Harveys Imperial Stout

Brewed by Harveys
Style: Imperial Stout
Lewes, England

2000 vintage. Aroma of port wine, bourbon and alcohol. No head at all comes from a jet black body. Medium palate. The taste is incredibly dry--with a wicked sour flavor. The taste is just awful, so I’m guessing that this might have been past its prime--a drainpour for me.

Very dark. Almost balck, but with a taste that warms you. This is a perfect beer for long Winter evening, besides a fireplace, when it is cold outside and you need to feel comfortable. Too dark for other seasons, but a pleasure on cold days.

This is 2000 vintage in a wrapped cork bottle. Pours dark and thick with no head. Just a brown fringe around the edge. Totally opaque Dark brown glass of history. The first impression is of a fine dark red wine. Alcohol and dark fruits in the nose. But more. Barnyard smells. The beer flows down the tongue with a thick feel. And the flavor echoes the nose. It is easy to see why people in the 1800’s compared this style of beer to wine. And thumbed their nose to the wine snobs, because beer is better.

Bottle. Thick and creamy yellow head indicated that here you will have to take care. When then pitch black beer is poured this impression is increased. Relatively vineous aroma with acidic notes gave the impression of a good port wine. The flavor of the expected coffee choccolate with a bit of licorice and a slightly bkitter note just contributed to my good impression of this beer.

Aroma was dominated by dark fruit and alcohol.Pours pitch black with no head at all.Dark fruit and alcohol was very dominating in the flavor.Mouthfeel was very thin with a very dry wine like finish.

330ml bottle from Utobeer, London. 2001 Vintage. Coal black body with a dark reddish foam reduced to no head at all after a short while. Aroma of dark fruits and berries. Lots of dark fruits like plums in flavour. Port- and sherry-like impression. Not more than alright and a bit too vinous for my taste (08.04.2007).

Bottle. [Enjoyed with thewolf on Plan B] Vintage 2001. This was defiantly the highlight of the evening with Rene. The years that this bottle has been cellared might have vastly improved this one. That is properly why we are rating this one quit high. Pours out like greasy black motor oil. No head or lacing what so ever. Aroma is heavy and smooth malt with notes of chocolate, coffee, berries, hints of wood, roasted. Gave me the impression of a good cherry or port wine. Going down, experience of fresh berries, roasted and licorice notes are evidence. Full bodied with a flat carbonation and light alcoholic texture. Flavor was moderated sweet with burned bitter notes to balance it. Sweet notes starts off as you finish the sip, but some bitter notes can also be detected at the very end. Excellent!

Vintage 2000 - Pours pitch black with no head. Aroma of mild sour cherry, dark malt, toffee, and oxidized chocolate. Taste is slightly sour, papery chocolate and toffee. Mouthfeel is full bodied with little to no carbonation.