Dark Star Imperial Stout

Brewed by Dark Star
Style: Imperial Stout
Horsham, England

Serve in Snifter

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Almost perfect for me. Lots of nice dry roasty goodness, dried fruit, wonderfully drinkable... not enough superlatives exist.

courtesy of Laurent Mousson - pithc black with a dark beige foam; grilled aroma, dark cherries and coffee, prunes; full-bodied and creamy palate; very bitter hoppy finish with more coffeish notes - very impressive and pleasant

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

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.

2009 Dark Star Imp. Stout R.E.S. very good beer. If you like dark, black, roasted malty coffee, choco-espresso flavor beer. This might be for you. Its got a bit oing on, but for such a dark beer doesnt karate chop ur palate. It stays but hints of traces stick around, it still tastes great, and gets it point across, flavor and roasty malt is coming at u. I have a suspicion that the oak aged style gives alot to the milder not overbearing flavor that lingers but doesnt bite. Its tasty and even though I hate to say it I am not a big fan of English beers due to similar taste and composition of most English ales and such, luckily someone took some time to set this one apart from the rest, I know its not an ale, but most UK beer I taste is all similar in style and flavor and nothing really stands out. I like this dark, beautiful beer. Grab one and sip.

UPDATED: MAR 8, 2012 Dark berry or cherry dark roast. Strong black and a very faint red tint. No head. Silky medium thin oily body. Very smooth. Stong roasted, chocolate, a little bit of alcohol. Refined taste. Feels a bit heavy on the palate due to its percentage. A bit of sugar. A little intense but a great drink,.

(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).

2009 vintage bottle. Jet black. I held it up to the light and nothing showed through. Wow wow wow. Fantastic smell of sour liquorish and molasses and roasted malt. Ripping taste! Heavy liquorish, tangy, clinging, powerfully warming, big roasted slightly sour, tart finish that melts into a tangy buzzing feeling. Not cloying, not too heavy; I could probably sit in a pub and drink pint after pint of this (until I fell over after about 2 of them). Lovely 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.

Bottle (from Sout hwick Brewhouse). Dark and thick with a tan foam. Nice roasty aromas - sweet chocolatey coffee and hints of liquorice. Some fruity hop and a pleasant hint of damp tea-towels (that havent quite had time to develop full on musty sock smells). Really drinkable especially considering the strength with powerful malt body, refreshing earthy hop and dry roast all interacting well. The sweetness whilst strong was just the right sort of level for this beer not a full on toffeish sweetness but the sweetness of fresh bread chewed for a while. A good use of strength to provide intense but balanced flavours.