Harveys Imperial Stout

Poured thick like motor oil with no head at all. I was immediately reminded of Sam Adams triple bock which did not conjure up good memories for me. Unfortunately the similarities did not end at the appearance. While Sams was more soy sauce and molasses, this beer was very much melted chocolate in beef broth with a little rancid peanut oil thrown into the mix. I will never argue the limits of what a beer is and can be. Some of the best beers out there are the ones that push the limits. This however was not beer. This was drain cleaner.

Enjoyable beer, and one that I shared with some family members while enjoying Thankgiving 2008. The beer has a perfect pour, deep black in color, a rich, creamy, thick 2-finger head which stayed the entire length of the drink. Aroma was roasted malts, dark chocolate, and slightly musty. Flavors had the same characteristics as in the aroma, with a bit of earthy anise and alcohol thrown in. Decent beer.

Bottle at The Warf, Aalborg. Average size creamy dark lasting head with good lacing. Hazy black body. Aroma of coffee and roasted and toasted malt, tar and licorice. Full body with a sticky texture and a soft carbonation. Heavy sweet and light/moderate bitter. Powerfull.

Odd little bottle purchased at Ledger’s in Berkeley. Dated 2003. Poured into a snifter. Deep viscous black with browned edges. No head whatsoever. Coats the glass with a swirl. Aroma is unusual, more along the lines of a Flanders red than a RIS. Deep winey berries and grapes drizzled with chocolate. Portlike and very alluring. Flavor is nothing like the aroma, really. Still acidic like wine but the flavor is leathery and woody. Vinous quality like chewing on grape seeds. Regains some white wine fruitiness with warmth, but not much. I have to dock this beer’s mouthfeel and drinkability for the lack of carbonation. Body isn’t really all that thick, and the wine-like qualities help create a dry finish. Really interesting beer. Something you should try even if you end up not liking it.

Kinda crushed with Jakebra. Really thought I was drinking Sam Adams Triple Bock. Soy sauce like a motherfucker. Not AS offensive as the tripele bock, but still. What the fuck. Finishes surprisingly clean. Damn.

2000 vintage. Expecting either a religious experience or a gag-inducing soy sauce. Broke the cork from this terrible bottle type. Slight sour whiff when opened. Pitch black pour with absolutely no head. Biting nose, soy sauce, tobacco, slight chocolate. Taste is horrendous. Burned toast, soy sauce, earthy tobacco, pitch, cheap chocolate and watery pine tar finish. I really would like to get a ’good’ bottle of this beer to rerate but I’m in no hurry.

330 ml bottle provided by Indra for the 10/18 tasting. Albert Le Coq 1999 Vintage. Totally still black and ruby pour. Aroma of oxidization and black licorice, some black cherry dark sweetness. Taste is flat, black licorice, oily, and ashy. Soy sauce pretty big component. All of these flavors were melded together nicely. Palate is slick, oily, and and mouth coating. Interesting, and held up well for the age.

Getting notebook online. Bottle, 2001. Pours a cloudy black. Muddle nose, smells musky. Roasted malt flavors a little flat. Mouthfeel a bit slightly sticky. Very disappointing.