Harveys Imperial Stout

(2001 11.2 oz. bottle from Belfast Co-op) Pours very dark brown, almost opaque with a small brown head that recedes to a film. Aroma of prunes, chocolate, raisins and red wine. No real lacing but leaves thin syrupy film along sides of glass. Mouthfeel smooth, full, a little syrupy. Flavor is port-like with dark semi-bitter chocolate and prune juice also in the mix. Very mild alcohol burn. Mild bitter chocolate aftertaste. Pretty good but something about the flavor wasn’t really working for me (too sour? not roasty?).

2001 bottle. Pitch dark brew, almost no carbonation, formed a tiny rim around my glass. As for the aroma, I simply coud not believe what I was smelling: soy sauce, iode, burnt coffee, wood... I suspect if I had tried this at a blind tasting I would have been skeptical this was actually a beer, (the nose reminds me more of a scotch with the salty notes and wood). Once again the flavor is surprising, very salty, quite sour and an intense coffee bitterness develops to unprecedented intensity in terms of strenght and lenght. Body is oily and watery. Very unusual, certainly not the most representative of the style, yet I recommend a try.

Bottle at Københavnske øldage 2006. This is just too much - i enden throwing it out. i couldn’t drink it all. Than was disqusting. Black, very heavy, sweet, plums, prunes, vanilla, oil, wood, tobacco.... and a lot more.

2001 vintage -- Pure black body with a dark tan head, nice and thick during the pour, just the way I like it. A bit of oxidation is noticed in the aroma, musky, roasted malts, some salty overtones, very nice. Heavy sourdough-bread accents in the taste, though when it warms up complexities show up. Almost a lambic like sourness that’s just beyond the reach of the tastebuds. Roasted malts, peaty, salty soy accents, oaking has definatly affected this one. Sweet, syrup like ending. Overall, a very unusual Imperial Stout... enjoyable, but not something that everyone who likes this style will enjoy.

2001 Bottle on 07/09/2006. Dark mohogany color. Aroma of soy sauce, wood, and some sweet molassas. Slightly sour flavor, lots of wood notes, some more soy and molassas.

[2001 bottle] Black with just a thin veil of head. Soy-sauce and sweet liquorice on the nose. Very sweet with roasty, oaky, salty flavours. Very complex but might just get a little bit too much after half a bottle. Definitley something for the fans of Samuel Adams Triple Bock.

Bottle sampled with Beerded one. Pours black with no head. Aroma is heavenly, vanilla, port, dark fruit, molasses, and roast. Flavor is wood, roast, coffee, fruit, molasses, vanilla, but was just missing any type of sweetness that would have made it perfect for me, very smooth, good body, good brew.

Bottle @ White Horse Parsons Green. Strong alcohol in the taste. Dark black brown body with a dark tan head. Deep liquorice taste, bit too strong to drink lots of, very port-like in the aroma. Leathery.