 emacgee (1052), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Apr 15, 2007
Thanks to dirty_martini for this gem. Hmmm, with a beer that is as hyped as this one is I dont think its possible to not build an expectation which cannot be fulfilled. The pour was a little less viscous than I expected, lacked the oily consistency I’ve seen in great impy’s. The pour was still black as night though, dont get me wrong. The head was standard, dark brown and thin. The aroma was not what I was expecting at all. Lacked the overall complexity you would expect of a beer of this magnitude. There was alcohol, sweet molasses, and some roast. The coffee was barley detectable and overall there was not much depth. The flavor was very alcoholic, roasted, here the coffee comes through but not much (not nearly as much as Terrapin’s coffee impy), and there is a baker’s chocolate taste in the back of my mouth. Lack of overall complexity and depth here too. The palate is smooth, very smooth, but it lacks the viscous velvety feel that I expected to see in the pour. The finish was warm and sweet roasted. Overall I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed with this. It was a good impy, no doubt about it. I just don’t think its a 4.36 8th on the sight impy. I’ve had interpretations of the style that exceed this and have not been rated accordingly.
mtjoseph (24), Murderapolis, Minnesota, USA
Sep 4, 2008 Bottle. Nice dark pour with no head what so ever. Just a slight like ring of foam around the top. A fairly pleasant aroma of chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt. Upon tasting, caramel really came to the forefront. Wish there was more of a coffee flavor, because it is masked a little bit by the bitterness of the chocolate and sweetness of the caramel. Overall, a fairly solid imperial stout, but a little over hyped.
Frauditor (127), Hagerstown, Maryland, USA
Sep 3, 2008 Big bottle at OTR thanks to devin. this one started a fire under the canopy. tried to put it out with multiple cans of coors with no luck.
fredandboboflo (500), East Setauket, New York, USA
Sep 3, 2008 Bottle. Aroma of alcohol, bitter chocolate, standard coffee. Flavor was coffee, the chocolate, and lots of very nice vinous qualities. Mouthfeel was a bit off for me, odd tingly carbonation, unusually clean for an impy, not at all rich and creamy, even when I tried to swirl out the carbonation that was throwing me off. All that vinousness reveals this beer to me as unquestionably worthy, but I can’t say I was nearly as impressed as a 4.35 would suggest.
LilBeerDoctor (501), East Setauket, New York, USA
Sep 2, 2008 Bottle thanks to iowaherkeye (thanks Joey!). Pours black with a thick dark tan head. Aroma is quite awesome--coffee, chalky bitter chocolate, nice roasted malt. Flavor is a little boozy, some sweet roasted malt, coffee but not too much (compared to other coffee impys), biting carbonation. Very thick, yet smooth. Quite enjoyable, although not the best of its style, in my opinion.
carruthm (388), Seattle, Washington, USA
Sep 1, 2008 loads of dark chocolate on a dark black pour with a tan head. great body. Alcohol evident but not overpowering and minimalized if you sip instead of drink.
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