Beer Valley Black Flag Imperial Stout

Brewed by Beer Valley Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Ontario, Oregon USA

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: OCT 22, 2006 Pours with a pitch black, motor oil color. It is hardly carbonated at all, a few lonely bubbles mar the shiny surface. Aromatic notes of burnt prunes, port, alcohol, concentrated malt, figs, . Something akin to a green, almost vegetal note is also here, actually it is probably a green apple note. The aromatic finish is dominated by the ample malt notes; black coffee, burnt caramel, chocolate malt balls and toffee are found towards the end if you dig for it underneath the up front aromatics.

Wow this beer is much more viscous and thick than I was expecting. Sweet malt notes are ample, yet are quite well held in check by the alcohol and roasted notes. The beer finishes with a touch of astringent burnt grain husk and a bit of a chalky notes. The finish has a solid hop bitterness to it that, while not overwhelming, helps to balance the sweet malt character and lingers on in the long finish. The beer is still a bit green around the edges; green apple notes and a lack of carbonation are certainly noticeable. This beer leans more towards the chocolate side of the dark grain spectrum, but still does have a nice, supporting burnt grain character that is especially more noticeable towards the finish. Burnt fruit notes of prunes, raisins and figs are quite noticeable up front.

The lack of carbonation certainly hurts this beer, though being an Imperial Stout it can certainly handle the loss much better than most styles. The longer I sip away this 22oz bottle the more I come to appreciate the balance that this beer strikes. Smooth and mellow (well as mellow as a 11.5% beast can be) with a striking chocolate character that is just balanced by a subtler, yet more aggressive roasted grain notes. Certainly black and silky, sexy even and that is certainly not something I would have guessed during the first third of this beer. This is a beer that definitely benefits from a sample size of at least 16oz. This may certainly be a bit much to ask for from a Imperial Stout, but this one needs it and I don’t necessarily think that the alcohol is the one doing the talking here (though that certainly does not hurt).

Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Tucson, AZ

Bottle @ DØE Syd. Black with medium beige head. Aroma is roasted malts, chocolate, coffee and dried fruits. Flavour is roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, medium sweet, little liquorice and medium bitter.

22oz. into snifter. pours a frothy large tan with a mostly lasting head. Bottle conditioned black body. Aromas of toasted burnt heavy malt. Flavor is moderate bitter. finish is moderate bitter and lasting.

Bottle. Black with a large head. Aroma and taste of roasted malt, vanilla and some coffee. Also hops. Very bitter finish. Good but tuff.

Bottle. Huge head with excellent duration. Color is black. Aroma and taste are roast malt, milk chocolate, caramel and hops. Strong milk stout.

Ingen stor doft men en mycket trevlig och lite torr smak av kaffe. Aning besk eftersmak. Lite småtrevlig. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Pitch black with large head. Coffee chocolate and vanilla aroma and taste. Bitter and burnt coffee beans aftertaste.

Black beer with a decent holding head that gets nicely fluffy. Good mixture of hops and malts. A good roasted and slightly coffee taste. Misses a small boost for me at the taste itself,the aftertaste with a good biterness, holds so long...

650ml bottle. Roast,raisins, coffee and dark chocolate aromas, quite strong. Full body and low carbonation. Colour is black , with nice tan head, fine bubbled and persistant. Taste is roasty, some sweet and fruity, getting bitter with increasing temperature/time. Aftertaste is long, bitter and warmer.

Botella. Pitch black colour, hufe briwn creamish head, looong lasting. Lovely aroma of roasted malt with chocolate, dark fruits, liqourice and coffee. Very good filling thick mouthfeel. Flavour has lots of roasted malt, dark fruits, coffee, chocolate, liqourice and bit vanilla too. LOVELY!

Black body with good tan head. Nose is of smooth chocolate and a little coffee. Taste is also very smooth, layers of flavour, liquorice, tobacco, cocoa, coffee, also charred notes. Enjoyed this a lot, more than previous IS rated, cos it went a lot longer, smotth and slowly warmed. .