Middle Ages Dragonslayer Imperial Stout

Brewed by Middle Ages Brewing
Style: Imperial Stout
Syracuse, New York USA

Sample at Indy tasting Dick’s BBQ 3/31/06 - Aroma is roasted chocolate malt, coffee, and some hops. Pours black with brown head and good lacing. Flavor is mellow but matches aroma. Palate is tart and creamy. Tasty but doesn’t stand up to the big boys. As a side note: mixed very well with NG Belgian Red.

Black appearance with brown head. This beer is extremely influenced by a large amount of liquorice. Taste is sweet and malty. Finish is dry and quite hoppy. A special and aggressive beer.

22 oz bomber. Pours a black color with a thick beige creamy head. Aroma is bitter coffee beans and plenty of malts. Taste is malty with bitter roasted coffee overtones. Average at best. Was very disappointed with this one.

Not the greatest of imperials - much like magic hat, which uses similar yeast strains, much of middle ages beers taste alike, with minor differences - this beer is no exception - it has that strong "middle ages taste" that overpowers the already thin cocoa and plum flavor - some aromatic, flower/hop thing happening, but not enough to make me get past that taste...that friggin’ taste! - some might call it distinctive (something that MA uses as a sort of calling card), I call it distracting.

I hate to be pessimistic, but it seems as though the Middle Ages brewing company keeps making beers that are so characteristic of their own "special" ingredients, that all their beers begin to taste the same to me. This one is no different. Caramel, vanilla, and heavy roasted malt aroma. The flavor is mild and thin for an Imperial Stout, and I’d say that other than the abv, this is more like a decent Imperial Porter. Slightly chocolately, and a bitter, hoppy finish, this isn’t a bad beer...too much carbonation and not very smooth or creamy.

Bottle. Black body, big creamy milk chocolate coloured head. Roasty aroma with notes of dark fruit - figs/prunes. Sweet roasty malt flavour is quite pleasant with very mild notes of chocolate and dark fruit, touch simplistic. Very light notes of anise are probably in my head. Notes of molasses? Medium to fill bodied. Quite pleasant and warming but not the most complex at times. Thanks Harry!

22 oz. bottle shared by jerc. Black body with a fully lasting creamy and frothy tan head. Chocolate, citrus, roasty, light coffee, and dark fruit aroma. Chocolate, vinous, raisin, and orangy citrus flavours with a roasty bitter finish. Full bodied, chewy mouthfeel. Good stuff.

Black with a tan head. Coffee , chocolate and some licorice make up the aroma. Starts with a chalky dry bitterness that covers most of the sweetness. The bitterness goes right to the finish.