3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Bottle. Aroma has notes of roasted malts, sour fruits, a little funk. Black hue with a small tan head that mostly diminished and left little lace. Flavor is very sweet, a little tart/sour and medium to heavy bitterness. Palate is very full bodied and oily soft. Long finish. Overall a very rich RIS with a noticeable sourness. Nothing too interesting and no desire to drink again.
4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
2008 bottle. Oily black with small beige head. Aroma chocolate malt, red fruits, coffee. Medium-full body. Really no alcohol. Flavor sweet and a touch of oxidation in a good way. Molasses, strong fruity flavors, mocha, hops in finish. Very complex. Seemingly underrated.
4.5 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
Tasted 2009 vintage from 9.3 oz brown bottle into a tulip glass. It poured an opaque black with brown foam, thin but persistent with lots of fine lace. Popped with a nice "phsss" sound and more carbonation than I expected. Aromas of berry fruits, cooking jelly, red wine, roasted malt. Predictable strong stout flavours plus beneficial oxidation, strong tannins, definite aging but no soy sauce or vinegar notes, extreme fruitiness, toastiness. Full-bodied, low but harmonious carbonation, warming but smooth alcohol, bready, chewy mouthfeel, crazy complex fruit-wine aftertaste. So well-crafted and well-maintained. Delicious. Absolutely delicious.
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
11.2oz bottle, 2003 vintage. Shared by Jay. Very dark black color. Pretty much no head or lace, just some bubbles. Dark fruit, light roast in the nose. Light dark chocolate and coffee in the aroma. Big-bodied, but pretty much flat. Lightly chewy. Lightly sour, kind of sweet, little bitterness. Odd taste for an imperial stout, but it’s not bad. Kind of tasty. Some nuttiness, spice in the flavor. Despite being flat and lightly sour, this is some pretty complex, interesting stuff. Would be curious to try a fresher example.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
9.3 oz bottle from Wilbur’s, vintage 2009. Black with brown head that settles to a thin lace. The aroma is interestingly tart/sour with roasted malts, wood and spices. Pretty full body with a smooth creamy feel. The flavor starts out with roasted malts and chocolate, then light sourness in the middle with a lingering bittersweet finish. Unique and complex.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle 9.30z. [2008] Thx alot L.
Pours black with low brown head. Pop-like carbonation at first, dwindeling out. Aroma is of sourness, malt (partly roasted), fruits, cherries, wine. Taste is of sligth sourness, malt (partly roasted), spices, caramel, fruits, cherries, bitterness, very wine reminiscent, sweet, warming alcohol, wood. Palate: Full bodied. Sticky-but-not-too-much texture. Impressive carb for 5 y/o IS. Overall: Incredibly complex. Good carb for style, and not out of place as it fits with the rest. The fruits are astonishing. Makes think of a flander’s red fruits. Massively underrated.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
275 ml bottle sampled in 2008. Black body with a really small beige head. Aroma of dark, roasted malt, dry fruit, soy, cellar notes and warming alcohol. Flavor is sweet, dark malt, slightly burnt, balanced bitterness, dry fruit, liquorice, dark chocolate, coffee, slightly acidic berries and warming alcohol. Full body and strong aftertaste. A really complex beer.
4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bottle at home. Really rich Madeira cake aroma with caramel figs. A little booze but subdued. Really dark caramel black colour dark tan head. Legs, viscous. Flavour is deep and rich soft caramel, smooth coffee notes, figs and cake. Some alcohol heat, but generally hides it well. This really is very good. Palete is perfectly carbed semi sweet
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 15/20
Pours thick like oil, black with a thin tan head. The nose is heavy anisette, some rosemary, chocolate, light vanilla. The taste is medium sweet and bitter. Great balance. The texture is creamy and smooth, the body is a bit thin but after ten years I would expect so, the finish is long.
---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
3.6 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Bottle. Chocolate, molasses, and mild nutmeg aroma. Dark brown with minimal head. Very sweet chocolate malt and moderately bitter herbal hops flavor. Mild ashy finish.
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