Hopfenstark Kamarad Friedrich - 5 Star Edition (Oak Aged)

Brewed by Hopfenstark
Style: Imperial Stout
L’Assomption, Canada

500ml bottle from Fred, the brewer. Thanks! Great pour, very black, nice brown unite. Very buttery, oaky aroma, light cacoa nibs and strong alcohol in the back. Flavor is chewy malts, pure cocoa and whiskey with a chewy malt note and strong black bean and wheat stalks in the finish. Very nice body for 11%, not too much alcohol. Quite a beer, quite unique, but works very well.

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, tupalev, jerc & mabel -- from the brewery via GregClow. Pours black with an average size lasting frothy light-brown head. Aroma: Wow, that’s lovely! Roasted malt, vanilla, oak, chocolate, dark fruit, light smokre and more -- I could sniff this for hours. Sniff. Sniff. Flavour’s roasty along with oak, vanilla, cocoa, a hint of smoke and a touch of alcohol. Nice roasty bitter finish. Medium bodied. This is an amazing Imperial Stout -- one of the best I’ve had in a while.

Bottle at the no Greg tasting, courtesy of, of course, Greg, shared with Hogtown Harry, Blankboy, Jerc, and Mabel. Strong bourbon aroma, some alcohol, a little vanilla. Nice. Black, bubbly chocolaty brown head. Taste is good - the barrel actually softens this stout up a bit - the wood and vanilla mix deliciously with the strong roast and alcohol! Strong bourbon-like finish. Good stuff from a talented brewer.

Shared with the TO RBers. Jet black with a baileys coloured head. Quite a boozy aroma but not in a bad way,oak and smoke there also, very nice. Again, a boozy flavour, bitter, a lot of dark chocolate & smoke. Very very enjoyable.

Bottle 鸴ml). No ClowGr’s tasting, shared with blankboy, jerc, mabel and tupalev. Opaque, oily black, frothy smallish light brown head. Aroma of milk solids, plasticene, vanilla, dry old wood and deep roast chocolate malt. Taste, follows, much darker and roastier, tart cassis and burnt treacle notes, decidedly strong alcohol character, and it stays on the palate a long time. Somewhat still, slick and oily, long bitter-boozy bourbony finish - well done, very sophisticated, feels like it has some age on it - nice!!!

2008-04-01. Black body with a modest foamy brown head. Ɠ+) Fruit, roast cocoa, muted cocoa. Notes of rubbing alcohol are brief but irritatingly repetitious until they eventually graciously fade away. Ɨ+) Flavour starts with warming alcohol and leaves the palate pleasant tingly with warmth, enjoyable sweet malt, cocoa and roast followed by a healthy portion of hoppy bitterness that lingers long into the finish. Slightly fuller than average palate. Ɠ+) Solid hoppy take on an imperial stout. I am not unconditionally wowed, but sufficiently enticed to explore it more if the opportunity arises. Bottle generously shared by a friend

Bottle from the brewery. Deep brown-black colour with a small tan head. Aroma of deep roasted malt, whisky, wood and smoke. A bit of cocoa and dark fruit in there as well. Body is a bit lighter and more carbonated than I recall the regular version being. Flavour is very good - roasty to start, developing some nice bitter licorice notes, hints of wood and smoke, a bit of vanilla ad bourbon, and some boozy warmth in the finish. Very nice indeed.

Bottle. Black, brown eggshell head, high carbonation. Nose of raisins, wood, burnt toasts and alcohol. More acidic than expected, maybe this is due to barrel aging, not so sweet, lots of roastiness but not very bitter. I find it is too carbonated for the style and the body is surprisingly light for its strenght. Has good drinkability, even at 11%. Well done, a good all-rounder imperial stout.