harrisoni (6703), Ashford, Kent, England Mar 7, 2008 Bottle at Kulminator, thanks to Mes for buying it. Stunning US hop aroma. Body really falls away though. Too much soy sauce for me. Thin on the tongue. Too many hops for the malts too. Really lovely aroma, but the mouthfell falls away and hot hop on end is too much. Must’ve liked it though to give it 3.8/5 madcow75 (425), Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, USA Mar 5, 2008 I’ve been hoping to get a chance to try this for a while, I’ve always like the original bottle picture. 12.7 oz bottle. Pour is black with a thin brown head. Aromas of roasted malt, chocolate covered raisins and a bit of bitter coffee. Big coffee taste up front, some smoke, chocolate and some sweet fruit. A little more smoke and sweet fruit in the finish. Nice and warming. Big body, noticeable alcohol. I like the complexity of this, it is a little more than just chocolate and coffee. tennisjoel (931), Shakopee, Minnesota, USA Mar 3, 2008 12.9 oz bottle rating. Pour is pure blackness, there’s no seeing through this beer. A nice creamy brown head settles above the tar. Very nice aroma of roast, vanilla, raisin, dark chocolate. Flavor is really coffee forward, with most of the other complexities noticed in the aroma taking a back seat. Alcohol is totally masked, with the exception of a nice warming feeling experienced in my stomach. For such a rich beer, this is very drinkable. The one downside is that the coffee is maybe a little overpowering. However, as I sip on this and the temp warms, I notice some other flavors become assertive. Very good beer. I can see some similarities between this and Speedway Stout (which is probably my favorite Impy Stout of all time). brentfeesh (1030), Gadsden, Alabama, USA Mar 3, 2008 A mostly black pour with a little bit of brown on the edges. Light head. The aroma has some nice coffee and malt going on with caramel and charcoal as well. It actually smells creamy. Unfortunately I did not care for the flavor as much as I thought I would. Coffee was present and it was well mixed with the malts. There was also a good bit of bitter chocolate but it seemed to be mixed with a touch of saltiness that I found misplaced and distracting. Semi-dry full body. Not bad, but certainly not as good as it was hyped to be. Ansset13 (127), Wilmington, North Carolina, USA Mar 2, 2008 A small, but dense tan head with mild lacing occur upon pour. The nose is dark roasted coffee, chocolate,dried dark fruits, slightly vinous and other more subtle tone which I can’t quite nail down. The flavor Is rich with combinations of sweetness and bitterness from roasted malts. It is quite well balanced and a definite winner. I hope to try this again soon. 00cobraR (1096), Greensboro, North Carolina, USA Mar 2, 2008 Oh wow. This a great impy. Pour out a deep black color with nearly no head. aroma is huge roasted malts with a nice nutty note to it. Flavor is sweet roasted malts with coffee notes through out. A very enjoyable brew. NachlamSie (1630), Tennessee, USA Feb 27, 2008 Bottle in a blind tasting. Black milky texture with a whispy trace of a very dark head. Some rubies might be noted in there somewhere. The aroma is chocolaty, molasses, some roast, espresso, noted alcohol burns my nose. The flavor has walnuts, strong alcohol presence. A sharp hickory flavor is up front with a drying earthy finish. Hints of fanilla wafers come through. The sharp flavors are very strong, it makes it almost minty in feel. I noticed some ash as well. Intense, almost awkward, but very good. This was my 3rd pick of 4 in a blind tasting, but I loved all 4. doubleo (1096), San Diego, California, USA Feb 27, 2008 375ml bottle, courtesy of Travisd13. Hi-Oh! Pours black as the night, thin, brown, somewhat creamy, little bit of lace. Smells of black coffee and alcohol. Tastes much more malty than the smell implies. Stiff black coffee and booze hit in the middle and last through the finish. Palate is thick but not super thick, good carbonation. This is a potent brew.
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