Moylans Ryan OSullivans Imperial Stout

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

Pours dark brown/black, can’t see any light through it. Nice creamy brown head that fades quickly but not totally. Nose on this is a bit subdued, light toastiness. Malty of course with a bit of coffee. Tastes toasty and sweet with coffee notes up front. The only hints of alcohol I get are towards the finish, not overpowering though. Mouthfeel is surprisingly thin, nice subdued carbonation. Coats the mouth just a bit. Even though this is a big stout, 10%, it is still very mellow on the palate.

Bottle. Very dark allmost black colour with a nice light brown head. Aroma of sweet chocolate and smooth roastedness. Flavour of roastedness smooth coffee, sugar and chocolate. Very nice endeed.

Bottle via Secret Santa. Dark color. Smell of chocolate covered cherries, malt, hops, malt, bread, alcohol, roasted coffee, caramel and slight burnt leaves. Taste of caramel, toffee, roasted coffee, malt, hops, brown sugar, copper, dark fruit, some minor citrus, alcohol and chocolate. At times there was a slight acidic and tin taste to it.

22oz bottle from kryptic. A minor disappointment. Pours thick, slightly oily opaque brown with a huge thick brown head. Aroma of blackstrap molasses, tar, burnt rubber, dark bitter chocolate and charred malt. Flavor was bitter, slightly astringent and metallic. I was hoping for something a little smoother and not so rough around the edges. A hint of soy, charred wood and charred vanilla. Medium to full bodied with a thin coppery finish.

Another really nice offering from Moylans. I guess I take these guys for granted because when I go down the beer isle I find just about everything these guys make. Some I really enjoy, others....well...I just keep looking. I’ve been keeping this bottle for about a year now, so a night of poker with some friends and this was as good a time as any to crack open. The pour pours out from the bottle a deep black colored body, medium tan/khaki head with some nice lacing. Aroma was probably the weak point in this beer, but in saying that it was still really nice. Dark chocolate, molasses, citrus hops, and roasted malts are all present in the smell. Flavors on this beer were also really impressive. A nice sturdy roasted malt backbone supports nicely complex flavor profile of dark cherries, raisins, dark chocolate, dried apricots (hops?) without any real alcohol burn. I’m always impressed when such a high alcohol content is hidden so well. Shows how well a brewer knows their craft. A very nice beer.

Pours black with a thin tan head. Aroma of chocolate, light roast, and that is pretty much it. Not as big as aroma as I expect from an IS. Roasty base with a mild chocolate effect. Some smoke and salty flavors as well. I guess it can be oysters and soy sauce, but it is not too terribly pronounced. Light dark fruit flavor as well. Becomes sweeter as it warms. Medium to full bodied with a lingering roast and light hop bitterness. Not alot of alcohol is noticable. Just had an 07 Stone IRS, and it blows this out of the water. Oh well. Another rating for the book.

Black body with a medium-sized tan head. Relatively light nose with milk chocolate, roast and light dark fruits. Lightly sweet flavor with molasses, chocolate, light coffee and plums. Medium/full body is a bit thin with moderate carbonation and a slightly warm finish.

Smells like oysters, soy sauce, brine, and umeboshi--sushi in a glass. Fun for the nose. Pours pitch black and 100% opaque. Head is average size, average foam, and beige. Lacing is decent. Nice soft creamy mouthfeel but slightly thin. Roasty toasty choc malt. Alcohol is well-disguised! Long, lingering burnt aftertastes like dandelion and burdock root teas.