Shoreline Big Bourbon Series Lost Sailor Imperial Stout

Brewed by Shoreline Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Michigan City, Indiana USA

This poured a thick black oily mess and i loved it,small tan head and smelled of chocolate and bourbon with a nice creamy small lacing for the head, as it warmed up the flavors and alcohol became more apparent,over all this was well done.CHEERS!

Very rich, oily black pour...motor oil really...with a fading tan head. Nose is big alcoholic bourbony goodness, vanilla, roasted (burnt) grain, and some espresso. Very nice slippery texture, with a very intense covering of the palate. More vanilla, oak, bourbon, brown sugar, burnt roastiness, espresso, and syrup-like texture. Excellent!

Thanks to Mike for opening the 2007 bottle (and for sending me home with one!!). Poured deep, black, and foreboding, with not too much head sticking around. The aroma picked up rich chocolate and black patent maltage accented by sweet vanilla and rather bright bourbon.. became stronger as it warmed up and left a boozed-up, desserty impression on the back of the nose. The flavor opened with thick black patent and lesser coffee maltage with chocolate and more coffee emerging toward the back.. vanilla, toasted oak, and hot bourbonny alcohol over the top.. long, warm, memorable finish. Heavy and thick on the palate with rich malts and lots of sharper barrel impression.. syrupy on the back.. I vividly remember drinking this one.

2007 bottle. Pours black with a thin tan film and bubbles on the side of the glass. Dangerously drinkable. Very smooth bourbon, figs, chocolate, and toffee notes. Mouthfeel is thinner than expected. Sticky. Alc is a great compliment. Not hot at all. Quite drinkable. Great beer!

2007 750 ml bottle, courtesy GoT. Pours a thick used oil color that is nearly opaque with some dark brown around the edges. A thin, foamy tan head tops the body with a bit of lace left behind. The aroma is very chocolatey with hints of burnt caramel, old wood, and bourbon. The flavor follows with more dark chocolate and burnt caramel. The barrel imparts plenty of bourbon flavor with heaps of oaken vanilla to sweeten things up. The bourbon seems to have mellowed out over the 2 years of this bottle as it doesn’t overpower all the flavors, but the warmth is still there. Full bodied, smooth, and subtly carbonated with a lengthy, warming finish from the bourbon. Really decadent and nice imperial stout.

Great Taste, 2009. I wasn’t as taken with this beer as my fellow raters. I found it a bit too hot and a bit less complex than one would have expected, particularly when juxtaposed with the other great imperial stouts of the day. Notes of dark chocolate, soy, caramel, and cinnamon. The finish is toasty and a tad hot. Altogether a well crafted beer, but lacking the complexity I might have expected given the ratings below.

750ml bottle, courtesy GoT. A thick motor oil pour glugs from the bottle, settling as a nearly opaque, dark mahogany pool. A thin, swirly head of dark tan foam skims the surface. Skinny rings of lacing circle the glass. The aroma is massively chocolaty, bittersweet and dark in varietal, with notes of burnt caramel, old oak, and woody bourbon. Hints of sweet pipe tobacco and dark fruits lend complimentary depth. The flavor shows heaps of barrel influence, tons of vanilla and sweet, vanilla kissed bourbon coming through. Dark chocolate remains the primary driving force, rich and luxurious. The palate is big and softly carbonated, a big sugary, but smooth. Finishes quite warm. Great beer for the winter.

Bottle and shared with Jeff and Kevin:

Basically opaque with a fading frothy head and oily legs. The aroma has heavy roasted malts, charred, leathery, and pipe tobacco vapours. The is also some chocolate, vanilla, oak, walnut, prune and juniper berry esters found inside. The taste starts chocolaty and toasty with a big bourbon initial attack. Lots of vanilla, oak and moderate alcohol noted. Tones of earthy cigar tobacco, dark fruit and molasses round it into shape. The mouth feel is oily and soft with a moderate warming trend upon the finish. Well done and actually worth the $20 I paid for it, good job Sam.