Dark Star Imperial Stout

Brewed by Dark Star
Style: Imperial Stout
Horsham, England

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: APR 16, 2007 Young Example. A black beer, with brown reflections and a small brown head. Coffe , dark chocolate, roasted and vinous notes in the nose. Full body, notes of roasted malt in the flavor. The alcohol is present and warms you and you feel it in your throat, nose and stomach. Maybe not a masterpiece, but a rich, pleasant and satisfacting beer.

[Vintage 2005 - sampled October 2006] A dark brown beer with a red shine under a thin brown head. The aroma is sweet with notes of caramel and spices - amongst those anise, but also light notes of alcohol and berries. The flavor is sweet malty with light notes of roasted malt, anise, and alcohol. I don’t find much power - but the alcohol gets very present in the end - and burns slightly in the throat - and leaves You with a dry feeling.

Bottle. Black with a small tan head. Nice smaell of chocolate, espresso, roasted aromas. Espresso flavours, warming alcohol, chocolate. Bitter throughout, yet some malty sweetness. Soft mouthfeel. Quite nice, despite the overwhelming alcohol.

500 ml bottle. Pitch black with only a hint of red at the edges. Light brownish head, fine-laced. Lots of roasted malts, some minty and almond aromas. Sweet malts and a hint of fusel alcohols. Bitterness covers the tongue at first, and is then replaced by roasted and burnt malts. Low carbonation level. Soft mouthfeel balancing against harsher bitter malts and hops.

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY PRESENT AND A VERY ENJOYABLE ONE.LOTS OF CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE IN FLAVOR WITH STRONG ALCOHOL AS IT WARMS VERY GOOD BEER

Bottle, March 2006. British brewed Impy Stouts are very thin on the ground and, at 10.5%, this one is about as strong as there is. The powerful alcoholic punch is noticeable, but its warming rather than burning. Pitch black, with an oily consistency. Loads of coffee and chocolate on the nose. More of the same, backed up by dry, burnt malt and dried fruit on the palate. Very full and rich. A hint of bitterness on the finish provides the balance and prevent it from being too heavy. Superb, even when consumed in a graveyard.

Smallish brown head over opaque black body with some dark red at edges. Sweet roasted sharp almond aroma with notes of gasoline. Very sweet oily burnt malt taste with dry burnt aftertaste. Maybe slightly more watery than expected. Peppery, almost hot. Good, but a bit too dry and sharp, without offering too much in return. (0.5l bottle.)

(Cask at Wenlock Arms, London 22 Apr 2006) Well, you don’t stumble across this beer cask conditioned every day, so I had to check another time to be sure the sign really said Dark Star Imperial Stout. And could you belive my luck? It did! Pitch black colour, with little, but firm, beige head (beautiful!). Nose is roasted with lots of liquorice and some crowberries (a bit like blueberries). Some sweetness. Lovely, but a bit restrained. Taste is nicely roasted, with black rye bread, black coffee and liquorice. A very well balanced sweetness that turns drier towards a bitter-sweet, very long, finish. Full bodied, but still like velvet. Warming and deceptively strong, but easy to drink. This beer is massive and absolutely wonderful. It is not as hoppy as the American Imperials Stouts tend to be, but still a masterpiece. Had to have another (although it might set my head spinning, but it was worth the risk).

#1398. St George’s Cemetary Mega Gathering. Roasted malt. Alcoholic and full bodied with burnt character and fruit. Meaty. Very good imperial stout from one of the best breweries in the UK.

UPDATED: APR 21, 2007 Bottle at St George’s Cemetary RB Gathering. Thanks to Kook for bringing this along. Doesn’t taste it’s strength at all. Nice dark fruits and charcoal. Dryish finish. Bit oily in mouth. Nice beer, could enjoy several bottles of this. 4.0/5.0 Bottled bright from cask Planet Thanet BF 2007. Black with tan head. Condition actually improved with the bottling. Oily, intense. Bitter choc, espresso coffee. But more so that most. But it’s the way it makes you feel. Some blackcurrant intensity. As good as Speedway Stout? No. As good as Milton Marcus Aurelius? No. But pretty damn good.