Harveys Imperial Stout

Pours motor oil black with little head to speak of. Aromas of chocolate, roasted malt, hops, dark fruit and a bit of alcohol. Flavours of malt, chocolate, and soy. I little bitter on the finish, and not as well balanced as I hoped for overall. Unique in its own right, but not the best imperial stout.

Pours an inky oily black and is redolent with soy sauce and bitter chocolate. The falvor is much the same. This beer does not try to hide its ample alcohol character and whacks of day old espresso. Slightly sour and sweet at thesame time, the long aftertaste is riddled with bitter baker’s chocolate. Very flat with no carbonation to speak of, it never spawned any indication of a head. Very flavorful, but flawed.

Comes in a corked bottle. Pours like ink; no head and no bubbles. Certainly unexpected, but strangely appealing. Color is like ink as well. Smells sweet like chocolate and cherries. Flavor is of espresso and chocolate, but with a bit of a flat cardboard taste. The mouthfeel is annoyingly flat as well, dry and a tad oily. Judging by past ratings, this is a love it or hate it beer. I was rather disappointed myself. It does smell good though!

2003. No pop from the cork. Pours black with no head, only a smattering of fine bubbles on top of the brew. Very unique aroma: very rich roasted malt with heavy dark fruit and oddly appetizing signs of oxidation. Some chocolate and a touch of lactic sourness. The elegant flavor begins with rich dark chocolate spritzed with vintage sherry. This gives way to that lactose, which is not quite sour and not quite sweet. The chocolate joins in near the end and is quickly followed up by a light roastiness. The finish is dry. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy; the lack of perceptible carbonation is a boon to this one. An incredible experience.

2003 vintage bottle. Pours a thick black with dark tan head (medium sized and decent lacing). This was a very interesting imp stout. The nose was of dark roasted malt, bitter chocolate, and strange sour fruits (almost lambic like), also some funkiness and coffee. Flavors of dark chocolate, bitterness, dark fruit, sour funk, and coffee. Complex beer, and different then any other imperial stout that I’ve had. Mouthfeel was like thick motor oil, with a small amount of carbonation.

2001 Bottle at home. Pours in syrupy and black like motor oil. No head, no carbonation. The aroma had notes of vinuous fruit(grape and raisin). As others have said this reminded me of port. Flavor was incerdibly complex. Very bitter with notes of fruit, coffee, and a hint of dark chocolate. The alcohal is sweet on the palate but the sour from fermentation holds its own. Not as thick as it looks (don’t think that would have been possible come to think of it). Slick mouthfeel with some of the warming effects of its 9% abv. The finish was long and bitter. This beer has made me ponder my own ability to judge. It was either past its prime which I have to believe is a possibility or it was too complex for my palate which is another distinct possibility. I will try this again in a few years but for now I have to say it has mainly novelty appeal.

2001 bottle. Pours a very dark brown with NO head. Head is certainly unique and a bit portish; filled with maple wood and currants, with also lactic dark chocolate, burnt maple, and faint ground coffee. Flavor is nearly awful with lots of burnt or charred wood with soured milk, soy sauce, with some reminents of roasted coffee and currant FAR in the background. Palate is fair, medium to full, flat, and silky. Finish is actually quite nice nice with soft burnt wood notes, roast from coffee, and lingering currants. Hopefully I just a bottle past its prime, nose is nice, finish is pleasant, and palate seems like it was once good. Initial flavor may be the worst flavor I’ve put into my mouth... Maybe someone will convince me to try another bottle and I will be pleasantly surprised, or maybe I just stay away from these English Imps altogether!?

Bottled. 2003 Vintage. Black with a large brown foam. Deep malty and slightly acidic aroma of wood, blck coffee, cocoa, soy and red currant. Full-bodied. Flavour of black coffee and chocolate, wood, soy, salt, tobacco and alcohol. Vinous finish of anise, wood, red currant and black chocolate. Quite extreme one, this.