Weyerbacher Heresy

Brewed by Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Easton, Pennsylvania USA

The pour is deep and rich as it should be for this style. The nose is well balanced incorporating chocolate, oak, coffee, caramel with subtle hints of a smokey essence. The flavor is smokey, followed by dark chocolate, caramel and coffee undertones. A winner with a balanced complexity and fine quality, not to mention a fairly respectable 8.2 ABV.

Bomber. Pours deep black, opaque, and thick with a medium-sized dark brown head that fades slowly. Aroma is of chocolate, coffee, toffee, caramel, and an ever-so-slight alcoholic whiff. Flavor is smoky dark chocolate up front, with a thick and creamy feeling around the mouth. Tart and bitter in the middle, fading to vanilla and oak. I half expected the bourbon flavor to be overpowering, but it is actually quite subtle. Overall, extremely easy to drink and very good.

An upper tier beer...pours dark with a compact head reminiscent of Guinness draught - smells smoky and sour. Full mouth feel with an appropriate amount of carbonation. An after taste of cherry tobacco is present, but subtle enough to be a plus instead of a distraction. If I was served this in a blind tasting, I would have said it was either a rich stout or a heavy Scotch ale. I always thought ’imperial’ referred to a heavier abv%, but this one comes in at a respectable 8% - definitely not shooting for the barley wine percentages and it shows as there is no ’hot’ taste associated with this brew. I don’t taste the vanilla advertised, and I’m thinking the ’sour’ note I detect is the oak? Regardless, a tasty brew and one worth revisiting....

4/5/08 notes: bomber bottle. Pours a deep black with a small tan head and lacing. Aroma is of coffee with dark chocolate, hops and alcohol. Softly carbonated, this beer features a medium-thick mouthfeel with smooth and complex dark flavor. I tasted espresso, dark roasted malts, brown sugar, hops, maybe a bit of bourbon-whisky, intense dark chocolate, and alcohol. The oak barrel really comes through at the end, with great effect: there is a sweet, roasty, vanilla-soft finish that mellows all the dark flavors together. Perhaps a bit too much alcohol present for a beer that has already been matured – I noticed this more the second time I had this brew on 5/9/08. This is still great beer, and at $5.50 a bomber, I would buy this again in a second

Pours a black color with a brown head. Aroma is raisins, vanilla, oak, caramel, molasses, chocolate, and some alcohol. Flavor is malty, oak, molasses, roast, brown sugar, and some alcohol.

12 oz bottle, cellared for 2 years. Dense, dark brown with a bubbly crema head. Nose of coffee, anise, grape and oak. Medium body but thinned with alcohol; mild carb. Taste is watery espresso, ash and a touch of vanilla. Finishes with Baker’s chocolate and chalk. Maybe better fresh.

This beer pours ebony with a thick mahogany head that slowly disappears. The aroma is very oaky, with hints of roasted malts in the background. The flavor is very similar. It is very oaky and your basic imperial stout flavors. The body was the only disappointment. It seemed very light. The carbonation was medium. This is a good beer and I especially recommend it if you are a fan of whiskey (or whisky).

12oz. bottle, with thanks to hopdog! Pours jet black with a large and lively fizzy brown head, minimal lacing. Aroma is bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate and some espresso. Flavor is more of the same, with less bourbon than is on the nose. A bit over carbonated, but enjoyable just the same. Thanks again Steve!