Harveys Imperial Stout

Brewed by Harveys
Style: Imperial Stout
Lewes, England

Black, oily pour. Sour aroma with soy notes. Flavor is horrifically sour: earthy, inky, soy sauce, all with a terrible, oaky, not palatable sourness. Chalk and tar too. Almost like rancid chocolate milk. It gets more stomachable as you drink it, but still. Yech.

Oh, wow. Extremely thick black pour, viscous, with no head. Salty, slightly burned aroma. Flavor is very similar to Sam Adams triple bock ... soy sauce is the only thing that comes to mind. A few sips before a drain pour. Yuck.

330ml Bottle 2001 Vintage - Black in colour with a chocolatey tan head. Plain chocolate in the aroma with rich vinous fruits and a hint of dry coffee along with a slighy tart and musty element. This part of the aroma is rather reminiscent of a lambic. Rich taste which is fairly bitter. Vinous fruits, plain chocolate, coffee and marzipan all feature in the complex taste.

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.