Rock Bottom Milwaukee Black Bull Imperial Stout

Brewed by Rock Bottom Milwaukee
Style: Imperial Stout
Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA

Draught at the brewpub. Opaque black color with attractive khaki head that laced the glass. Rich aroma of anise, vanilla, alcohol, and milk chocolate. Tasted of sweet chocolatey malt, soy sauce, and alcohol. They soy note was a bit strong, but didn’t detract much.

Silk black pour with a small lid of dark tan bubbles. Dark fruit aroma with, caramel, and light alcohol. Smooth and thick on the palate. Lots of stewed fruit aromas. Light chocolate and coffee in the finish and linger. A decent winter warmer.

Wasn’t too impressed with this one. Pour looked very nice.. deep brown with a 1/2" caramel head and nice lacing. Head almost completely receded after a minute or so. Aroma picked up caramel, sweet chocolate, and alcohol.. but was rather weak. Palate was thin and the flavors didn’t seem to get through to the right taste buds. Flavor had some sweet and dark chocolate + caramel and alcohol.. but was also a bit thin. Caramel came through stronger as it warmed. Alcohol made itself the highlight of all facets of the drink (aroma, flavor, finish), which I didn’t care for too much.

Milwaukee. Beautiful opaque and black in color with a nice dark creamy tan head. The nose gives a mild expose to Hershey syrup mixed with molasses. Cocoa made with whole milk, mild cigar wrappers and unsweetened dark chocolate bring the aroma full circle. Chocolate roastiness is there for flavor, moving to movements in line with nearly burnt pecans. As it warns, it gets better, but it begs the question: if you brew it, why not go the extra step to serve it right? Moderate mouth feel with velvety smoothness. Dark chocolate manifests on the undertow with a sharp semi-sweet chocolate twang, proceeded with an artificial tasting burp. Alcohol warms the back of the throat and you can feel it in the head (maybe it’s that I started drinking at 11:00 a.m.?) Syrupy, boding sweetness becomes this one in its entirely for the last six ounces. As a commercial comparison, it’s most similar to Weyerbacher Old Heathen and Great Lakes Blackout Stout.

Sampled this in MKE. It pours to a dark black body with a thin tan head and thick dense lacing. The flavor is dark fruits, light charcoal. Light dark chocolate. There’s also light banana and oak cask. A light nuttiness. The aroma is chocolate but is light. Coffee roastiness. The palate is rich, medium-full thickness.

On tap at the Milwaukee location. Their batch is only 9% ABV but seems similar enough to add to this listing. Black body, small tan head. Coffee / chocolate malt aroma with some alcohol. Big sweet roasty flavor. Tart, acidic dark roasted malt (a little like burnt coffee) alongside heavy milk chocolate malt. Good mouthfeel. Acidic, roasty finish. A pretty good RIS, it could use some other flavor elements other than the roast malt.