4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
A Mes rate: Gravicask at the White Horse.
At last, I have been chasing this one for a long time. At every festival I have been to that has had this on, it has finished by the time I have got there. Thrilled to see it on the list at the White Horse and it was an easy choice for my first beer. It didn’t let me down either. Dark opaque mahogany with a thin tan head and some legs from the alcohol. Aroma of nuts, caramel, chocolate malt and some slight hops. Thick, chewy and tar like in the mouth but not at all cloying. A proper imperial stout. Coffee, lots of chocolate, almost chalky, lovely bitterness but not really in a hoppy way. Glorious alcohol notes. Fantastic stuff all round.
4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
very dark black colour, little foam with big bubbles; aroma of prune and hazelnut with a toasted coffeish touch; very creamy with a medium to full body and a moderate bitterness; moderately dry, woody and nutty, bready finish - dangerously drinkable because the 8% are not noticable; thanks to Laurent Mousson for this one
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Party-keg (@ RBESG 2008): Deep ruby-amber coloured, firm, small beige head; wood, chocolate and mainly roasted malt in the nose; quite full bodied, not too dry bitter-sweet flavour, soft MF; roasted malt, leather, again, in the sweet, dark-malty finish. Good, heavy stuff........
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Hand bottle (thanks Larry!). Poured a dark brown color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of caramel, light chocolate, raisins, roast and licorice. Tastes of dark fruits, lightly woody, chocolate, roast, and caramel. Body a tad on the thinner side.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
12oz handbottle from cgarvieuk via goldtwins: Pours a barely transparent dark mahogany with a spotty-lacing light tan head. Aroma of sweet dark caramel and milk chocolate with a touch of roasty coffee. Body starts about average with a finely dissolved carbonation and good sweet dark caramel maltiness. Earthy bittering hops provide some balance along with a touch of lightly tart fruits. A pretty unique imperial stout, but not as enjoyable as the No 1.
4.2 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Colour as dark coffee, head purplish-brown, instantly disappearing. Nose of cocos, mocca, sweet coffee and whiff of benzene. Taste sweet, but something like smoked ham flavour, more restrained than a Rauchbier; retronasal it becomes lik Islay malt whisky. Aftertaste bitter coffee, without the coffeine, but not long remaining. Overall superb, but nearly ruined by unexplicable thinnish mouthfeel.
This ought to be enhanced to 11-12%ABV - it would be an answer to DFH"" WWS 18%!
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottled. Jet black coloured stout with a short lived small tan coloured head. The aroma has licquorice and aniseed together with burnt roasty malts. The taste is actually quite thin. Reasonably fruity roasty malts and some coffee in the aftertaste. Nicely drinkable but not Earth shattering.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Small handbottle shared by kmweaver. Dark, rich tawny brown colored body... thick and viscous swirling in the glass.. capped by a very small tan head. Nose is spicy and malt-centered, resinous, rich toffee, sweet chocolate, syrupy roast, toasted grains, etc... very nice, very complex, rich and deep. Flavor is thick, syrupy, full and resinous, notes of roasted maple, very light char, some toasted bread, some maple and plum flavored tobacco... really quite remarkable.
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