 tedovertu (259), Apple Valley, Minnesota, USA
Jun 4, 2009 Was expecting a little more out of this one. Surly Darkness kicks this ones rear end. Still not a bad stout. I do believe this beer is over rated. Pours pitch black with hints of dark chocolate with some pretty overpowering coffee. I believe the body I received was not aged long enough. I will have to rate this one again if I can get a hold of another bottle.
daleharshman (181), San Diego, California, USA
Jun 1, 2009 Have had this many times in San Diego. This rating based on a growler fill from brewery. Pours a thick black tar with no light penetration and a small brown head. Aroma of roasted coffee and toasty chocolate malt. Tastes of (quality) coffee and smooth chocolate. Nice mellow sweetness (hints of chocolate-covered cherries) and there’s also a slight note of sourness in the taste. Full bodied with a lingering coffee taste. The magnitude of the ABV is almost completely hidden, so need to be careful. But got the rest of the growler left and it’s oh so good...
calprop (2), Calgary, Alberta, Canada
does not count  May 31, 2009 beer tasting. This beer was the fifth beer I tried that night and it blew me away. Pours black, aroma of chocolate, coffee, a litte licorce. Thick and wonderful. a world class beer.
Vertical Bacon Strips (874), Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
May 26, 2009 WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This stuff is absolutely F**K*D!!!! There’s sediment!!! I’ll sell my children for more!!! oh, wait, I have 2 more bottles...and I live in Edmonton where nooo one can get this!!! Where’s the alcohol?? Its 12% and you can’t tell. The sediment(lots)at the bottom of our glasses is STUCK to the bottom and is orange. Put a pint with its MAAAASIVE thick dark brown head up to a bright pot light and there is zero light penetration. Speedway is a black hole of colour. 12% and easy drinking? That should be impossible. Incredibly black with unmistakable expressso flavor and a nice bitter after tast and I’m almost pissed cause we’re drinking it like water (sacreledge**). Stuff is soft like Downey or that kreepy Sunny-D crap. Intense malt flavour. Burp was pleasant with warming guttral heat. Brad says 2 minuits after a sip that its very bitter and he orgasms...me too at the thought. Read the bottle - its dead on; except that if you have a sun tan, you’ll lose it as the beer sucks the pigment right off out of your skin.
update: Jan ’08: 2.5+ yr cellared bottle bought in Jan 2005, AR: choc, slight hops, strong coffee early on but the chocolate takes over. T: The hops become more obvious in the flavor, coffee, chocolate, dirt and earthy, pine. Notable alcohol burn. It definetly softened. Better when fresh. Gave it a 9 9 9 9 9 for a 4.5 but I won’t change the original since this was aged.
teamrassas (26), USA
May 22, 2009 brillant malted coffee aroma, pours jet black with nie head. Tastes of soured coffee on the front which is actually quite nice then finishes with complex roasted malt flavors, definately DO NOT drink it cold, a huge an impressive beer
Gypsy19 (604), California, USA
May 15, 2009 Pours a liquidy dark brown with a medium brown head that rises, then falls in short order. Aroma is boldly of sweet coffee at first, then premium dark chocolate and roasted malts, and roasted chestnuts. Flavor initially has metallic overtones. Chocolate and coffee again come smoothly in the flavor, with a cherry liqueur finish. There is some chemical taste near the end a la witch hazel. Mouthfeel has good carbonation, but I was really hoping for thicker viscosity. I mean, it came off a lot thinner than I’d expected for a purported world-class impy. The 12% isn’t that noticeable until it hits your esophagus, so it’s pretty smooth in that regard. I was hoping for something more epic for the #5 beer in the world (as of the time I write this), but hey, damn good nevertheless, and very affordable and accessible for that matter. Overall, very good to excellent.
tarheels86 (705), Washington DC, USA
May 12, 2009 750 mL into snifter. Pours an opaque black with a small, dark tan head that disappears after awhile. Spotty lacing. Aroma of sour black cherries, chocolate covered strawberries, and fresh granny smith apples. Taste is sour with black cherries, strawberry tart, semisweet chocolate. Very oily, velvety mouthfeel that is coating on the palate. Reminds me of an imperial Bell’s Cherry Stout. Could actually be an RIS and Sour Ale combined. 12% is barely noticeable. As this drink warms, I start to get some espresso and vanilla ice cream as well as heavy whipping cream. Maybe this needs to be aged more but the overall impression I had was that this was very sour.
j12601 (1151), Poughkeepsie, New York, USA
May 12, 2009 Bottle at the “Drink for Charity” event at Rattle & Hum. Max brought this one I believe. Pours a deep dark black with a medium tan head. One of the best looking beers of the day. Plum, coffee, molasses, vanilla, and even a touch of bourbon on the nose. Medium thick body, with a light roast and big coffee note. Finishes with more roast. Very nice.
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