Emmetts Imperial Stout

Brewed by Emmetts Tavern and Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
West Dundee, Illinois USA

Serve in Snifter

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Sampler pour on tap at the brewpub (Downers Grove, IL). My first visit to Emmett’s. Pours a rich blackish hue, near opaque hue shows some ruby on the bottom. A small darker brown head sits atop and dies to a ring, laces small. Aromas are rich roast and coffee, touches of cocoa, anise and a bigger waft of dark fruit come into the fold. Some sweetness, dryness mesh and a touch of ABV heat hits you. Initial is fuller bodied offering some roast and toast, sweet sticky malts mix with molasses, coffee, and cocoa in to the fold. A healthy mix of dark fruit, some black cherry and plum mix with some decent roast, caramel, and molasses. Thick, the heat hits into the middle with some ABV action, more roast and sticky bigger body enveloping the palate. Finish is a touch smokey, cherrywood more so adds to the dark fruit, coffee, roast. Not bad. Ok body and flavorful, a bit hot, could use some more body. Solid Imperial Stout that is a bit out of my leagues as far as taste. Interesting. The smoked element won it some points, but overall, could use a bit of fine tuning for my palate.

Another fantastic draft find at firkin! Served from room temp keg very nice head, smooth roasted barley and chocolate linger on the palate- ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

On tap, it was decent, but a bit watery I thought. Roasty, chocolatey, but not too sweet.

Pretty basic imperial stout, not over the top but with a strong chocolately malt presence. Opaque in color with a thin tan head. Very flavorful, but quite drinkable.

On tap at StoutFest. This was a heavenly example of what a non-over-the-top imperial stout should be!

Very deep brown pour with a tall, creamy beige head that stuck around for a while. The aroma consisted of rich, almost burnt dark chocolates and coffee.. excellent balance with very subtle underlying alcohol accents.

Flavor was of dry burnt dark chocolates and coffee with moderate coffee and earthy bitterness surrounding and extending far beyond the finish.. full and remarkably tasty! Medium-heavily bodied.. dry and a tad grainy.. very nice flow with a wonderful chocolatey finish accented by the aforementioned bitterness. WOW!

UPDATED: FEB 1, 2007 For my 1000th rating I really wanted something special, something that I had some kind of relationship to. Well, to be honest I was really having a hard time picking out the beer that could fit the occasion. Well, after having this bit of heaven I knew this was the one.<P> I had this beer with my wonderful wife at Emmett’s in West Dundee just blocks away from our first apartment together. We had recently moved away and went to West Dundee just to drive around and see the old place. Drove by Emmett’s and immediately became thirsty. When we saw this on the tap list I have to admit that I was a little hesitant because I did not enjoy the Barrel Aged Imperial Stout that I had at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers in 2006. But whatever, decided to give it a shot.

Served in a snifter, black as night and clear with a medium sized long lasting brown thin bubbled head. The nose is full of alcohol with a soft but definately thin amount of malts. The taste was subtle with malts but a strong presence of alcohol that was cleansing. Just a bit of chocolate that in comparison was stonger in the nose. RIght over the top was hops and crisp but very balanced.

While I love those over the top and beefy Imperial Stouts this really reminded me of some of the more balanced and my previously highly rated imperial stouts. Furthermore, this beer is great for 1000 because it really fits my experiences with beer. I started out not really liking beer, just trying to find something that I liked. Now I have a good idea of what I like and love looking for the next great beer. I am expecially glad that I have gone though this journy with my wife and some great friends. Especially those in the Champaign-Urbana Beer Club and the Chicago Area Rate Beer group. Couldnt have gotten here without you all.

On tap at the Dundee place. Aroma is a little chocolatey and some alcohol evident. Black in color with a medium brown head. Flavor is quite tastey though a little light for an imperial stout. Obvious chocolate and coffee. Alcohol is a little too evident. A good example of the style but not the best. 10% abv.

Cask (Night of the Living Ales!): Black with flecks of deep garnet; especially at the edges. Airy chlorophyll aroma with a strong pine presence along with wonderful Baker’s chocolate and roasted (almost charred) nuts. Strong, fresh coffee bean flavour and chlorophyll flavour: rich and bitter. Roasted cedar branches melt across the palate and increase the depth and complexity of a dangerously easy drinking imperial stout.

Cask at Night of the Living Ales. Dark brown that approaches black with a big, fluffy tan head. Big chocolately aroma with bits of roasted coffee, dark, ripe fruit and a bit of sweet, residual malt character. The body is smooth, creamy and elegant. The flavors are well constructed and balanced between the sweet chocolate and roasted malts and burnt coffee. Overall, this is a fine beer. I actually like it better after the barrel aging, but that’s a freak example and shows the ability of the brewer.