Drakes Drakonic Imperial Stout

Brewed by Drakes Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
San Leandro, California USA

Serve in Snifter

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2006 swing-top bottle from Hollingshead Deli, drunk on 3/29/07
One finger of tan/beige head recedes to cover, being held there well. Very minimal, blotchy lacing. Medium-low clarity, though I don’t find much, if any, sediment on the bottom. Deep black with a slight chartreuse tint on the edges.
Dark berries show off the roasted barley, nicely vinous without being overdone/astringent. Some light fusels initially noted, but it seems to fully pass with some breathing. Malt is lightly sweet but very reserved overall. Lots of vinousness returns on the finish, highlighted by plum and prune. Medium strength of aroma, takes a little work to unlock, but the quality is certainly there.
Very vinous up front with lots of bitter chocolate. Perfect body is lightly chewy, but also has a slipperiness on the end. Thus it starts out quite hearty, but glides down the back of teh throat with very light carbonation adding a pleasing tingle. Dark coffee and a fair amount of bitterness/vinousness sit on the finish. Trails off in to anise and heavy bitterness, remaining very dry with some light fusel alcohols apparent.
This embodies so much of where Imperial stouts should be headed; very dry, with a good charge of vinousness and coffee. Lots of bitterness from the dark malts with both a nice oily feel and chewy consistency. It seems to be lightly filtered and I dont believe bottle conditioned, as evinced by some of the fusels showing through and a bit of loosening to the mouthfeel as it breathes. But the flavors are spot on, almost exactly what I want from an Imperial. Very much in the vein of Harveys Imperial. Not all the thick, underattenuated chocolate and caramel and obnoxious dose of PNW hops that you see in most American versions.
I didnt find this to be overhopped in the least, and in fact didnt find much of a impact from the hops at all.

Solid stout with good roasted malt aroma and hints of dark chocolate. Small creamy tan head that dissipates quickly with good lacing. Medium-bodied for a stout, smooth, light finish.

Medium dark brown head. Opaque black body. Deep black chocolate and earth aroma with cocos notes. Dry-sweet malty alcohol and cocoa taste with roasty notes. Fullish body. Mild, faintly hot mouthfeel. Dry-sweet roasty caramelly aftertaste with mineraly burnt alcohol notes. Very nice and highly drinkable. (0.65l bottle from City Beer, San Francisco.)

Bottled. Caramel and liquorice. Intense flavour. Tar, coffee, treacle, port. Strong alcohol edge.

655 ml bottle. Black and seemingly clear. Small beige head. Caramel and roasted malts. Very rich and complex. Sweetness but body is light enough for it to be very drinkable. Coffe, chocolate, licorice and tar. A classic American imperial stout. Lots of caramel. Delicious.

Bottle. Dark khaki creamy head on a nearly black body. Lots of prunes and milk chocolate in the aroma with slight roast. Quite sweet with dark fruits and prunes dominating, with lighter chocolate notes and just a bit of roast. Medium body that’s a bit soft with soft carbonation. More like an imperial porter to me...

Bottled, thanks fiulijn! Pitch black. Aroma of licorice and pears. Full bodied with underlying sweetness and solid mouthfeel. Heavy roasty flavours of licorice and tar supported by slight perfumy pears and warming brandy. Mellows out to coffee and tobacco is a salty finish.
Earlier Rating: 12/25/2004 Total Score: 3.4
Bottled. Very black, brief jead. Saölty licorice aroma. Sweet and very roasty. Very rich with some molasses and coffee, salty bitter finish. The mouthfeel is a bit mellow.

dark sepia, near black with puffy cream head, considerable lace. Nose of considerable chocolate and oat, light toast. Flavor is more oat and chocolate, no-bake like, some stinging paper and hops through finish, balance though astringent.

Sweet and dark fruit nose. Soft creamy milk. Lots of milk chocolate, light cola and squishy bland malt. Rather dull.
Earlier Rating: 5/5/2007 Total Score: 3.5
Bottle from marcus. Dark brown/black body with creamy tan head. The aroma is roast, burnt, molases and milk chocolate. The flavor is molases, brown sugar, cola, burnt, toffee and oats. Full sticky body, fizzy carbonation and a bitter end.

Bottle. Pours opaque with a medium, fizzy light tan head, short retention with light lacing. Aroma is dark chocolate and roast malt, earthy hops, raisins and prunes with leather notes. Flavor is malt dominant, alcohol, dark fruity esters, oak, and a dry finish. Full body, medium retention and carbonation.

Dark brown pour with a great tan head. Earthen chocolate and caramel escalate into vanilla and tannic dark sugar. Quality for sure, but not exceptional by any means. Medium body with lower attenuation than i would hope for.