Harveys Imperial Stout

Brewed by Harveys
Style: Imperial Stout
Lewes, England

2000 bottle.I see the head on the beer in the picture and I wonder where it came from.I’ve seen more foam on motor oil.Pitch black.Smells like prune juice that might pack a kick.I have had these that were good but this is a drain pour.If I were to eat a catshit sandwich it might taste like.Sour.

330mL bottle, 2000 vintage listed 9% ABV, poured into a snifter. Pours a viscous, oily black with hardly any head at all. It’s more like a bubbly tan collar that leaves no lacing. The aroma is a cross between an impy stout, barleywine and old ale. There is definitely a big of dark roasted malts hiding in there, but the massive malty sweetness, slight tartness and alcohol are more dominant. It definitely smells higher than a 9% ABV and burns the nostrils slightly. The taste isn’t as good as the aroma and is much, much more sour up front with stronger signs of oxidation than the aroma indicated. The malts taste almost burnt and stale leaving a dry bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is super slick with no carbonation to speak of. It’s definitely a little light for the style. This one is definitely past its prime as the oxidation has taken its toll on the taste. The aroma was decent, but this is definitely not one of my favorite stouts with a definitely sourness starting to take over.

1999 Vintage courtesy of cornboy: Dark black body with a small dark tan head. Aroma is tart with notes of yeast(smells similar to de dolle), merlot, vinous grapes, cherry, chocolate, roasted malt. The taste is tart cherry, sour brett, wood, chocolate and roasted malt. Thick, oily body.

2001 bottle sampled August 2006.

Cork comes out with a soft pop; the beer pours thick, almost oily, and black with no head. The aroma is richly vinous, woody, and full of roast-coffee malts. The previous reviewer’s comparison to a Bordeaux is apt. The flavor is powerful and complex, again heavy and sour red wine flavors lay atop a rich dark-roast base, woody tannins drifting across the flavor profile, alcohol making itself apparent, spicy throug the mid-sip tendrils of sweet roast extending through the dominant flavors causing the beer to swing from sweet to sour several times in the course of a single sip. At five years, the hops have little bite left; the late finish spicy is more salty -- think salt licorice -- than truly bitter. The mouthfeel is rich but also somewhat hot.

This is a complex and tasty beer, with a tremendous amount going on within the span of every single sip (just think, we hit sweet, sour, salty, bitter). Still, I prefer a number of the better made US imperial stouts to this one, and at this price point there is little to draw me back to it.

2000. Black red color. Very thin head. Strong port aroma, a little roasty, and alcohol. Flavor is same, with a finish that gets bitter after a few sips. Alcohol very strong in the flavor.

Version 2000. Robe noire très opaque avec une trainée brune visqueuse sur le verre. Aucune mousse. Bois, alcool, réglisse, café, chocolat amer, houblon. L’alcool est peut-être un peu trop présente pour 9%, mais c’est bien bon!

Pours death black. Little or no head. Woody, sour, licorice nose. Sweet, dark roasty malts...Licorice, dark chocolate, coffee, wood, blackened earth, leather, dark over-ripe fruit, vanilla, oily body, finishing with a roast coffee note. An awesome beer if you ask me.

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.