 gotbeach (128), San Diego, California, USA
Feb 10, 2008 Updated: Mar 7, 2008Poured dark with small diminishing head. Light molasses aroma. Then the chocolate and coffee hit your tongue and end up licking your teeth when it’s finished.
Update 3/08. Went to a tasting at Alesmith and purchase a growler of this tasty brew and did not regret it.
gioni (14), Nieuwegein, Netherlands
Feb 9, 2008 got this beer from a friend out of california, realy liked this one..... realy malty , flavorful. this is a beer i do not forget
SuzyGreenberg (1318), Seattle, Washington, USA
Feb 9, 2008 Updated: Oct 31, 2008750 mL bottle - had been holding on to this for a while and cracked open as soon as tom brady’s final pass fell harmlessly to the turf; probably a victim of sky-high expectations as i was very underwhelmed; shame on expectations!!! pours thin and jet black with thin tan head; almost an oily texture to it; aromas of bitter coffee, dark chocolate and roasted malts; slight alcohol burn on the nose; no carbonation and texture becomes more creamy as it warmed; a very big beer in its flavor punch and has slight burn leading to bitter finish; comparing to another recently tried IS, it doesn’t quite blow away my palate as say, southern tier’s oat does; overall rating = 3.9
Update 10/31/08: sat on a bottle from the same batch as my original rating; guessing about a year old; pours oily black with no head; thin and uninteresting; aromas and most of the coffee flavor has faded; not sure if it was this specific batch or what, but very unimpressive again; overall score = 3.6
meanwhile, i stopped at alesmith while in the SD area and i’d have to say i was simply blown away; it was with their new in-house coffee process and maybe i just dig speedway fresh; silky smooth with tons of rich coffee right in your nose and palate; in this situation, a world class impy for sure; loved it and grabbed a fresh bottle for home; overall rating = 4.3
darn1207 (529), Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Feb 8, 2008 Rating #100 for me -- been holding on to this one for six months. bought from Dilly Deli in cincinnati. pours dark black with just a hint of red. milky looking medium brown head that sticks. a nose of chocolate and coffee - and a pleasant roast/burnt smell also. wow. I’m sure it’s been said a bunch but -- amazing balance. you get a bit of warmth from the alcohol but it’s well hidden. sweet mix of fruit, chocolate, malt and molasses. thick sticky palate. just a little roasted bitterness on the finish. amazing beer. worth the wait. good thing I guess - because I can’t get them anywhere near florida. additional comment: really is meant to be had relatively cold. it definitely gets hot w/ alcohol after it gets warm.
pepsican (884), The Student Ghetto, Iowa, USA
Feb 7, 2008 Bottle from bockyhorsey, thanks! Pours black with a medium sized tan head. Strong coffee aroma. A bit of toasted malt. Flavor has loads of coffee, chocolate, and caramel. Body is medium, I figured it would be thicker, very nice and balanced. You can notice the alcohol. It’s almost like a one two punch. Flavor...then boozy goodness. This is very nice, I’m glad I have a few more. Who wants to send me the BA version?
AmEricanbrew (1747), Louisiana, USA
Feb 6, 2008 Pitch black with a dark tan head, nice lacing. Nice milk chocolate/coffee burnt malt aroma. Medium body with an oily mouthfeel. awesome taste of dark chocolates, expresso, roasted malts with a nicely bitter alcohol tang to finish.
"Brilliant in its simplicity" One of the best big stouts ever. 92205
jmikolich (405), Athens, Ohio, USA
Feb 4, 2008 750mL, 2006 vintage ( i hope), pours a nice deep dark black with a large brown head very smooth drinking and no hint of alcohol, just balanced sip after balanced sip, each one leaving me to want another swig.. easy to enjoy all by yourself or share with friends. this is truly one of the best i’ve had, my only wish was it wasnt so darn expensive.
dmradus (225), State College, Pennsylvania, USA
Feb 2, 2008 750ml from BevMo on La Brea, LA, night before Thanksgiving 2007. Pours black with nice fluffy, big-bubbled but very small brown head. Incredibly thick, oily, viscous - intense mouthfeel that just sits on your palate forever, very slight carbonation. Aroma is coffee predominant: dark roast, no sweetness whatsoever, great roast component, as well as a slight tinge of alcohol. A bit of dark sweet fruits in the taste, very well-balanced with some bitter coffee and chocolate notes. Again a slight tinge of alcohol warming, but it seems to play nice with the taste as opposed to being a little off in the aroma. Far more than most world-class stouts, this is a testament to balance: dark fruity sweetness, malt sweetness in molasses and chocolate, bitter coffee and roast all meld together in a great harmony.
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