Hawkshead Imperial Stout

Brewed by Hawkshead
Style: Imperial Stout
Kendal, England

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle @ Bruce’s. The pour’s deep brown with a small head. The nose is charred wood, roast, some ash, dark chocolate. The taste is rich roast, vanilla, german chocolate cake. Full body, oily, soft carbonation. Overall, OK.

Bottle at Bruce’s during The first stop of Jack’s Farewell - big thanks to Jack. Pours mostly clear, dark brown with a frothy tan head. Nose holds some lightly tangy, dried and burnt wood, hints of bitter cocoa, mild roast. Medium sweet flavor, fairly dry, dirt, roast, burnt wood, modest alcohol bump, some tangy berries. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Lightly warming finish, further tangy dry wood, some oily chocolate, light bitter earth. Very nice beer. Good nuance here.

Aroma: Chocolate ice cream, vanilla, Marmite, ash, bubblegum and plum.

Appearance: Dense black body with a massive tan head that holds really well. Excellent lacing.

Taste: Very tangy. Hints of smoke, wet wood and stone fruits. It’s really smooth - no harshness at all.

Palate: Medium body with a very oily mouthfeel. Soft carbonation.

Overall: A rich, boozy, complex Imperial Stout.

Cask at ACBF 2012. A dark brown beer with only minimal head. The aroma has notes of chocolate, malt, bread, and hops. The flavor is sweet with notes of malt, chocolate, bread, and hops, leading to a bitter finish.

Solid black and I mean black tha no light can penetrate. Thick creamy lasting thick tan head. Smells of deep roast, chocolate and coffee. Rather medium oily thin body. Taste of roast that fills the mouth and lasts. Coffee, liquorish and chocolate. Sweet treacle and dark fruit. It is incredibly good but unfortunatly the alcohol feels clearly preasent. Needs a year or two of maturing an it would be one of the best beers in the world.

Had on hand pump at Pivni. What a fine dark ale. It has rich roasts, chocolate, and coffee: everything a strong dark ale should be. I would perhaps prefer more thickness to the body, but otherwise this is sensational. Rumour has it more Hawkshead ales are coming to Pivni. I can’t wait!

Cask. Jet black with a tan lasting head. Aroma: Lots of roasted malts and dark fruits and some hops. The taste is quite similar to the aroma, with some sweet carob/cocoa. It’s no wonder this is one of the hottest breweries in the UK at present.

Cask. Black, thin tan head that goes away but leaves nice lacing. Chocolate, dark dried fruits, coffee in the nose. The taste is dominated by sweet chocolate and dark fruits--not the typical big roastiness I’m used to in imperial stouts; much more subdued, which really works well for this beer. Nice thick mouthfeel that drinks smoothly for the abv.

[cask at the Caley Sample Room, Edinburgh] Fantastic imperial stout. Black, thick white head. Complex aroma of sweet wood, alcohol, dark stone fruit, coffee and chocolate. Slightly ashy dryness at first, but the sweet booze arrives very quickly. Everything is beautifully balanced and becomes so smooth in the finish. A cracker [14072012]

Cask @ The Caley, Edinburgh, EIBF 140712 8.3% version
Black, no light though, thin tan head, good lacing
Aroma - soft chocolate malts, smooth mellow roasted malts, great aroma
Taste - soft chocolate malts, light soft coffee, smooth roasted malts, complex but mellow flavour, superb flavour, great balance, alcohol is almost completely hidden
Palate - soft carb. full bodied. Smooth creamy texture. Finish as main flavour, good linger.
Overall - This is so well crafted, so well balanced, smooth and a really great flavour, no astringency, nothing rough in there at all. This is the best beer for me in the EIBF 2012