Moylans Ryan OSullivans Imperial Stout

Brewed by Moylans Brewery & Restaurant
Style: Imperial Stout
Novato, California USA

Vintage 2001> Pours opaque black, with a thin, brown head. Aromatics are filled with bitter chocolate, char dust, coffee grounds, brownie batter, and a hint of ripe berries. The mouthfeel is creamy, thick, and chewy. Plenty of dark chocolate, espresso, and roasted malts on the pallet. The beer has mellowed, and beyond the standard RIS character there is a massive vineous note. Wine-like fruits carry on well after the fudgy stout character fades. Ripe berries and plums drizzeled with chocolate syrup. Incredibly complex and very unique. Reminiscent of wine barell aging. Finishes with lingering red grapes and chocolate, and plenty warming. Seven years on it’s side has turned this one into something special.

22oz bottle. Black with brown edges and a small tan head. Chocolate and fruity, sugary aroma. Roasted, sweet and alcoholic flavor with some vanilla and raisins. Bitter roasted finish with a hint of harshness, but overall stays pretty balanced, maybe just a little on the sweet side. Full and smooth body is just a little sticky. Pretty straight forward and balanced; a nice sipper, but nothing left me waiting for round two.

22oz bottle: Pours to a dark opaque brownish black colored body with a medium tan colored head that quickly fades. The aroma is roasted chicory, cocoa, bittersweet dark chocolate, slightly sweet scent of sugar-covered chocolate malt, and even a bit of chocolate malted milk. Taste is bitter dark roasted malts, cocoa bean, unsweetened bakers chocolate, very slight alcohol or bourbon flavor, some light vanilla/oak. Finishes with some extended alcohol and roasted malt notes. Medium carbonated, heavy body, alcohol shows a bit too much for me.

A very tasty, just below the radar, Imperial Stout. This brew by Moylan’s is a very deep brown with slim tan head. Aroma is probably this beer’s weakest link...faint semi-sweet chocolate but little else (maybe I’m catching a cold!!!). Flavor is spot-on...milk chocolate, bitter roasted coffee, and dark fruit. A little thin, but this is such a tough category to compete with. A drinkable Imperial Stout...more so than some of its more robust counterparts...but not quite top-notch.

Bottled at Oliver Twist, Stockholm. Pours out in an almost black colour with a dark brown edges. Small but lasting pale brown head. Big aroma of tar, black chocolate, raisins, citrousy hops and black coffee. Full and chewy flavour of black chocolate, espresso, resin, prunes, pepper and citrousy hops with touches of smoke. Full-bodied. Bitter finish of black chocolate nutshells, peppery alcohol, pines and black coffee. Big and bold US Impy.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown, near black body with a small, beige head. Smell: The aroma is a mixture of dark malts, licorice, baker’s chocolate, confectioner’s sugar, and a dash of alcohol. Taste: Dark maltiness with flavors of bitter dark chocolate and a heavy-handed dose of licorice. A few cigar ashes flicked in. Mild sweetness. Hops, with just a faint touch of citrus, and a burst of medium bitterness follow. Finishes with a touch of alcohol and a lingering roastiness. Mouthfeel: Just a bit above medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: For me, it’s not quite on par with some of the more illustrious members of the style, but it’s still a decent imperial stout.

Dark black color with a large, chocolaty head. Rich aroma of chocolaty malt, and a bit of coffee. Flavor is much the same, a little harsh, slightly sour, and too much piny hoppiness for my liking in a stout, and too chalky. Finishes with some berries and a hint of licorice. Good, but far from great.

1/3/08 with Bikesandbeer, 10th Brewery of the trip, last and least impressive of the day. Tap @ the Brewery. Pours black with a 1 finger light brown head. Nose is sweet, with not much there. Taste is sweet chocolately, a big choco impy, could be better.