Arcadia Imperial Stout

(12 oz bottle: Obtained in trade with jtw, thanks John!) Pours a pitch black body topped by two fingers of light brown head. My first whiff of this beer was really strong alcohol, but that seems to have settled down. Now it’s just kind earthy and funky, reminiscent of barn animals and hay, but hardly showing any of the aromas I normally expect from an Imperial Stout. Roasty flavor, mildly sweet and bitter, but it seems oddly salty to me, again, a bit off. Medium to full bodied, slightly alcoholic sensation. I think I’d like to try another bottle and see if I like it better.

(12 oz bottle: Obtained in trade with Eyedrinkale, thanks Mike!) Well, here’s bottle #2, received in trade just a few weeks ago, and I still don’t like this beer too much. The nose is neither earthy nor funky this time around, but instead just roasty and lightly malty. The flavor is very dry and roasty, almost devoid of any sweetness, and just not doing it for me. Dark brown color is black through the center of the glass. Tan head pours to half an inch, but gradually fades down to nothing. Whether fresh or aged, this just isn’t my type of Imperial Stout.

Poured a dark black color with a huge but quickly disappearing head. Lots of lacing. Big roastted aroma. Chocolate, a little vinous, and alcohol. Flavor of roasted malt actually starts a little watery then finishes with a long bitter finish. Medium body overall. Warming sensation in the chest.

Poured a dark black color with a huge (5 finger) brown head. Aromas of wine, chocolate, and roasted malts. Tastes of chocolate, dark fruits, coffee, and roasted malts. Alcohol content hidden. Lots of carbonation which was a distraction. This one left me with the impression that it was ’lacking’ .

Much enjoyed! Poured black with a thin tan head and OK lacing. Very well crafted dark fruit presence to go along with the typical Imperial Stout flavors of chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt. At it’s very warmest I detected a little soy on the finish but nearly as much as some other seem to have. Slightly over-carbonated, nice alcohol warming but it was well hidden in the flavor.

Black with a brown rocky head. Small spots of lace. Chocolate and vinous aromas with a touch of brown sugar. Musky oak as well as a touch of tobacco. Slightly nutty. Flavors again are bitter and vinous. Chocolate and some mocha with brown sugar and maple syrup. Nice body with a chocolatey finish.

Opaque pour with a nice light brown head. Heavy vineous aroma, almost smells like a barleywine. Dark fruits, pit fruits dominate the nose along with alcohol and some roasted malt. Roasty malt, with fruitiness and some raw alcohol. Finish is acidic and sweet. Not as roasted as I’d like, this needs to cellar for a couple of years.

Dark black, with rich dark edges. Light islandic tan lacing. Nose of licorice, sweet roast and dark fruit, light tannins and a rich robusto espresso note. The flavor is very balanced with a bit of hot alcohol and more tangy rich dark things; molasses, soy sauce, etc. Finishes sweet and acidic. Beefy presence in the stomach. Decent, thanks TAR.

Bottle, from trade with TAR. Good nose, Soy sauce, viney, cocoa, molasses. Brownish black color, cocoa brown head that faded slowly to a ring. Bitter flavors, same as aromas with more emphasis on the viney molasses side. Medium body, lite & creamy, bitter warming finish. Good brew. Warmed up nicely, a drinkable 9%. Thanks TAR