Berkshire Imperial Stout

Brewed by Berkshire Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
South Deerfield, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: APR 17, 2011 Sample at Julio’s NE Beer Festival. Enjoyed this one or at least my notes tell me I did. I also scribbled the word licorice... 4-17-11 Bomber. Tasted again under more sober conditions and was not as impressed. Still taste the licorice but overall nothing that spectacular.

22oz bottle. Rating #226. Dark black with a tan head. Light roast with some sweet dark candy syrup. Flavor is bitter roast up front, followed by a candy syrup sweetness in the finush, kind on the lighter side as far as imperial stouts go, not bad. (2362)

Half pint taken at the Great British Beer Festival on Wednesday 4th Aug 2010. My only non-UK beer of the day. Gravity poured by MattW, a guy I know from Belgian trips; he also recommended it to me. £2.70 for the half, my most expensive drink of the day! Dark and deep looking brew, thin tanned head which became a collar too soon. The smells were coffee, chocolate and liquorice and in that order of strength. The taste was in tune with the aromas, chocolate first though, then the coffee and liquorice third. The body was thick and rich like a friutcake mix. A lot of the US beers didn’t travel well according to my source at the Fest, this barrel however was very good and hopefully showed off the beer in its best light. I certainly enjoyed it.

Pours typical stout black with a small tan head. Smell is slight chocolate and coffee. Nice roastieness. Taste is a bit harsh, creamy, almost tart/sour, cherry and dark fruit overpower chocolate and coffee. Bit of a lactic aftertaste. Reasonably drinkable. Ok.

Black color with an averaged sized tan head. Aromas of chocolate, roast, dark fruits and a little on the earthy side. Tastes of light coffee, prunes, chocolate, and roasted malts. Medium mouthfeel.

Warms the soul, this is the beer I want to warm up by a fire with after a long day of snowboarding.

Draft @ Coalhouse Pizza, Stamford, CT. Unlike most imperial stouts, this beer is kinda watery and very drinkable. With notes of vanilla, bourbon, dates and grapes, this beer laces modestly. This is a good beginners imperial stout.

A: The beer pours essentially black in color with a finger of khaki colored head. S: Strong aromas of licorice, molasses, coffee, and dark chocolate. Plenty of roasted malt as well as a mild booziness. There is also a touch of burnt sugar, maybe a slight caramel sweetness. T: The flavor is fairly sweet with lots of molasses, burnt sugar, and licorice flavors. Heavy on the coffee and roasted malt, too. Some bitter dark chocolate is also present. A light booziness. M: Medium bodied with low, smooth carbonation. O: Usually I find nitrogen leaves beers relatively flavorless, but this was still quite bold. Impressive.

Bomber thanks to Matt (reynolds). Dark brown, red hue, light tan head. Roasted malts, bittersweet chocolate, bit of coffee, some dough/yeast. Sweet, bit metallic, smooth but a bit of alcohol bite, little thin, some chocolate and dryness on the finish. Decent but lacks the depth and complexity you’d like with a good RIS.

Bomber courtesy of Cletus, pours deep maple w/ sparse off-white head, nutty malt aroma with some roasted notes, completed unexpected flavor profile: light and acidic with a light finish, only the barest hints of roast, if I had my eyes closed I’d swear I was drinking an oud bruin, very interesting

Strong sweet malt aroma with a light hint of chocolate. Black in color with a medium brown head. Sweet beginning with light hops developing in the middle and getting slightly bitter in the finish.
Earlier Rating: 6/27/2009 Total Score: 3.1
Fresh moderate malt aroma. Blackish color with a large tan head. Sweet malt beginning with not much bitterness. Very light palate.