17thfloor (1498), Chicago, Illinois, USA
| 3.4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 3/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 14/20 | Nov 29, 2009 Bottle thanks to...? Pours a murky dark brown with vague soda bubbles for a head. Aroma is raisin, vanilla, boozy like bourbon, sweet and richly aged. Flavor is chocolate, very boozy, raisin, grainy. Body is very thin and watery, a bit oily, like it has a melted ice cube in it. egajdzis (3631), Spring Mount, Pennsylvania, USA
| 3.3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 2/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 14/20 | Oct 4, 2009 Dark brown with tan bubbles, but no lacing on the glass. Aroma of roasted malt, soy, anise, sherry, chocolate, smoked wood, and alcohol. Taste of dark chocolate, smoked malt. roast, coffee, dark fruits, anise, and light alcohol. kevd193213 (506), Hope Valley, Rhode Island, USA
| 3.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 | Sep 22, 2009 Bottle cellared for 2+ years. Brown pour with a tiny off white head. Aroma of chocolate and faint hops. Thin body but good taste of chocolate and malt with faint coffee and licorice present. Nice smooth finish despite the high ABV. Dorwart (1823), Robbinsville, New Jersey, USA
| 2.9 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 2/5 | 6/10 | 2/5 | 12/20 | Jul 28, 2009 750 corked bottle that maybe had 700 mL (if lucky) of brew. There was at least 3+ inches of headspace between the top of the beer and the bottom of the cork. A disapointing fill. A pitiful head from a vigorous pour. A few large bubbles that dissipate quickly. Pretty flat even for a imperial stout. Rich malty aroma with lots of roasted grains, caramel, a bit of smokyness, light fruit notes and some boozy overtones. Color is a very dark brown. I was expecting this to be a barleywine and was surprised when this came up labeled an imperial stout. Very smooth and very alcoholic. Flat and syrupy in the mouth. Lots of sweet malts, caramel and alcohol. Lots of alcohol. Some hops presence but is mostly killed by the heat. Makes the gums tingle and the throat burn. Bit of grit on the palate, Finishes very hot and sweet. Not a very good brew. Reminds of someones first attempt at homebrewing an imperial stout and not having great success. Drinkable but not very enjoyable. GAManiac (1184), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| 2.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 2/5 | 5/10 | 2/5 | 11/20 | Jul 16, 2009 750mL blue corked bottle courtesy of Alldaydrinker, poured into a snifter.
An extremely aggressive pour yields a small collection of large bubbles which recedes immediately and leaves a tiny collar and some legs down the sides. The color isn’t quite black in the glass with mahogany showing through the edges.
The aroma is heavy on the sweet toffee, chocolate and dark burnt malts and it smells almost like an old barleywine with definite hints of oxidation. There are hints of coffee as well, but not much.
The oxidation is much more prevalent in the taste with tons of cardboard. There are hints of the underlying espresso and dark malts, but there’s an overpowering abrasive bitterness that is pretty offputting. Only the finish resembles an impy stout with the chocolate and coffee coming out with a strong booze and wood presence.
The mouthfeel is watery and slick with no hint of carbonation. It’s almost completely still.
I have to imagine this bottle has seen much better days, but as it is, this is not a very good beer. There are only rare glimpses of a beer that could be considered an impy stout and the rest of it is a mess. SamGamgee (1460), Santa Cruz (La Selva), California, USA
| 3.4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 6/10 | 3/5 | 13/20 | Jul 15, 2009 bottle at the RBSG grand tasting thanks to irishboy. Black with a tan head. Oaky, vanilla and chocolate aroma. The flavor is a little thin with some caramel, chocolate, and wood. Thin body with medium carbonation. A bit thin for a big stout. pantanap (1363), Chicago, Illinois, USA
| 2.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 5/10 | 3/5 | 5/10 | 2/5 | 11/20 | Jun 6, 2009 750ml bottle.... pours a dull dark caramel brown with no head, just a few bubbles forming on the side of the glass.....alcohol phenols in the nose with soy and chocolate notes. a little papery.... old chocolate and a little roasted malt. dull tootsie roll flavor very little carbonation and even less body. AGAquino (91), San Juan, Puerto Rico
| 2.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 6/10 | 3/5 | 5/10 | 3/5 | 11/20 | May 30, 2009 Bottle from City Liqquor Store in Providence. Definetly past it’s prime. Cloudey dark brown, no head. Aroma of old oporto wine. Marriot Hotel has it on tap, will try a more recent vintage, before writing it off.
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