Blue Ridge (SC) Black Honey Imperial Elixir Stout

Brewed by Blue Ridge Brewing Co. (SC)
Style: Imperial Stout
Greenville, South Carolina USA

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: AUG 25, 2008 Nearly black pour, very thin dark tan head. Not real fragrant, some roast malt, slight sweetness, slight alcohol. Dark chocolate, roasted malt, raisin maybe. The honey or whatever it is absolutely does not work with the rest of this beer. The off sweetness makes the rest seem a bit sour. Could be a little more full bodied. Finished fairly clean, not much lingering. Alcohol well hidden. Thought this one had potential, if they could brew it as just an imperial stout. They were trying to make it have an extra level of complexity, but I found it to be lacking complexity at all.

Draft at the brewpub. Pours a dark brown with a medium dark brown head. Decent head retention. Aroma of roasted malts, cherries, earthy notes, vanilla and floral notes. The taste is roasted malts, honey, bitter hops and earthy notes. Medium bodied.

Pours black. Medium aroma of licorice, kirsch & chocolate. Dried fruit on the palate, along with melted dark chocolate & coffee. The palate is silky, almost syrupy. Complex & interesting flavor-wise, but the palate is a little much-I would have trouble putting down a pint of this.

Draft @ the brewpub. Pours a black color with a small tan head. Has a roasted malty chocolate and licorice aroma. Roasted malty chocolate and licorice flavor. Has a roasted malty chocolate, licorice and coffee finish.

Growler shared by hopsleeroy. Thanks Lee!
Pours a very nice looking dark oily black color with a smallish tan head. Smell is light coffee, dark roasty malt, and dark chocolate. Taste is dark malt, ashy bitter chocolate and cocoa, and nicely hopped as well. Some cookie aromas. Oily mouthfeel and with soft to medium carbonation. Very drinkable, and really tasty, given the 10.5% ABV. A fantastic Imperial Stout for sure.

this offered a nice complex background to it, the honey definitly rounded the palate and the background in this beer, giving it the depth you want in a nice imperial stout. was very smooth for 10.5 abv.

Goblet at the brewpub. This appears to be near solid ebony with a very long lasting dark brown head. The aroma is slightly questionable to me. It reminds me almost of liqueur with its strong licorice/honey and alcohol presence. Some coffee tones are also noted. I took a sip to be blown away. The actual flavor is completely natural with hints of honey, licorice, toasted almonds, raisins, and a satisfying burned, bitter finish. What I liked the best about this is that while it is most certainly easily identified as a sweeter imperial stout, it is lacking any of the usual thick rum, bourbon, or chocolate found in its peers. What my palate expects is gracefully and naturally replaced with a very tasteful level of honey. To keep things from getting overly sugary, the finish leaves a lingering chewy roasty sensation on my tongue. As far as the flavor goes, the 10.5% is completely hidden. After a few sips, my smell and taste begin to work together and I enjoy this beer more and more. I thought this was an excellent offering.

UPDATED: MAR 17, 2012
Date: August 16, 2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Vintage: 2008
Appearance: black, frothy dark tan head, drippy streaks of lace
Aroma: dry dark chocolate aroma with a touch of roasted and a hint of honey sweetness on the back end
Body: big body with a touch of stickyness from the honey that turns creamy
Flavor: rich dark chocolate flavor, enough roasted to make it nice and roasty without getting burnt, hint of coffee, growing honey character, sweetness from the honey adds great balance, the honey melds with the chocolate to produce a honey sweetened chocolate finish

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.9/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *** /4

Date: April 16, 2010
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Vintage: 2010
Appearance: opaque dark brown, fine beige head, bits of lace
Aroma: roasted and dark chocolate aroma, fair amount of hops
Flavor: flavor starts off with so much roasted that it has a big burnt character, just a touch of balancing honey sweetness comes out upon warming

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: ** /4

Date: March 11, 2012
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Vintage: 2012
Appearance: black, frothy tan head, drippy lace
Aroma: sweet roasted aroma, light honey sweetness, deep dark chocolate
Flavor: rich roasted flavor, milk chocolate sweetness, dark chocolate bitterness, honey starts light and grows

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *** /4