Carolina Imperial Stout

Brewed by Carolina Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Holly Springs, North Carolina USA

Bottle from OldGrowth. Thanks! Poured an opaque black color. The head was a few fingers high, light brown, and short lived. Nice enough aroma that included the likes of milk chocolate and roasty malt. Medium to full bodied and slightly sweet with lower carbonation. Chocolate and roast dominated the flavor and were well balanced. I also noticed a hint of plum/dark fruit. There was pleasant roasty bitterness that attenuated the sweetness somewhat. Yum.

Bottle from Secret Santa, dated 1/30/08, thanks santa. Pours pretty black, some tan around the rim. In the nose, I get some licorice and coffee, lightly roasty. Flavor is chocolate oreo, medium bitterness and light smoke. Finishes creamy. Mouthfeel is full, texture is creamy. Pretty good Impy here. This brewery can make some good stuff.

Bottled, 1/30/08. This was surprisingly nice. Chocolatey, rich, bitter black malts in the nose, with some notes of hearts of palm. Full bodied, lightly sweet, with a mild carbonation, a touch of carbonation acid, and a fair bit of milkiness. Easy drinking and balanced, well aged and well integrated.

bottle via trade, sampled 3/23/07. Pours a deep dark brown with amber highlights around the edges.Small amount of light tan foam that clears quick. Aromas of burnt toasty sweetness, some dark fruit and healthy amount of booze heat. Flavor follows the nose, with healthy amounts of deep dark fruit, some pronounced bitterness on the front and back, roasted grainy malts. Booze from the nose hardly shows up in the flavor- carried superbly. Great balance. Very smooth and even on the palate, stays smooth throughout. Clean finish. Interesting, if odd for the style.

07 bottle shared by Magjayran. Very impressive for this brewery. Fruity chocolate notes, some bitterness and smoke. Maybe it was the lateness of the taste, but I enjoyed the thinner palate. Wish I saw more of this beer around.

Bottle shared by Magjayran - thanks, Jamey! Slightly thin pour here, but it’s held up pretty damn well. Crisp body, still some carb remaining. Palate needs to be thicker, but it’s not bad. Starts off somewhat chocolatey, ends with some bitters and smoke. Definitely enjoyable, and if they bottle it again I’ll seek out a fresh one for comparison.

In a Beerworld populated by many good RIS, this one held its own. Pours black and thick with a head, good roasting, good balance between bitter and malt, and very drinkable-I was sorry to have finished it but not sorry to have had it at the end of my dinner. I would have this on a regular basis if available, thank you Captain Cougar.