4.8 AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
I had this beer on tap at the brewery while I was on vacation there. The worst thing about this beer was that they don’t bottle it and they didn’t have it available in growlers while I was there. I made sure to stop back at the brewery right before I got on the plane to have one last pint. It’s that good. It pours jet black with a very thick mocha head that sticks around for a while. The smell is great and reminds me of smelling ground coffee beans, chocolate malt grain, and black patent grain. It is exceptionally creamy with coffee, roasted, and chocolate flavors. Many of the coffee stouts that I have had an associated bitterness with the coffee, but the use of 100% Kona beans seems to have eliminated that bitterness. It has an excellent full body. The only reason that I don’t give this a perfect drinkability is that the ABV is so high. This is probably my favorite Kona brew. I wish I was back in Hawaii now...
4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
UPDATED: AUG 27, 2010 "now we’re talking. i love the pipeline porter, which is a porter brewed with Kona coffee. this is the imperial stout version, so apply all the goodness of the porter, and apply to the body and full flavor of an imperial stout. Yummy!"
4.3 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
UPDATED: SEP 1, 2007 My favorite beer at PP Strong Ale. A nice Impy Stout with a real espresso kick. Rich cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, almost full bodied with a nice alcohol kick. Rounding it all out is a nice hop bitterness that makes it all blend together.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20
Cask at Kailua Kona brewpub. Dry, rich, roasted malt aroma with a hint of nuts. Good head retention; black body, opaque. Considerable alcohol profile. Provides a richness. A very nice brew that has a lot of flavor for a cask. Probably Kona’s best brew other than the Old Blowhole, which I was unable to sample because it had recently run out.
4.2 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
On tap at Koko Marina. Poured a deep brown, almost black with a thin tan head. Aroma was awesome with notes of coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, and dark fruits. Flavor was primarily coffee, but chocolate was present, along with a slightly bitter finish. Full bodied with soft carbonation and a creamy mouthfeel. This was my favorite beer at the pub.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 18/20
On tap at the Portland Holiday Ale festival. Colour... nearly black with no head at all. Nose... mild coffee, vanilla and marshmallow creme. Palate... essentially no CO2, rather thin bodied, but a burst of cafe au lait followed by caramel creme, toffee, vanilla and a smooth sweet finish.
4.1 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
On tap at the brewpub. Very dark, minimum lacing in a tulip glass. Espresso nose, coffee, dark chocolate, mmmm. Oily palate, with heavy coffee, a bit heavy handed, not a lot of complexity or subtlety but very nice nonetheless.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 14/20
Happy to say that this was rating number 1000. A well deserving stout of big proportions and huge flavor. This one is like chilled coffee with a rich dark malt sweet flavor backbone. Thick, but not chewy. This is a stout that doesn’t feel too heavy. Incredibly black color with a thick head which is retained throughout. Brilliant beer.
4.1 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Thank you, Logan, for prompting me to sample this at GABF05, even though it was "tapped out." I did the secret handshake you taught me and I was rewarded with a big sample. The beer was very roasty, rich, and very creamy. Curiously enough, as I tasted it, I kept thinking of a well made coffee ice cream. Mild aromas of vanilla and coconut surfaced in the finish and aftertaste, with a small nip of alcohol and tobacco coming up in the rear. Kept looking over my shoulder nervously for the ATF. Freshly brewed coffee exuded throughout ... and I love coffee.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
UPDATED: DEC 21, 2010 On draught at the brewpub in Kailua, served in a snifter. The beer pours black with a medium beige head that burns away slowly. Patchy lacing on the glass. Aroma of roasted coffee, dark chocolate and malt. Rich and smooth body with a strong black coffee character accented by mildly bitter hops, toasted malt and chocolate. The finish is roasty with a lingering coffee aftertaste. Good beer all around.
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