RAYBOY01 (1828), Chicago, Illinois, USA
| 4.1 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 | Feb 14, 2006 Can any other word be used except, "intense!" Burnt, charred,scorched, immolated malted grains. Chocolate and molasses/dried fruits like dates and raisins and figs...all of which are first macerated (Let me save you the trouble of looking that one up, Joe..."to liquify by steeping") and then flame-scorched to bring out their earthiness. This is one weird and intimidating impy. Bourbon and oak and smoke all pop-up when you least expect them, to dance a moment on your tongue and then fade away to be replaced with burnt brown sugar and charcoal briquettes. Huge and not very coy alcohol slap in each swallow...but I’m not complaining. Very rich creamy...no, vinous texture, almost like an exotic aperitif. Huge hop bite in the long lingering finish, just so the alcohol doesn’t get lonely, I guess.
bvc (260), Kenmore, Washington, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 14/20 | Nov 25, 2009 12oz from riversideak...thanks man! Medium thick body with light tan head. Huge sweet roasty, prune, cherry, vanilla, dark cocoa, molasses, coffee. Creamy tart cherry burnt flavor. Boozy, thick and crazy strong. I am ’chewing’ my way throught this...happy to have tried it and it has great complexity as well as being well made but I’m glad to be drinking only 4oz. Thanks Alex. riversideAK (2715), Shoreline, Washington, USA
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 | Nov 25, 2009 Dark fruit, dark chocolate, brown sugar, caramel, soy, some alcohol warmth. Strong sweet robust aroma. Black w brown creamy head. Sweet chocolatey, soy, dark bitter roast, earth, dark over ripe fruit, booze. Full syrupy body, boozey hot finish. Soft carbonation. Wow intense. Too much for me. 17thfloor (1458), Chicago, Illinois, USA
| 3.9 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 | Nov 23, 2009 Bottle thanks to...? don’t remember, but thank you! Okay, I must be in the minority here to think that this did not age wonderfully. Aroma is big dark chocolate, oily, with obvious smokey leather oxidation notes. Flavor is dark bitter chocolate with a soy notes and just a hint of coffee. Very oily feeling. kramer (2465), Sunbury, Pennsylvania, USA
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 5/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 | Nov 17, 2009 12 oz bottle. Pours a pitch black viscous body with a smallish brown head. Lots of sediment in the bottle. The nose is very intense, I can smell it a foot away! Crazy amounts of roast, coffee, earthy yeast, and some light oxidation at first. As it warmed some deep plum and dark fruit with chocolate and moderate alcohol vapors emerged. Heavy roast and dark fruits work in chorus with the coffee and yeast to provide a really layered complex Imperial Stout. Not dominated by any one aspect at all. Thick, soft, and chewy body with a nice mouth coating finish that lingers on for ever. A very nice beer, much smoother and softer around the edges than Expedition can be at times, even with a similar amount of age. malrubius (985), Valley Stream, New York, USA
| 3.9 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 3/5 | 17/20 | Nov 14, 2009 Bottle shared by Dickinsonbeer (?) Black with very dark brown head. Rich woody very dark roasted coffee chocolate eath aroma. Bitter dark roasted coffee dark fruit wood and chocolate with bitter roasted finish. Complex. Slightly oxidized. Very good. ditmier (1059), Boise, Idaho, USA
| 4.4 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 5/5 | 9/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 | Oct 18, 2009 Bottle thanks to the dark benefactor motortoddhead!!!...Thanks man!...Pours thick and almost black with a slowly apprearing head that starts orangey tan and slowly lightens in color...aroma is big and bold, chocolate syrup, molassas, port wine...coats the mouth like frosting, flavour is similar, bitter cocoa, coffee, vanilla, burnt wood and molassas...flavour does not let up, lingering bitterness that lasts close to a minute...a beautiful brew that still has plenty of legs... thewolf (5727), Kolding, Denmark
| 4.5 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 5/5 | 9/10 | 5/5 | 18/20 | Oct 10, 2009 Bottle. [thank you, madmitch76]
Pours utterly and completely black. Wonderful, creamy, beige-brown head that just stays for a looong time. Wonderful aroma of oak, sherry, dark chocolate, some cellar, bourbon, dust, prunes. Low carbonation, fat and just totally impressive creamy/oily mouthfeel. Flavour is equally impressve, vinious, chocolate, bourbon, sherry, prunes, raisins, coffee, cocoa. Very much still a brilliant beer. This is really a great experience! darkguardian (506), Florida, USA
| 4.3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 10/10 | 5/5 | 8/10 | 5/5 | 15/20 | Oct 5, 2009 12oz bottle. Huge thanks to Iowaherkeye for sending this amazing retired beer my way! Pours a deep flat black with a nice think chocolate head. Nose is just insane. Crazy malt profile. Very intense with deep roasted chocolate, wood and a little bourbon, I get alot of licorice. The body on this beer is just massive. To massive for a beer of 12%. This thing drinks like 15%. Deep rich mollasses and bourbon up front. Very sweet with out much bitterness. Stunning complexity in the malt. This has held up very well. No oxidization. There is some definite soy sauce as would be expected. Deep wood notes and alot of brown sugar and a rather substantial alcohol burn. Amazing but very tough to drink.
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