely because after two other fine (new) beers at the pub the other night, this was what I was looking forward to and it delivered. Especially impressed with the mouthfeel this time around. You just want to roll it around on your tongue until it evaporates on its own.

01/17/03: the 2002 version seems a bit hoppier to me; the bite is much stronger at the end than last year"s. Having had quite a few more Imperials lately, this one still commands respect for its awesome balance of chocolaty sweetness and intense ending hop severity. Still the best from VT"s finest.

22 oz bomber. Jet black in color with a nice tan head. Massive aroma of malt. Roasty. Chocolatety. Smooth. Hoppy, chinook. Big bold flavor with hops. Full bodied. Well balanced. Enjoyable.

From the bottle:
Humungoflies buzz by as helicopters do in surveillance missions...Leaves on the ground around you rustle even though there is no wind...You are in their territory...The darkest night has taken your eyes away and the incongruous jungle foliage keeps whipping your already lacerated legs to blood..."My starving will end tonight" you mutter, somewhat delirious and exasperated...The pungent heavy chocolate aromas of this new world are so enticing but you know this isn’t exactly Godiva’s Christmas Special...Grasping every ounce of despair you have left, you rip out a nearby root and plunge your teeth in, eyelids following downward even though you’ve been blinded...For a second, your tongue seems to seek shelter in your throat, obviously scared of the unannounced screeching bitterness, but a masterful splurge of caramel and chocolate latch on to it and prevent it from a freefall into your oesophagus chasm...Hop hallucinogetics kick in and you are at once charmed by the hop-flavored black licorice sticks, breathing out an espresso-like bitterness with the glee of salvation...Suddenly, spending a night with unknown creatures becomes heaven...Your heaven...4.3/5

On tap at the brewpub:
Gargantuan caramel and eternal malt roastiness garnished with dark chocolate and molasses sweetness all seductively hug the otherworldly piney, citrusy hops. Scrumptiously coats the palate more so than in the bottle and ingeniously exemplifies balance within intensity. A top 10 worthy experience in my book. 4.7/5

+/- 9 %abv. Midnight inky black. Dark brown head. Aromas of chocolate and burnt grain. Very fruity, chewy and sweet, vinous, raisons. Full bodied, filling beer, finishes very hopped up with a kick of alcohol. This brew is oh so nice. My girlfriend loves this on draught.

dear god, how i love this beer. all the darkness of a stout with that extra kick of alcohol that makes for a good night.