 FlacoAlto (2039), Tucson, Arizona, USA
Apr 15, 2008
A reasonably soft pour produces a full, three-finger thick, deeply browned, creamed-cocoa colored head. The beer is opaque and quite black, though it does show hints of rubies in its depths if you hold it directly up to the light. My first smell of the aroma yields aromatics that are not nearly as burnt / roasted as I was expecting, instead a mix of sweet, dark malt and aromas of dark chocolate are what I first notice. Subsequent draughts of the aroma yield toasty grain-husk aromas, a touch of roast charcoal, a hint of burnt acidity, some dark roast coffee aromas and perhaps a hint of burnt fruit character. The aroma, while characterful, is a bit more subdued than I would expect of a stout of this strength; it is actually in a way nice that it is not bowling me over.
Sweet, dark chocolate and malt notes up front yield to a drying, roast coffee finish. The finish lingers for quite some time with a roast grain bitterness and a touch of burnt acidity; though the bitter, burnt grain character is really what lingers on in the palate after the beer has slid down ones throat. I really like the rich, chewy malt decadence that starts out each sip, but after a bit the finish gets a little too sharp and burnt. Pretty well carbonated, but the texture of this beer is creamy enough that the carbonation is only lightly noticed. The beer is certainly chewy and thick, though it is not overly so; this is a good beer to have one pint of when you only want one.
A nice beer. It get a bit less harsh in the finish as the beer warms up. The dark, sweet malt character becomes a bit more apparent throughout the flavor profile, which is what helps to mitigate the burnt bitter notes of the finish. A tasty beer I would be happy to have again.
Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=698>Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ
elmatador00 (518), j-action-ville, North Carolina, USA
Jul 25, 2008 Money... Pours a dark brown with a large tan head. Lacing is great. Aroma is cocoa. Tastes of cocoa, lactose, and burnt malt. Finishes with a sweet cocoa taste. Love it.
KingpinIPA (813), Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Jul 23, 2008 Dark color. Smell of caramel, coffee, chocolate, hops, bubble gum, roasted malt, bread, brown sugar and raspberries. Taste of caramel, coffee, dark chocolate, hops, roasted malt, bread, brown sugar and raspberries. Very enjoyable.
Dorwart (1593), Robbinsville, New Jersey, USA
Jul 22, 2008 Nice thick head of brown bubbles. Dense and creamy. Excellent thick sticky sheet of lacing left behind. Roasted grains, dark chocolate, some ash and a bit of coffee. Color is black!. Rich roasted flavor. More chocolate, toased malts, maybe a little anise and some smoke. Lots of character to this brew. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel. This is one of the best stouts I have had in a long time. Finishes roasty and creamy and smooth with a little lingering bitter coffee. A damn fine stout!
bhensonb (2735), Woodland, California, USA
Jul 22, 2008 Bomber. Opaque brown/black color with a very impressive dark tan head. Aromas of dark roasted/toasted malt, coffee and chocolate. Medium plus body with very smooth and creamy carbonation. A touch of tar in the flavor, as well as dark roast (not burnt) malt, coffee, cacao and just maybe some floral/fruity hop. It’s very sturdy, and quite impressive. It actually seems to get fruitier with time. Brilliant. Reasonably dry too.
ross (1503), charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Jul 22, 2008 Bottle. I have wanted to try this a long time, especially when I saw a double stout from one of my favorite west coast brewers in the store. I also thought this was an imperial stout, but just like Bells 8000 is a witbier as well, I was wrong. At any rate, this one poured out pitch black in color with a fat tan head on it. The smell was great, full of chocolate, roasted malts, sweet, big bold smells of coffee, really great. Taste is sweet and very smooth. Thick, like drinking a bar of chocolate. Very good stuff here - an imperial stout that isnt branded as one. Hey, at least it bumps it higher in the style category.
|
