Boaks Monster Mash Imperial Stout

Boaks
Brewed at High Point Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Pompton Lakes, New Jersey USA

Serve in Snifter

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Got this bootle from Oak Tree Buy Rite...wasn’t expecting it to be this good, but it is a big beer with a complex flavor. Bitter and metallic like most stouts, but alot of other flavors, fruit smoke, coffee. Small head which mostly diminishes but leaves some lacing on the glass. Color is very dark but not straight up black, you can almost see a reddish brown tint. Super.

Night black with a thick, creamy head. Toffee aroma with slight hint of chocolate. Super creamy and fairly mild for imperial stout. Not too dry of a finish with a very mild hop finish, actually quite drinkable considering the 10% ABV! Definitely a solid IS, would definitely buy again.

Tap at GL. Pour is midnight black with small dark brown head. Aromas of roasted malts, sweet chocolate, and slight coffee. Flavor is much of the same. No alcohol is present at all which made this one so drinkable and great. Got much better as it warmed.

THOUGHTS: Great beer. A very easy to drink imperial stout. Hid alcohol very well. I was glad to finally see Boaks available in South Jersey. The hops blended with the bitter chocolate and coffee flavors. It wasn’t super complex, but was very easy to drink. It go better and better the warmer it got. My one criticism was that the hops were a little absent in the aroma. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark black that was an opaque black in the glass with an average, tan head that kept a think sheet. The aroma was weak for the style and in comparison to the flavor. There was light to moderate roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee and cocoa; a slight hint of pine hops; ever so slight alcohol; and dark fruit. The initial flavor was lightly sweet and light to moderately bitter; while the finish was sweet, rather bitter, slightly acidic and slightly sour with a somewhat somewhat long duration. There was dark chocolate (over 70% cocoa type), dark fruit, a little coffee, roasted and burnt malts; black cherry, sour fruit sour coffee, piney hops and yeast.

From one of the most knowledgable and friendly brewers in the area, this stout surely did not disappoint. Pours a dirty used engine oil black, complete with brown bubbly foam at the top. If you’ve ever changed your own engine oil, you’ll know what I’m talking about. No real lacing to speak of. "Mocha coffee with cream" would be my best attempt at describing the aroma. Flavor and drinkability is just out of this world, though. It isn’t that syrupy thick flavor you’d expect from the coloring and alcohol percentage. More of a nutty coffee flavor with a slight tinge of dark chocolate. Although, the extremely low carbonation would let you gulp it down if you braved, the 10% alcohol makes this something to sip slowly. What I liked best about this was the lack of the typical "dark fruit" flavors typically found in the style. That and the fact that it wasn’t as thick as the afforementioned used motor oil. Great stuff from NJ’s newest brewer.

UPDATED: MAR 6, 2008 Enjoyed on tap at the release at Andy’s Corner Bar in Bogota, NJ. Initial nose is very fruity and stout flavor is reserved, the 100 IBUs are hidden as is the alcohol. But don’t be fooled, this is a monster of a brew. After several sips, roastiness and coffee is released, anise, caramel and the full body begin to become more prominent. This is not an overpowering IRS but don’t be fooled by it’s drinkabilty. The 10% alcohol will sneak up on you quickly. This is the type of beer to have a growler of in front of crackling fire in a Vermont during a howling winter storm.

Another great bottle from CaptainCougar. Thanks again Tom. Opaque dark brown color with hilites at the edges. The tan head went nowhere. Aromas of dark toasted malt and light treacle. Full bodied with smoothly creamy carbonation. Flavor is dark toast, mild treacle, and hop bitter. The soul drains away with the sugars. Finishes mildly sweet, darkly toasted bitter. It’s an extremely good ale.

Aroma of roasted coffee, dark fruits, and hints of anis. Pours black with a big foamy head. Tastes manly and dark. Roasted coffee, dark fruits, and delicious malty back. Big fan.

Draft. Pours midnight black with a cocoa head. Notes of dark roast coffee, sweetened chocolate, ripened dried fruits, a winey vinuous note on the back of the palate. It is full in body, a warm sweet lingering finish, and a warming alcoholic kick.

Pours a mostly opaque with dark mahogany edges and a nicely-lacing dark tan head. Complex aroma of sweet toasty dark caramel and chocolate malts with nice dark fruity character. Body starts fairly full and silky smooth with a nice earthy dark malty flavor and good roasty smoky flavor before a slightly warming, drier dark chocolatey finish. A nice imperial stout.