Hales Pikop Andropovs Rushin Imperial Stout

Brewed by Hales Ales
Style: Imperial Stout
Seattle, Washington USA

Picked up a single 22-oz bomber at Bottleworks in Seattle, WA. Pours an opaque, near black, motor oil, brew with a thin tan head that quickly dissipates to a fine film and some tan ring. Aroma of dark chocolate, toasted dark malt, some brown sugar and caramel, Taste is thick, full bodied, very little carbonation with flavors of toasted dark malt, chocolate, some smoked wood, candi sugar, and a touch of black licorice. Finish is semi-sweet with even a mild bitterness with some chocolate with licorice aftertaste.

From a 22-ounce bottle purchased at By The Bottle in Vancouver, WA--Poured like motor oil. Viscous, opaque black body with next to no head. Boozy, sweet, hoppy, cacao nose. Chocolaty, roasted malt flavor that sticks to the roof of my mouth. Quite scrumptious. I heard the brewer retooled the recipe since last year. This recipe is quite delicious.

Pour looks thick. Opaque no head. Aroma is roasty, espresso, dark chocolate, caramel. Taste is chocolate, roasty, caramel, light coffee followed by a heavy roastiness.

Bomber. Pours an impenetrable black with a thin but dense light brown head. Aroma of licorice, coffee, brown sugar. Body is medium, with carbonation tending to light. Sweet brown sugar, chocolate and coffee taste with a dry and none too bitter smoke and espresso finish. A tasty beer with no flaws, but it feels more like a Foreign Stout than an Impy.

22oz bottle. Pour pitch black in color with thin brown head, which does not last long. Aroma roasted coffee and licorice. Taste roasted coffee, dark chocolate and molasses with bitter finish.

Bomber. Lovely black color and nicely reddish tanned head. Flavor is a bit thin on what I would love to have in a perfect Impy Stout, but Hale’s pulls a well balanced and fairly bitter version. Overall, enjoyable...

Bomber thanks to Larry. Poured near black with a short initial cap of tan head. The first impression on the aroma was lactic and Brett-like sourness.. uh-oh!.. deeper down were well-roasted coffee, licorice, and a bit of dark fruit on the uptake.. seemed like some good stuff under the seemingly infected mask. The flavor confirmed the nose with mostly lactic sourness.. roasted coffee, molasses, and tar at the core surrounded by sticky sourness and coffee bitterness.. sharp finish with alcohol warmth and sourness. As mentioned, quite sour on the palate and roughly medium-bodied.. didn’t flow well, and I’d like to try a fresh bottle (but this was rather tough to find).

Bottle. Poured black as night with almost no head. Aroma of malt and coffee. Strong malt flavour with bittersweet chocolate notes. Plain finish with alcohol warmth. Tastes stronger than it is.