Weyerbacher Old Heathen

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

Poured dark with a stained head, as many imperial stouts do. I smelled faint chocolate, roasted malts, and maybe very faint espresso. Tasted very close to its smell. If I had rated this before I tried Heresy, I would have rated slightly higher. The subtleties and lingering flavors after a sip make Heresy a pretty big step up!

Bottle from MrChopin. Aroma has notes of dried dark fruits, dark chocolate, licorice, roasted malts, and a little espresso. Black in the glass with a small brown head that mostly diminished and left little lace. Flavor is sweet, dry and slightly bitter on the finish. Palate is full bodied and oily soft. Very good.

Black pour with tan head. Coffee and chocolate in the aroma with more chocolate in the flavor with some spices, excellent.

My Old Heathen poured an unsurprisingly thick stream of oil-black brew frothing with dark tan foam as soft as a cloud. Practically hovering above her black gold, the head slowly recedes into a seductive blanket. Coffee, chocolate, licorice, vanilla, and wood ride upon a wave of soft, creamy lactic esters which hint of freshly melted milk chocolate. Love struck, I surrender myself to her sweet temptations and dive beneath her covers. Wow! Thick, full and velvety smooth with a pillowy effervescence that carries the creamiest milk chocolate and chocolate milk flavors I have ever enjoyed in an imperial stout, any stout for that matter. Dreamy lactic notes coat my tastebuds in cream and half-and-half while soft wood notes offer back-ground support. I can feel the warmth in her finish which hints of spiced rum and vanilla bean. Her body only faintly dries my palate with each thirsting quaff. Soft, velvety smooth cream, spice, vanilla and wood notes contribute to a gentle finish. An imperial stout and not a milk or cream stout, Old Heathen has all categories beat.

If there were ever a dark beer to convert the non-dark beer drinker, Old Heathen from Weyerbacher Brewing out of Easton, PA would be the lady to do it. I was expecting thick and heavy, but instead got a heavenly delight of soft, effervescent milk chocolate and vanilla with whispers of wood. Fear not any beer, but instead embrace all and one will find themselves with a gem such as Old Heathen firmly in their hands.

Casked from Blind Tiger. Dark, no head. Very syrupy. Some licorice almost. Not super succesful as a real ale.

I’m rating this compared to other Imperial Stouts. I think it falls short of being an elite imperial stout. The best feature of this beer was the mouthfeel, very smooth and full bodied.

12 oz. Very dark brown pour with a minimalistic brown head. Retained a ring throughout and stuck to the sides of the glass just slightly. Nice roasty aromas, malt, coffee and light chocolate, just a hint of hops. Creamier mouthfeel than I was expecting, pretty nice. Taste is quite similar to the aromas. There is some dark plum or other red fruit in their also. I like these imperials that are below 10%, less boozy and very drinkable. It doesn’t have the complexity that the big boys have, but is excellent in it’s own right. Especially since I think Weyerbacher produces quite a few overly boozy brews.

With great thanks to HogTownHarry - 2005 bottle. Pitch black with a lovely cappuccino foam coloured thick head. Aroma: Chocolate, rich coffee, malt, some good hops, quite milky with vanilla. Flavour: Initially bitter with coffee, malt, chocolate, I don’t taste the alcohol at all, thin mouth feel and a nice long malt finish.