Weyerbacher Old Heathen

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

Bottle. Dark chocolate and toffee aroma is dominated by heavy, intense coffee. Sweetish and roasty. Midnight black pour is topped by a dark brown head. First thing I noticed upon tasting was the rich, complex maltiness unusual even for this style. Big roast, lots of chocolate and coffee, but it’s not of the aggressive, in-your-face variety. Still, very robust flavor and a crisp, silken feel. Deep dark chocolate aftertaste, dry and with a note of espresso. Light nuts and a super-viscous palate. Molasses and raisins round ’r out. Light note of dark fruity-sweet alcohol. This isn’t the most bitter nor the most brutal of imps, and not one of the more distinctive, but it is impressively complex in the malt category and regally flavorful at a low-for-style abv, and perhaps more importantly, extremely - and dangerously - drinkable.

Here again, a bit of an aged bottle, robust flavor has diminished only slightly, mostly with regards to the roast, and somewhat with respect to carbonation. There’s a nice figgy-plummy feel that I hadn’t noticed before, though it’s somewhat in the bg. "Velvety" is the apt descriptor. Still classy.

[12oz Bottle Thanks The Beer God] A great tdrae brew this was one of the best Impy Stouts out on the market. Wow what a great flavor and once again not a tounge kicking to the curb drink. This had flavor, spcies and sutble hints of coffee, toffee and loved the chocolate flavors. Great Great Beer.

This imperial stout pours a thick black accompanied by a dark brown head. The chocolate is present in the aroma, while malts prevail to give some bitterness.

Bottle: pours dark ruby, thin brown head pockmarked with bubbles; sides of glass a curtain of fine bubbles in stout/pint glass. Head does not last. Little to no lacing. Aroma is malty sweet with little hops detected, licorice and slight warming alcohol. Mouthfeel is medium roast "burn" on sides of tongue and back of throat. Taste is competition of sweet malt and roasted sharpness, each in equal measure, back and forth with each mouthful and swallow. Perhaps the faintest hint of esthers. Flavor remains unchanged as the drink warms. Very nicely put together stout; sweet and alcohol warming with a good roast balance.

Pours black with a large head. No lacing. Aroma is coffee and chocolate, earthy and perfume hops. A good amount of flavor hops add complexity but don’t distract. Taste some licorice, also. Full bodied. Oily texture. Pretty good stout.

(Bottle from <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/massachusetts/w target=blank>Julio’s Liquors) OK but not a standout...Pours jet black with one finger of light tan head that recedes to about 1/4" and stays. Aroma is generally coffee, dark chocolate and dark fruits but is mild for an Imp Stout. Mouthfeel fairly smooth, only a touch oily, actually kind of thin (for the style). Some fine weepy lacing. Flavor is fairly timid (for style) - basically get all of the notes found in the aroma, except not much dark fruit. Nothing really emerges flavor-wise so I wasn’t real impressed. Slightly hot in finish but alcohol generally well-hidden. It’s a decent beer but not much of an I.S.

12oz bottle. Aroma: Rich malt sweetness with notes of chocolate, raisins, vanilla, bread dough, and anise. Appearance: Dark oily pour. Dark tan head was full and creamy with good retention. Good lacing. Flavor: Caramel, coffee, chocolate, smoke, anise. Medium dry finish. Bitterness seemed a little harsh. Palate: Medium-full bodied and a little watery. Medium-carbonation. Light alcohol warming in back of mouth. Some astringency on the tongue. Overall: Started off really good with the Aroma and Appearance, but the Flavor and Palate just weren’t up to par. Flavors seemed a little dull. Bitterness was harsh and astringent. Mouthfeel was thin and watery (for the style) and carbonation was to high. Kind of a mess, and I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.

A maelstrom of flavors. While the base for their Heresy a totally separate experience. Hops are present but secondary to the malts and smoooth creamy finish. Must try warmer.