 ClarkVV (3547), Allston, Massachusetts, USA
Feb 17, 2005 Updated: Sep 8, 2005
2003 bottle consumed 2/15/05 Deep black pour, with dark brown tinged edges and a moderate amount of dark tan head. Mostly clear, there must be only a very small amount of yeast added. Little to no lacing or coating, the liquid seems very heavy and still. Aroma, while not nearly as offensive as the 2002 version, still contains plenty of raw ethanol. After letting it breath, some of this recedes and there is a better profile of black coffee, salted beef and just tons of smoked malt. Oily and rich, I really like the smoke addition to this. It adds a sweet/sour element which drives away some of the focus on the alcohol. Notes of rich caramel and sweet caramelized brown sugar. Flavor begins roasty, with a deep coffee flavor but then gets sweet, like brown sugar has been dumped in to the glass. The fnish has a lightly sour yeast and rich, smoky element which is pleasant, but the sweetness never really lets up. Probably my biggest complaint, is the body, which is not significantly better than the 2002. Loose and slightly watery, it is almost exactly like the mouthfeel/body of an aged port. Maybe it’s just me, but I think Imperial Stouts, especially ones with this much alcohol, should have a thick, viscous, chewy mouthfeel, not a syrupy, loose, flat one. I’m hoping the reputation of this beer is mostly based on the 2001, of which I am eagerly awaiting a sample.
KnN (321), Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
Oct 12, 2008 2007 bottle. Poured a super deep brown color with a tan head. Aroma is sweet fruit, malt and alcohol and not much else. The alcohol is intense. The first sip made me cringe it was so strong. The flavor is super sweet and really boozy. I can appreciate what this beer was trying to be, but the alcohol got in the way and really destroyed anything subtle that may have been hiding here. glad I split a 12oz bottle three ways. A whole bottle of this would have been way to much.
NewBelgium5 (24), , Pennsylvania, USA
Oct 11, 2008 Pours dark brown and has an aroma of a homemade wine, very fruity but with an obvious alcohol smell. Small sips yielded a more alcoholic taste while larger sips gave a more complex dark coffee stout flavor. Went down much smoother than anticipated and the alcohol is very nicely hidden.
BelgianBeerGal (983), Sabbatical in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Oct 11, 2008 2007 bottle. Super dark brown pour with a thin tan ring. HUGE aroma of coffee, alcohol, soy sauce, molassas and rummed fruit. Big flavour of dark coffee with cream and sugar added. Definitely something to drink slowly and savor in small sips. Unique stout being this hot. Good but not really my favourite in the style.
KornDogg (31), Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA
Oct 8, 2008 2007 bottle. Got it for $10 which was the cheapest I could find around Pittsburgh at THE BEER STORE... Sharp Edge wanted $18...
Beautiful, Midnight Black color... strong alcohol aroma.. a little sweet with a strong coffee flavor... some said you would need to sip it slowly, I however thought the alcohol flavor was hidden nicely... so good I wish I would have bought 2 bottles to enjoy...
gameface23 (116), Haverhill, Massachusetts, USA
Oct 7, 2008 Updated: Oct 8, 20082007 bottle. Pitch black pour with a small-sized khaki head. Very alcoholic aroma. Smells like port wine, very sweet molasses, coffee and strong malted barley. With 18% alcohol, it would be hard to hide it, but it was like Dogfish didn’t even try to. Taste was similar: like a fortified wine. I would’ve enjoyed this more if the price wasn’t so steep ($8.95 for 12 oz).
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