Alley Kat Sherbrooke KGB Russian Imperial Stout

Brewed by Alley Kat Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Edmonton, Canada

Serve in Snifter

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2011-03-04. Black body with a small tan head. 3+ Aroma is mild for an imperial stout. Sweet malt, light roast malt overtones. 7+ Flavour is similar, sweet malt core, light roast and alcohol. Simple, sweet imperial stout is the overall impression. 7+ Smooth medium to full bodied palate. 3+ Pretty good but lacks the depth to give it the edge over some others. Bottle via trade with Vertical Bacon Strips

"You know that show, "Gay Guy for the Gay Friend..."

Bottle from a trade with Dany, shared with Derek. Pours a deep dark black with a thin beige head. Smells of toast and chocolate, papery with cardboard, and some prune notes as it warms. Sweet, some roast, a touch of sweet cardboard, not really infected, but certainly something old. Rather disappointing, but age happens sometimes. Bad chocolate and coffee grounds. Alas. Awesome label though.

March 4, 2011 - with blankboy, garthicus, gregclow, jerc and mabel: 650ml bottle courtesy of jerc & mabel. Nearly opaque ruby-black with a smallish lasting beige frothy/creamy head. Your standard impy aroma - deep roast, raisin, some alcohol, coffee. The taste follows, but there is a building metal character that detracted from the enjoyment - dry, wheaty, with raisin and plenty of booze - background dry herbal bitterness. Average body, mildly carbonated, increasingly dry herbal bitterness in the finish and a bit boozy. Ehhhh - a little metallic and harsh.

In short: A boozy, sweet and overly roasted abrasive stout. Amateurish
How: Bottle 22oz. Consumed 5 months after purchase. Exact age unknown, but if there was only one batch made then my bottle was a little over 1 year of age. Bottle sent to me by Vertical Bacon Strip, thanks Jeff
The look: Near black body topped by a tan ring of foam
In long: Nose is burnt malts, alcohol fumes, burnt fruits, notes of rubber. Taste is overly sweet, overly roasted, burnt brown sugar, burnt rubber, black cherries, cocoa powder, plenty of molasses, booze, soy sauce, chalk, dust. The 10% alcohol is very much apparent. The extreme roastiness dries out the finish but leaves an asparagus and chalky after-taste. I’d like to tell you why I didn’t like it but there’s so much stuff wrong with this beer that I don’t even where to start from. I was not able to finish my 22oz bottle. I’ve heard the KGB knows of many ways to make any man talk but have yet to figure out a way to make their wives shut-up.

Bottle, shared with TylerDurden. Pours a thick near-black with mahogany highlights, minimal head formation. Sweet, rich aromas of chocolate, caramel, cherries, raisins, coffee. Richly flavoured palate, chocolate, roasted marshmallow, fig jam, vanilla, coffee, wood. Low bitterness for a North American impy, but there is a balance here that keeps this from becoming cloying. Decent complexity, full-bodied, and no sign of that 10% ABV. I’m glad I grabbed a bunch of these!

Bottle [650ml] shared with HogTownHarry, garthicus, GregClow, jerc & mabel -- c/o j&m. Pours black with red hues and a small diminishing bubbly tan head. Aroma of roasted malt, dark fruit, coffee and light leafy hops. Flavour of roasted malt, coffee and light leafy hops -- quite tasty. Alcohol’s well hidden. Medium+ bodied. Very good!

Bottle. Black, brown head. Light metallic coffee roast, sour mash , a bit grappalike booze aroma. Strong coffee base, sweetened espresso, red wine, barrique notes. Leaves on a espresso corretto note. Medium body, oily mouthfeel. Finish is elegant enough to not feel cloying. Kahlua aftertaste.

[3628-20110304] 650mL bottle. Mild soya sauce roast malt aroma. Black body with a quick foamy brown head. Roast malt flavour has a nice underlying light dark fruit. Medium body. Good, solid. (7/3/7/3/14) 3.4
Overheard: "I didn’t say whether they should... they do." -- Regarding female hair escapades
(w/ blankboy, garthicus, GregClow, HogTownHarry, jerc)

Bottle shared by Jay, thanks! Poured black with a grayish brown head that dissipated to the edges. Aroma had notes of roasted malts, biscuit and dark grains as well as an odd paper note. Flavor had the same odd paper note that did not combine with the rest of the dark malt notes in the beer. Definitely a miss.

Reception by 6 who shared the big bottle ranged from terrible to my rating which was possibly the most favourable. Sweet chocolate toffee scent followed by alcohol and coffee. Thick licorice liquere and chocolate flavour? Sweet but not cloying. I wonder how it would age?