Harveys Imperial Stout

Brewed by Harveys
Style: Imperial Stout
Lewes, England

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle. 2001. Clear black color with virturually none head. Aroma is port, soya sauce, licorice, alcohol, dark fruit. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter, sour with a long duration. Body is medium to full, texture is oily, carbonation is flat. Very nice ;o))

[Vintage 2001, sampled January 28th, 2004] A pithc black beer with a chocolate brown head, though disappearing. The aroma is light though complex containing notes of wood, burnt caramel, prunes, raisins, and chocolate both sweet and bitter. The flavor is very complex too; at first it is very woody, in the middle: fruity, combined with hops, oil, soya, spices, licorice and chocolate. To end on a dry woody finish combined with notes of licorice and chocolate. The palate is great and all in all this beer is great!

(Bottle 27,5 cl) Pitch black, completely opaque, tar-like appearance. Absolutely no head. Extremely thick and - again - tar-like. No carbonation whatsoever. Fatty, earthy aromas, some cork also. Dry with a bitter finish. Actually not overly complex, but completely extreme in body. A very difficult beer to finish. 250605

33 cL bottle, 2003, Harveys Imperial Extra Double Stout. Pours pitch black with a little bubbly dark brown head fully disappearing in an instant. Aroma is overripe fruit towards wineous notes. Solid malt note too. Flavour is quite intense fruity at first before a solid tar and soy sauce flavour hits the tongue. Hardroasted and with a gradual increasing fruity note towards the finish. Solid bitterness and acidic touch into the finish with a dense fruit note and even more tar.

Bottled. Dark brown colour with small brown head. Aroma is roasted malts, sweet sugary notes, raisins and some fruity hops. Flavour is acidic and sour coffee along with some roasted malts and caramel. Not too exciting, but still a pleasant impy stout.

Dark black. Very malty, very salty, very fruity, liqurice aroma. Huge beer.

Rating # 500. 2001 vintage. Black coloured with no head. Aroma of dried figs with notes of cheese and liquorice. The flavour is dominated by liquorice with notes of dried fruits especially dried figs.

Bottle. Very black colour, NO head. Aroma totally like sherry. Sweet... liquorice... bitter... salty... Very good effort. I thought I’d never say this, but there may be too much flavour in this beer.

UPDATED: DEC 12, 2009 2009-10-27, vintage 2001, 8 years old, 7-3-6-2-13=31
Black color; sparse bubbles in place of any head. The aroma is initially woody and lightly sour, possibly corky; then some roasted malt and chocolate come to the surface; it may be interesting in some cases. As the pour anticipated, there is no carbonation; the mouthfeel is bold and very oily, now too much alcoholic too; strong chocolate flavor, some roasted malt and liquorice; salty and a bit corky. In the end there is warming alcohol and bitterness from the roasted malts; also some tannins.
Excessive, it didn’t age very well. Mostly, the combination of salt, alcohol and cork. Therefore, it’s not exactely pleasant.

2004-01-28, vintage 2001, 3 years old, 9-4-7-4-15=39
Totally black!; brown head. Strong chocolate nose; liquorice; roasted malt. Flows smoothly on the tongue at the beginning, leaving a strong liquorice impression. Burnt bitterness at the end (again, chocolate and liquorice), maybe short. I expected more… Thanks Jens (Ungstrup) for sharing this bottle.

UPDATED: JAN 17, 2009
Name: A. Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout
Date: April 21, 2003
Vintage: new batch of bottles
Aroma: slight tartness in the aroma
Flavor: only a hint of tartness in the flavor, but still kills it

Name: A. Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout
Date: April 15, 2002
Mode: Bottle
Source: Whole Foods Market, DC
Vintage: 2002
Appearance: Black, scant tan head
Aroma: sweet licorish aroma, hint of alcohol
Flavor: rich malt flavor, lots of licorish character, hint of roasted, touch of bitterness in the finish, very low carbination, overwhelming licorish flavor, but still a very tasty brew

Name: A. Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout
Date: November 16, 2002
Vintage: 2002
Score: i
Words: blind
Appearance: black, headless
Aroma: sour malt aroma
Body: buttery body
Flavor: dry and tart flavor, like a lambic crossed with a stout, hint of bitterness in the finish
Overall: after comparing to prior notes I’m either way off or I got a bad sampie for the blind tasting

Name: A. Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout
Date: January 26, 2003
Vintage: 2002
still the sour version, still the same original batch of 3 bottles, based on online reviews you get either a great or defective sample, risky

Name: A. Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout
Date: November 17, 2004
Vintage: 2002
Appearance: pours like oil
Aroma: sweet licorish aroma with lots of winey notes
Flavor: touch of tartness in the flavor, roasted character, lots of tannens like a oak barrel aged beer

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 3/10; Flavor: 2/10; Palate: 5/10;