Harveys Imperial Stout

Brewed by Harveys
Style: Imperial Stout
Lewes, England

This is such a strange beer for me. Aroma is sour red wine vinigar, infact the nose is a flemish sour ale. Taste is similarly sour, with some maltiness coming through the vinigar. Long finish like 2-3 min long finish. This is a stout, it says on the bottle and it looks like one, but to me its a malty flemish sour ale, excellent!

2001 bottle. Poured a deep black with a soy sauce consistency. Almost still, but a little deep brown, loose bubbly ring was left. Heavy vinous aroma first hit the nose... along with some mint, dark berries, baker’s chocolate, licorice, and molasses. I had to chew through the flavor just as I did the aroma... port wine, roasted chocolate, licorice, soy sauce, tobacco.. and plenty of other stuff in there. Almost still on the palate... I think a little more carbonation would’ve moved the flavors around better. Pretty slick across the front half of the palate. Sour vinous notes and molasses formed a sweet and sour finish. Left sourness all around the tongue. This was quite odd and good.. I think I need another to get a grasp on the complexities.

Black, no head. Minty aroma, juniperberries, red wine, chocolate, smoky notes and some cinnamon. Salty and peppery flavor, some licorice, some tar.

12 oz bottle, 2001 vintage. Pours the color of motor oil, almost still with no head save for a small ring around the outside of the glass. Slightly sour aroma, burnt malt, soy sauce, dark cocoa, and some alcohol. Huge burnt malt flavor, very dry and slightly sour. Espresso, coffee, tobacco, very vinous and complex. Finish is dominated by soy sauce and smoke. Very full body, thick oily mouthfeel. Very chewy and sticky. I can see why many people may not like this, but this is right up my alley. You either love this or hate it (witness the 0.8 standard deviation)

2001. A beer with vinous qualities. The most prominent aroma is port, followed by alcohol, and finally fermenting fruit. Looks great; cool bottle, interesting natural cork, and a beautiful black beer. Still with no head. Complex flavor. The port is still there, as well as more fruit and very sweet malt. A light and not unpleasant alcohol bite. Some soy sauce, but not so much that it is unpleasant. Thick and syrupy. I was surprised this is not rated higher.

Very tastey. Another one of those beers that is so strong that you really ought only be drinking it in sips and then only when the sips are accompanied by some food... preferably beef or lamb. I’m trying to imagine drinking this with some traditional Russian food... hmmm... excellent.

2001 vintage. Pours with very little carbonation, but still manages to put on a small brown head. The nose is old and dank. The taste is just too malty and old, I wish the beer were younger. Theres a little hops there, a very little, which I guess disappeared w/ age?

Sampled at RBESG 2005. Very Black with a weak head. Sour and roasted aroma. A boombastic taste very big mouthfeel a lot of taste very complex, that ends with a warm feeling from the alcohol.