Middle Ages Dragonslayer Imperial Stout

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

Pours thick and black like a light grade motor oil. A small 1/8 inch caramel/tan head. Average lacing. Aroma of deep roasted malts, coffee and chocolate. First sip is bittersweet with coffee and chocolate in an unwelcomed battle to be the dominating flavor. Body is surprisingly light considering the 9.5% ABV and how it poured. As a huge fan of the Imperial Stout, this is average at best. Not bad, but there is so much better out there.

22oz bottle purchased at the NYC Whole Foods and shipped back to SD, poured into a Duvel tulip glass. Appearance is a pitch black hue with tinges of brown, modest brown coffee-like head mostly sustains, watery lacing sticks on the glass. Smell is absolutely amazing, big swatches of milk chocolate cocoa with hints of coffee malts and licorice, hints of dark fruits and vanilla, one of the best IRS aromas I can remember. Taste is a fairly even mix of chocolate and coffee malts and anise, some roast and vanilla creeps in as does a good dose of smoke and dark fruits (cherries mostly), finishes with a touch of hop bitterness and alcohol warming. Mouthfeel is full-bodied, mostly creamy texture that goes down easy, very mild carbonation. Drinkability is high for the style and abv, i am a big fan of the sweet cocoa malts taking charge of the lighter coffee and roast malts, the smokey mid-finish is a great accent, easy-drinking and well-balanced IRS.

In short: Burnt malts and a lots of hops, a decent hoppy stout bordering Black IPA territory
How: Bottle 22oz, age unknown (probably 6+ months old)
The look: Black body topped by a medium tan head
In long: Nose is more hoppy than roasted, I might even have called an IPA in a blind test. Taste is mainly about burnt malts and citrusy +foresty hops. A little chocolate note and very little fruitiness (if any). Body is surprisingly thin for the style. Roastiness level is high. Attack feels a bit empty. Hopping is supposed to be English but to me the citrusy and foresty hops felt very much american. As an Imperial Stout it is so-so, as a Black IPA it is ok and as a Sake it is a total failure.

Dark, dark, and bitter. Pours black with a brown head - the aroma is bitter chocolate and espresso. The head is attractive but retention could be better. The taste is biting, name appropriate, but I could have used some sweet balance on the tail end - not the best aftertaste.

Bottle shared by a local at Track 84 in Warwick, RI. Pours black with a small tan head. Aroma of wet coffee grounds. Body is slightly thin for an Imperial Stout. Flavor of dark roast, coffee, and char. Bitterness is not overdone. Finished dry with a very very slight off flavor (acetaldehyde or DMS?).

Bottle; one of the bigger disappointment of a beer tasting weekend. Poured black with a smallish light brown head. Aroma was very oaty with a good amount of smoke and meat present. Flavor was very roasted and oaty. Just wasn’t very appealing to me. I don’t know if I was overly harsh during the weekend or if this really wasnt that good.

Black oily pour with minimal head. Deep toasted fruit aromas, light pine, heavy coffee, chocolate, vanilla and espresso aromas. Bittering palate, heavy on drying coffee flavors, but with slight balance of vanilla and roasty maltiness. Not bad overall.

Bottle, solid aroma of coffee with a hint of malt. The taste is coffee yet hoppy, a bit of chocolate washed down by some malty bitterness. Would buy again