 Indra (1845), Prairie Village, Kansas, USA
May 6, 2004
Bottled version. This is a 2-part rating, the first dealing with the beer before the "yeast" pour, the second after.
Aroma is massively rich, sweet and fruity, notes of semi-sweet chocolate, espresso, grapefruit, plum, earth, pine, red grape, molasses, honey, roasty malt, vanilla, etc. etc. Thick black color with an oily sheen on the surface and a very slight dark brown head. Flavor is like a melted chocolate bar mixed with heavy cream, turkish coffee, dirt, dark, vaguely sweet fruits, more molasses and dark honey, faint nuttiness and bitterness; finishes extremely long, moderately bitter and curiously dry. Body is beyond full, this is pretty much the thickest carbonated beverage imaginable, like stout concentrate (just add water!).
Now, on to what happened when I poured out the yeast-like substance that completely infused the last 8oz. (about 1/3) of the bottle.
Pouring the gelatinous sediment just ruined the beer. It now smells like chocolate and moldy oranges. Appearance is now like something dredged out of a sewer or waste treatment plant, or 20W50 motor oil that hasn’t been changed for about 15,000 city miles. It was a struggle to even put the glass to my lips at this point, and when I took a sip I instantly regretted it. Flavor and texture are now that of old coffee grounds and talcum powder mixed into overdone pudding. Good God, what is this stuff?? It’s sure as hell not like any yeast/sediment I’ve ever seen...not powdery, not grey, but semi-liquid, thixotropic, pervasive in the extreme. It leaves a texture on the tongue that is beyond grainy and thick; absolutely disgusting. Dumping it down the drain made me feel briefly guilty for committing a crime against the environment.
Anyway, my numerical score for this beer is an average of before and after. Before sediment pour, actually quite intriguing and delicious. After, a horrible, horrible mistake that should not be inflicted upon any seeker of good beer. Just what the hell happened here?!
cgarvieuk (2525), Edinburgh, Scotland
Oct 6, 2008 Bottle at Toms Ultimate Glasgow Tasting ... (2007 version) ... Deep deep black ... Sweet rich smooth malts ... little meaty in nose ... smooth treacly ... lots of malt extract like i used to get as a kid. Great mouthfeel, silky smooth with a rich warming texture. This is a beer that lives up to the hype... Its such a shame im unlikly to see it again. 4.4
Oh my oh my ... This (2007)Bottle was dumped in front of us at EBF Copenhagen 2008 ... Huge thanks to who ever put it on the table as i was too excited to actually notice who it was ...Deep black ... Huge choclate nose ... Sweet juicy roast malt ... some toffee ... rich rich rich ... loads of roast malts ... wondefull mouth feel. 4.4
Strykzone (1008), Wood River, Illinois, USA
Sep 27, 2008 Updated: Sep 28, 2008vyvvy, THANKS!!! What an incredible beer. This evening I found beer religion. An incredibly beautiful pour with that distinct red head. Just amazing. Aromas of so much fruit, so much malt, so much, well, you get it. Flavors to match. Dark fruit just kept coming and kept surprising as did the appearance and nose. There was so much going on and every bit of it was amazingly good. John, did I say thanks? Wow!!!
Fin (2348), Merton, Oxfordshire, England
Sep 27, 2008 Don’t know quite where this came from but as if by magic appeared on the table at The European Beer Festival 2008 Kobenhaven, if it was Mikel, thank you very much Poured shark eye black, quite unbelievable mouthfeel rich, complex, stunning. Lovely creaminess, plenty of dark fruits, velvety, can’t be bothered to rate anymore, really lovely stuff.
M0RHI (1026), Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Sep 27, 2008 This appeared on the table at EBF 08 at some point, and I’m eternally grateful. Black with a thin brown head. Nose is sweet, malty, talc and antiseptic. Mouth is sweet, oaky, smooth, creamy, chocolatey, chewy liquorice. Despite all this pounding my tastebuds had just had, it finishes relatively gentle. So thick, but absolutely superb.
juiceisloose (336), Orlando, Florida, USA
Sep 27, 2008 Courtesy growler. You are the man. I have been wanting to try this one for a really long time. 2007 bottle. This one glugs out of the bottle just like used, thick motor oil. Pitch black body with a small tan head that quickly settles to a thin film. This one just looks thick and massive. The aroma is rich and decadent showing massive amounts of dark and milk chocolate, fudge, roasted coffee, dark fruits, and vanilla. The flavor is equally as impressive and complex. More dark fruits, licorice, and raisins coated in the chocolate and espresso emerge in the taste. The sweetness is balanced out by some bitterness from the copious amounts of hops and smoothed over by some vanilla. The flavors attack the palate from every angle showing it’s true depth. Full bodied and the thickest mouthfeel I’ve ever felt in a beer. The body is very visocus and smooth and coats the palate and hides the alcohol beautifully. A long bitter-sweet chocolate finish leaves you wanting after every sip. This is the best imperial stout I have had to date, and certainly seems hard that anything could top it. This is one of the few beers to me that actually lives up to the massive hype that precedes it.
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