3.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
660mL at Total Wine in Jax, FL. Cool label design. Pours a crystal clear dark bloody ruby with a larger, cinnamon mocha head. Good retention and widely spaced swathes of lace. Nose is richer chocolate and spiced dessert. Cinnamon truffle character. Muted overall though. Taste is a bit harsh with a lot of char and ash. Big metallic character and blood iron. Gets some frozen broccoli and vegetal off characters. Very strange. Harsher mouthfeel. Lighter bodyl for style. Decent.
3.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
~fruity aroma of prune, raisin and fig, light alcohol, biscuit, bready, and chocolatey malt.
~Pours black with small quickly disappearing brown head.
~Roasty burnt malt character in flavor with strong earthy, spicy hop flavor.
~Full body, med CO2, chalky, some roast astringency, spicy lasting finish.
~Would be best to age this one, Hop and roast is a bit dominate and the fruitiness that I get in aroma isn’t present in flavor. Maybe a little age and oxidation would bring it out more. Still an enjoyable beer.
4.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
A very dry thick aroma. Looks fantastic. This is basically a very respectable thick Russian Imp Stout but not outstanding in any particular way. A bit lighter than some but quite tasty nonetheless.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle at home in London. Thanks Paul. Pours black with reddish hints and a creamy, tan head. Has some dry and roasty malts in the aroma, with hints of chocolate. Medium sweet flavor, some mossy earth, moderate roast, light raw cocoa. Medium to full bodied with fine to average carbonation. Roasty finish, more moss and earth, light burnt sugar. Fairly dynamic. Good stuff.
Earlier Rating: 1/22/2011 Total Score: 4.1
Bottle shared at Whole Foods with Lyoli. Oily, black pour with a thick, beige head. Tons of chocolate, roasty malts on the nose. Great flavor, impeccably balanced, lots of mocha, smokey alcohol, sugary charcoal. Full bodied, warming with smooth carbonation. Very mild burn on the finish, lots of sweetness and medium length roasted malt linger. Great beer, incredibly drinkable.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Cask. Dark with a lovely creamy head. Strong notes of mocha and chocolate on the nose. The taste is a little dry and grassy, the hops are well appreciated. Roasted flavors too. The body’s light, dry and a bit watery. Easy to drink. Nice, deceivingly strong stout.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Pitch black like a block of soot, brown frothy head.
The smell is bitter and smoked, coffee and some subtle cherries. Somewhat fleshy, hints of liquorice, cardamom and cumin.
The taste is creamy bitterness balanced beautifully against a watery feel, a bit like a guiness, but with fizziness and woodiness. Lots of coffee and hoppy bitterness with hints of black chocolate. Delicious!
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Nearly black, huge floaty falling tan head. Mostly dark chocolate malt and moderate hint of hops. Really smooth, gentle and dangerously easy to drink.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Dark brown with fluffy tan head, dried cranberry and cola on the nose. Roasted and slightly metallic tasting. Long roast barley and acrid finish.
Earlier Rating: 7/16/2011 Total Score: 3.6
Thick with roasted coffee on the aroma. Dark chocolate body with a gentle carbonation. A perfect match for cashel blue
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