2.7 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 10/20
500ml bottle pours purple brown with a lot of light at the bottom. Dusty nose comes off as a strong dry stout - milk, dry dusty malts. Flavor is creamy and rich fudge and chocolate. Disappointing overall. Weak smell, dusty dry malts, fudge-heavy and astringent. Meh.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 13/20
My Bottom Line:
This Imperial Stout’s lean and loose mouthfeel somewhat detracts from the enjoyment to be had of the chocolate, caramel and roasted malts, marzipan hints and lingering earthy, leafy hop bitterness. It’s a balanced and very drinkable example of the style, but it needs a lot work imho to play with the best in its league.
Further Personal Perceptions:
-A thin ring of foam circles the auburn-rimmed dark brown.
-The low carbonation may emulate what you get on cask, but then again the body is not well developed enough to withstand this vacuous atmosphere.
-Fruity vanilla-like sweetness morphs into marzipan every second sip.
-The finishing bitterness is not overdone, but it sure clings to the tastebuds for a long time.
-Alcohol accompanies the hop bitterness.
Bottle; batch #123, best before 10/02/2010.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Batch 002 bottle thanks to bu11zeye. Pours a black body with a quickly vanishing head that still leaves behind some lacing. Aroma has lotos of alcohol and chocolate. Taste is malty with light chocolate, bitter coffee and a bit of caramel. Mouthfeel is syrupy.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle. Black with a small beige foam. Aromas are roast coffee with dark chocolate. Slightly smoky with some peat earthiness. Flavours are light coffee initially followed by bitter hops and warming alcohol. Very smooth chocolate next with peppery notes and more alcohol. Hints of dates. Some oiliness on the palate. Simple, heady and good.
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Bottle. A almost black beer with a beige head. The aroma is light roasted malt, sirup, chocolate and dark fruits. The taste is light roasted, sirup, medicin like, licorice and chocolate. Medium body with a dry light alcoholic finish.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Pours dark brown with some sparse carbonation. Smells of chocolate, molasses. Tastes of spice, chocolate, peppery with a slightly bitter finish.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
UPDATED: DEC 14, 2008 Cask (Gallows Bird, Espoo, Real Ale Festival 2008)
Rating: 7-5-8-4-16=3.8
Bacon aroma - gentle sweet burnt coffee or mocha aroma. Fantastic smooth palate - literally silky. Taste follows the aroma. Lovely strong but well balanced burnt taste - though the burntness is in places a bit astringent - but with enough of a malty body and hoppy bitter edge to keep it interesting.
rerate: 7-4-8-4-16=3.9
330ml bottle, Kaisla, Helsinki.
Massively walnutty aroma. Soft palate. Big nutty taste. Very smooth. Full bodied. A touch of toffee nut, some tingles of spice.
2.9 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
Close to black and covered by a fair beige head. Immediately roasty nose quickly hints at chocolate, but more of a milk type than the real stuff as considerable residual sugars can be perceived in here. Earthy and leafy nuances act as a complement while a sharper citrus tone peaks into the finish. A rather simple example – it’s no wonder that most ratings can barely reach 2 to 3 lines, yet the ratings remain sky high. Go figure.
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