Nils Oscar Imperial Stout

Dark brown with reddish highlights? Very reticent head, really had to force it out to get 1cm. Cool restrained aroma, dark malts, milk. Very restrained flavor, roast, but takes several seconds to become noticeable before lingering on in the aftertaste. For an impy, next to no alcohol presence, and now that I look, not surprising given only 7%abv, props to Nils Oscar. Medium body, dry. The bitterness in the finish is almost woodsy as opposed to straight roast. Very good drinking. To summarize, far from big and bold, this is a leaner more finessed take on the style, very well put together, and characterized by the subtleties of dark malts that typically gets lost in other examples. Now that I check on RB, it all makes sense now as a foreign stout. Very recommended. I’m a big fan now between this and the barley wine.

Draught (St Urho’s, Helsinki) - Very dark brown, almost black in colour. Chocolate and coffee in the aroma with light hops. Tasty hoppy and chocolatey taste wih coffee and a hoppy element in the finish. Very nice.

Intensley black oily pour with thick brown head. The nose is roasty and charred grains, chocolate and licorice. Flavors follow suit with the added notes of vanilla and slight lactic tartness. The palate is very thin and seemed a bit watery.

Maybe the "Imperial Stout" in the name is throwing me off because this isn’t working as well as i’d hoped. Aroma is pretty good- smoky alcohol with a little chocolate sweetness. It appears to be a little thin, especially the head, kind of like a flat Coca-Cola. Flavor is just not all that special- dark malts, coffee, molasses, maybe some brown sugar sweetness- the smoke and graininess are working to make this stand out but it just falls short of my expectations. The palate is decent but there is some thinness or something lacking. I shouldn’t be dogging this so much, it’s a solid beer, just not for $5.79. I should also note that i’ve been sick so maybe that is influencing my judgment. This beer probably deserves another chance but i doubt i’ll take it when i could have pretty much anything else for less $$$.

Bottle supplied by LagunitasFan at the J&J Friday the 13th Tasting at WeeHeavySD’s place. Nice to sample another Swedish brew since I have not had many. This one is tricky! One of few beers I’ve had where the aroma is completely different than the flavor. Pours black with a light beige ring. Aroma is smokehouse barbecue with notes of chocolate and vanilla. Flavor, however, is just the opposite. Sharp, dry tartness with some acetic acid with not nearly the amount of complexity as the flavor. Thin bodied with minimal lingering on the finish.

Shared at J&J’s tasting Fri. the 13th. Color is dark brown with red highlights, and tan lace. Nose is chocolate, toffee, creamy, but with a sharpness. Vanilla. Taste is not nearly as good as the nose. Grass, light sourness of vinegar in the taste that is not in the nosae. Not the big mouthfull of a good stout, unfortunately. Coffee leftovers. This one was a letdown for me.

bottle from LagunitasFan tasted at J&J’s Friday the 13th tasting. Black dryish. Easy to drink. Roastiness is low.

(Draught at St. Urho’s Pub Porter Days ’09) Black. Medium sized tan coloured head. Liquorice and coffee in aroma. Full bodied and dry palate. Coffee, liquorice, roastedness, bitterness and sweetness in taste. Liquorice and bitterness in aftertaste.