Bass P2

Brewed by White Shield (prev. Museum) (MolsonCoors)
Style: Imperial Stout
Burton-on-Trent, England

(Cask at White Horse, Parson’s Green, London, 28 Nov 2009) Black colour with brief, beige head. Malty, roasted nose with chocolate, black coffee and dark fruit. Malty, roasted taste with notes of dark chocolate, black coffee, prunes, raisins and a balanced coffee bitterness in a long finish. Full body, smooth and rounded mouthfeel with alcohol well hidden. Deceptively drinkable. Lovely stout!

Appearance: Pours a simple, dark brown body marked by a few random bubbles. Smell: Dark, roasty malt aroma with notes of licorice, dark fruits, and a sprinkle of high-quality top soil. Taste: Dark maltiness with a fair amount of roast. Very restrained sweetness throughout. Tiny morsel of chocolate. More of that licorice from the nose. Thin measure of grapey fruitiness precedes an earthy, roasty bitterness. Hint of hand-worked leather. Drying, earthy finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Mild carbonation. Drinkability: A fine, decent stout, but nothing to lose your head over.

Handbottle per Jason. The beer pours to a dark brown/black body with no head. The aroma has a creosote and pine sap/soy sauce/fish sauce quality. Pine hops. The flavor is bitter and has a strong black patent and licorice. Not masterfully brewed in my opinion. The palate is medium bodied and has a long bitterness from the malt.

Starts nice with a roasted and sweet nose that recalls soy sauce. Black, near opaque color and a low tight tan head. Wasn't too impressed with the flavor and balance, though it wasn't bad. An overall quick flavor profile of sweet toaste malt finishing with rather long chalky coffee tastes. Thinner than I wanted and could have been a little richer and complexer. Nice.

11.2oz handbottle, courtesy of Doppelganger, opened Saturday at BCTC. Thanks, Casey! Pours a bright, slightly hazy brown color; light tan head with nice, fine-bubbled lacing. Loads of dried dark fruits, cola, and sweet maltiness in the aroma; soft edges with an English hop character; mild alcohol. In general, this reminds me a lot more of a barleywine than an imperial stout. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: relaxed carbonation; touch of oily, watery, dried dark fruits; English bitterness, and some basic tea-like malts; an odd, slightly light rendition. Lengthy finish: dried dark fruits, brown sugar, and toasty maltiness.

Sampled at the RBESG08 grand tasting. Dark brown with a red edge, small beige head. Fruity and spicy with some roasted chocolate notes. More alcoholic than no 1.

Marcipan, rum, chocolate and balsamico nose. Opaque with a little layer of a head. Malt and hops, harsh espresso flavor and vingar. Long bitter profile but somehow a thin mouthfeeling. It is like chewing a coffeebean .

Bottled from the cask at Pigs Ear Festival, London , 2003.
Jet black with an acute brown trim. Amazing aroma that somehow inspires the imagination back to the period. There’s no alcohol on the aroma, although it does warm the chest on the way down. Smooth mouth feel but not silky, there is no need. It’s not this beers style. Wonderful depth and breath of expression. A very fortunate rate.