Goose Island Night Stalker

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company (AB-InBev)
Style: Imperial Stout
Chicago, Illinois USA

Serve in Snifter

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On tap at Pikk’s Tavern in Valpo...pours a deep black with the slightest of a dark tan head. Aroma is enticing...loads of chocolate (both bitter and sweet), sweet coffee, some smoky notes, and a plethora of fruity and floral hop notes...the dry hopping did wonders! Flavor was good...almost too good, considering the ABV and the price of this one! Lots of chocolate and sweet malts hit up front, with an almost a wavering presence of hops throughout the drink...its always there, but seems to be strong at times, while giving way to the sweet malt/coffee character at other times. There is a nice smoke presence throughout as well which adds a nice dimension without becoming overpowering. The hop profile had a lot of fruity characteristics, which I felt complemented this beer wonderfully. Palate was smooth, moderately oily and enjoyable, and I definitely was not getting the strong alcohol presence like others have noted...in fact, I’d actually go as far as to say it was somewhat muted for a beer pushing 12% ABV, likely due to the fact it wasn’t barrel aged... Now, to business...get bottling this stuff GI...my cellar is clamoring for a 4 pack!

On tap at Three Cellars. Poured inky black with an easily-resuscitated deep brown head. The aroma picked up baker’s chocolate and coffee with lots of dry-hopping evident (tangerine, floral, and earthy notes were all present).. bright and engaging over the darkness. The flavor found espresso paired with sweeter chocolates at the core with lots of fruity and floral bitterness around.. seemed to somehow pick up sweetness from the hops (or something like that).. long, warm, lingering bitterness and roast on the finish. Heavy-bodied, bitter, and warm on the palate.. moved well through the mouth.. very enjoyable stuff!!

On Tap at the Twisted Spoke in Chicago. This beer is excellent! Color is black as it gets. Flavor is a great balance of dark chocolate, hops, smoke, coffee, and possibly some vanilla. I would love to try this again.

Growler shared by smokepot23 At AleSmith’s: Color is jet black with a wisp of tan foam. Aroma is light coffee with a hint of dark chocolate. Flavor starts dark chocolate with a hint of smoke followed by licorice and a strong black coffee bitter finish. Full body is velvety with soft carbonation.

Rating 994, 6 to go. Rating from GI Clark St. because they are awesome enough to have free wi-fi! $10 full sniffer served ice cold... grrrrrrr. Opaque black looking with small tan froth. Too cold to smell, some coconut and something super rich and vinous, some cookie. First taste is sweet and fluffy like a macaroon. Lovely dark chocolate, super smooth roast and tangy coconut, super dark dried fruits, very oily tasting. I really enjoy this, decadant and bitter. Full bodied, super smooth, fluffy,oily. Yum!

Growler shared by smokepot23, thanks Joey, shared at alesmith Today. Pours black with a tan ring. Nose is sweet and nutty and smoky. Taste is sweet, rich, smoky, nice and malty. Tasty impy. Also alc is totally well hidden.

On tap at Brixie’s in Brookfield, IL. Served in a half pint glass. A thick looking pour, with a black/brown color. The head was light tan and short-lived, leaving a small ring of foam. The aroma was rich and roasted with some mellow sweetness and dark chocolate. The flavor added some additional notes as caramel and a touch of vanilla. The alcohol presence was potent, but subtle and warming, and the finish was satisfyingly dry. A bold, "want to enjoy again", brew.

Big sticky mouthfeel, tons of nobel hop aroma, flavor and bitterness. This imperial stout puts a huge emphasis on the hops. Nice appearance with a lasting dark ring of foam. This was a bit more hoppy than I like for an imperial stout, but that’s just me. Pretty good stuff.

Very nice beer. Pours a great looking black with a tan head. Aroma is smooth chocolate and dank hops, with some bread notes. Reminds me of Darkness, just not quite as strong. Flavor is nice as well, a big roasted chocolate profile surrounded by juicy hops, hard candy, and toffee. Very thick mouthfeel. Only let down was the booziness, just too much astringent alcohol. Still an outstanding beer.

On tap at the Map Room in Chicago. Poured an appropriate dark hue for an Impy Stout, with brown lacing. Nose is chocolate and chicory. To be frank, it is not quite as aromatic as the best imperial stouts, but I believe this was partly due to the coldness of the pour. This would have been better around 60 degrees than the 45-50 range. The sweetness makes me think Imperial Porter would be the more appropriate designation, which I recall having thought when I had their Russian Imperial Stout on tap. I liked this better, as the dry hops seems to impart more complexity, but the differences between those two beers also seem to be at the margins. I would not have guessed 11.7 for the ABV -- 9.5 to 10 would have been my thought, and so credit to the brewers for their skill. Where this is a touch lacking is in the viscosity and silky texture that come with the best imperial stouts, but the flavors of semi-sweet chocolate (surprisingly not as pronounced as the nose would indicate), currant, dark corn syrup, and charred marshmallow are present. Nicely done.