Great Lakes Blackout Stout

Bottle. Every bit of a 3.9-4.0 Imperial Stout - maybe higher. Not quite on the level of some of the really premium Imperials in terms of body and character, but still very well done and very delicious. GL is very consistent and continually puts out solid brews. Blackout is a continuation of their reputation. My full rec. Deep brown, nearly black, fairly thick pour with minimal head. A tasty balance of coffee and chocolate with a very hoppy prescence. Very balanced and velvety smooth. Great.

Bottle. Pours very dark (just short of black) with a small fleeting tan head that leaves the thinnest of lace on the glass. Aroma is maybe not as strong as other Imps but decent. Roasted malts, strong coffee for the most part. The flavor is where this one makes the grade. Again roasted malts, chocolate, and hops. Everything is so well balanced. Not as sweet as some others but works for this beer. I enjoy this as much if not more than some of the other excellent imperial stouts out there.

This is as good as people say, and you will realize that about 2 seconds after your first sip when the roasted finish truly kicks in. Wow! Smells of roasted malt, chocolate, looks like red-black death, tastes same, kind of tart at first, a little bit of hoppyness but not as much as advertised, a little warm kick going down, but it is the finish that will sell you on this beer. Another fine offering from one of the best breweries around.

dark rich nasty just the way ah laks it got damn it. Opaque, light head, light nose, bit o lace. good quaff

On tap at the Oak Room in Athens, OH. Dark, with a thin tan head. The aroma is sweet and malty, without much alcohol evident. This beer is heavy and sweet, with ever present hops and a warming of alcohol in the finish. Warning, this beer can sneak up on you, as the 9% ABV, is not as strong tasting as some other beers.

very good imp stout. roasty and chocolate-tee with some good smoke and smoewhat lactose sweetness. very good head retention for an imp stout. very smooth mouthfeel with nice roasty and bittersweet finish with booziness.

Pours brownish black w/ a shallow, semi cremy froth that quickly reduces to laced finger print splotches. Aroma of sweet, black malts w/ mild roasted esprsso. Full nectar w/ abundant residual effers. Goes down like velvet. This one really hits the spot w/ a serious roast component. The moderate sweetness factors in well with the huge hops that provoke my next sip. The hops dig in leaving very little room for the sweet, charred malts. Not a chance. This one wants you to drink another and another. Nuances are earthy w/ leather, charcoal, meat, coffee bean, and cocoa. The finish is bittered excessively w/ hop acid leaving only a hint of sweetness. Overall: pull up a chair and listen to old grandad tell his stories, he brought a 12 pack don’t you know. Quite simple yet thorough. Highly recommended.

Black color. All the roasted malt flavors that you expect---but bitter and not sweet. Bitterness seems to come from burnt malt and not just hops. I like! Fine medium body.