Old Chimneys Good King Henry

From the bottle. This is a very dark and sturdy winter ale. Soft, smooth and sweet, yet with enough dark bitter chocolate to give interesting contrasts.

Lot No. 0307 - best before 1/5/04. Deeply delectable. It's good to discover another bottle conditioned Imperial Stout - it's pure heaven to discover one as scrumptious as this. I tried this alongside A. le Coq and Bell's Expedition Stout. It came a (very) close second to the A le Coq. Chocolate and leather and ripe morello cherries and strawberries & cream and rum chocolate and cane sugar and mildew and soy sauce and lemon sherbet...the flavours just go on and on. A beautifully smooth texture with a gentle sweetness backed by a perfectly balanced alcohol warmth. A classic.

Bottle at toms ... THANKS ronnie ... Deep black ... sweet fruit toasted malts ... lots of chocolate ... good body ... sweet fruity chocolate malts ... lots of chocolate character and great depth. Great beer. TK 2 Bottle at home ... Deep black ... light roast little smoke ... light sweet nutty molasis... Wonderfully complex but at the same time subtle and not as in your face as other Imperial Stouts

Cask conditioned - gravity dispense - Merton Winter BF. A black beer with a loose beige head. The aroma is smoky and fishy with plenty of full rich fruits. The taste is malty and has rich soy notes. Light roasts and fruits. Some balsamic and a terribly long finish. This isn’t as smooth and velvetty as the reserve but is still a wonderful beer. World class without doubt.

Hand-bottled on 2/16/08 thanks to some very generous folks from across the pond!! Poured very deep brown, near black with a loose-bubbled cap of dark tan head (more than I expected). The aroma was bright, crisp, and aggressive, showcasing near-burnt dark chocolate malts and molasses.. a drier, nutty/roasted barley presence is felt beneath, and the whole lot is amplified by the alcohol.. warmth brought about sweeter layers of milk chocolate and ground oats.. also a bit of greener floral hoppage.. just sublime! Warm dark chocolates and molasses roll gently over the tip of the tongue with the lower carbonation.. the middle fills out with a mix of sweeter chocolates and some caramel as well as spicy hops.. more alcohol is apparent at the finish, but entirely in complimentary fashion.. lenghty final impression of semi-sweet chocolate, molasses, and a little spiciness, with a warming impression on the belly. Heavier-bodied, slow, and calculated on the palate with low, but useful carbonation. Fantastic beer on all counts!