hellbilly (912), scottsdale über alles, Arizona, USA Jul 12, 2008 bottle by way of stine... pours an opaque near black color with brown at the edges and a fluffy khaki head. spots of lacing are left behind in blanket form. initial aroma strikes me as very baltic-like... chocolate, malt, cream, toasted rye, slightly charred black raisins/prunes, musty oat-like earthiness and some grass. tastes dark... anise, molasses, chocolate, prunes/dark raisins, burnt nuts, vanilla and seedy dryness before a sour dry finish. coffee shows up in the aftertaste. it’s on the heavy side of medium bodied. creamy texture from the low carbonation. quite smooth but the acidic touch cleans it off the palate well...
WeeHeavySD (1866), San Diego (Hillcrest), California, USA Oct 9, 2008 Bottle probably 2 years old. Pours black with a tan head. Nose is full of chocolate which I quite like. Taste is sweet and light and overall pretty nice, if not a bit too sweet. JohnnyOS (625), Golden, Wisconsin, USA Oct 6, 2008 Pours dark brownish black with thick lacy head. Heavy chocolate and brown sugar aroma... very sweet flavor but a bit light bodied for a stout. ross (1562), charlotte, North Carolina, USA Sep 26, 2008 Bottle from beer hating Ryan. Thanks. Smelling this beer was ridiculous, like a huge chocolate bar. Really good smelling beer, sweet and fruity, roasted, no alcohol, just very smooth. Taste is thick and rich, like drinking motor oil. Very chocolatey but not so much full of coffee. A sweet imperial stout, but a very thick one too. Good beer, I would drink alot of this if I lived up there. Probably one of the better stouts Ryan has sent me. bitbucket (1572), Kirkland, Washington, USA Sep 25, 2008 Bottle, thanks to Ughsmash. Pours translucent blackish brown with a thick, dense, lacy tan head. Aroma of brown sugar, chocolate, prunes, licorice coffee, roasted malt. Sweet taste that follows the nose. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Dry espresso finish. This one has more of a Belgian Stout quality, rather than being a RIS. If you’re a sweet-tooth stout drinker, I got yer stout right here. Beerlando (1352), Orlando, Florida, USA Sep 15, 2008 The color is as black as they come, completely void of transparency. A dense, creamy, tan colored head settles to a thin but well retained layer of foam. Slow moving, soapy spots gradually dry on the glass while in transit back to the body. The aroma is big and roasty, but with ample smoothing cream and sweet chocolate and fruity notes. Rich, decadent chocolate and scorched caramel is steeped with figs, dates, and hints of hazelnut. Flavors are equally big, roasty, savory, bittersweet chocolate notes are further sweetened with heavily creamed coffee and dark, malty fruits. A touch of earthy spice lends some bitterness and balance. The body is thick, with balanced carbonation, but the sugary sweetness gets to be cloying. This reminds me of an imperial sweet stout, if such a thing exists. Nice brew, but ultimately just a little too saccharine for my taste.
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