Far West Trouble Imperial Stout

Formerly brewed at Far West Brewing Co
Style: Imperial Stout
Redmond, Washington USA

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle (sample): Black in color, dark ruby highlights, large foamy beige head, decent retention, fairly nice lacing.   Roasted malt nose, seems fairly sweet, slight milk sugar, very light hop presense, touch of pine.   Aroma conveys a bit more sweetness than most, with a very slight hint of alcohol.   Sweet roasted malt tongue, a bit more hop presense here but still quite light.   Lingering soft hop bitterness, remains sweet throughout.   Very slight appleskin trailer, with notes of chocolate and cocoa.   Fairly big, smooth mouthfeel, but seems a bit on the thin side.   A lighter example overall, but one that I find very palatable and easy to drink.   Not brash or overly bitter like others.   Fairly tasty, even if it is fairly sweet.

Black ruby. Healthy layer of lightly rocky gray-tan bubbles. Mellow notes of nougat, port, English toffee, and black licorice waft up through the nostrils. Firm underlay of roasted malts. Soft and fuzzy on the palate. Becomes denser and fluffier as it breathes. Early expression of roast-derived acidity slowly gives way to a zippy char anchor, which generates a rich wave of earthy and berry nuanced coffee. Wet, nutty grains bolster the body’s core, though the dryness keeps it from becoming overly husky or soggy. Fusion of gritty char and remarkably rich, yet bright, java persists throughout, while the hops impart the faintest splash of citrus to the well-rounded fruity esters. Densely stacked flavors quickly squelch the airiness which tries to surface, before finishing dryly roasty with a tight char sting over a bed of java drizzled grains. Would be nice with a bit more burnt-fruit emphasis and less graininess. But it’s sumptuous and mellow and very worthy of a session. Thanks, LP.

From a growler at a Bottleworks tasting.

Pours very dark with a limited head; the aroma is deep roasted coffee and a hint of hops; the flavor is rounded, slightly sweet, intensely malted with some chocolate and coffee. Mouthfeel is pleasent enough, though not anything exceptional.

In fact, that’s a fair enough description for the beer at large. Fine and pleasant for drinking, but not close to a standout in the imperial stout category.