Two Brothers Northwind Imperial Stout

Brewed by Two Brothers Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Warrenville, Illinois USA

Almost black except the very boundaries, decent lacing browses the off-white head that remains pretty small. Oatmealish grainy smell bears a vegetal aspect that I’d link with turnips. Otherwise, mostly one-dimensional coffee oriented stout, showcasing its roastiness. The vegetal fears from the aroma are established in mouth where the palate is sweet and once again playing on light chocolate and stronger coffee nuances. Medium bodied, sticky sweet, very light carbonation. Not a big fan, without much identity and unpolished mouthfeel.

dark brown/black with a brown head.....hmmm....looks like a stout. roasted coffee aroma...smells like a stout. bitter coffee flavor with a bit of sweetness....tastes like a stout. decent medium to full (more medium) body with a roasty coffee finish possibly a bit of alcohol. basically this is a decent stout. not bad just not big enough for an imperial stout.

Any first impressions?
-A creamy head, alongside opaque blackness, induces saliva production.
-Roasting coffee beans and bread dough make up a competent aroma.
-Sweet chocolate and biscuity malts harmonize into an appreciable dessert.
-Mouthfeel is lean but never frail, just a smooth and very drinkable, big stout.

What if you dig deeper?
-Alcohol is of no consequence to the flavor profile.
-The toasted malt bitterness is considerate, but firm.
-An important sugar residue will please the sweet teeth out there.
-Not very imperial, but a fine stout nonetheless.

Bottle; no date.

pours dark, minimal head and lacing. Light for an imperial stout, but a pleasing and easy to drink flavor. A little chocolatey, coffee flavors are somewhat apparent. Not amazing, but fine.

Pours an opaque dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma is weak, maybe a little coffeeish. Taste is burnt malt, coffee, and bitter dark chocolate. Leaves a peppery feel on the tongue with an almost aspirin-like bitter aftertaste. Alcohol well hidden. Not great, but not bad.

This beer is unlike other imperial stouts I have grown to like especially the body which is thin and fizzy indicating overcarbonation. The big-bubbled head on this quickly diminished to nothing. The aroma was of roasted malts and burnt wood. The flavor also showcases roasted malts with some sweet notes. It finishes bitter, but the bitterness doesn’t stick around. Not a favorite.

Pepsi colored with no head. A moderate roasty nose also has an astrigent burnt cookie smell. The body is more like an Imperial lite - some roastiness, sweet chocolate and bitterness, but thin throughout and rather lacking. Bare Tree is the only beer I’ve had by these guys that was really solid.

Black but not completely opaque body with a thin brown head. Aroma is of roasted nuts. Flavor is semi-sweet chocolate and little else. I tasted brief notes of roasted nuts and alcohol. A nice imperial, but not the best.