Old Chimneys Good King Henry Special Reserve

Bottle. 2005 vintage. HUGE thanks to Phil_L for giving me this at the last ZBF just out of generosity. I wanted to save this for a special occasion but after trying and really enjoying the regular Good King Henry it got harder to keep seeing it just seating in the cellar. Black-colored with a small bubbly brown head. Wonderful aroma full of chocolate (pralines), some alcohol, light fruitiness and some oaky notes. Flavor is sweet upfront with some chocolate notes, caramel and some fruitiness, continues slightly drier, very roasty, with some coffee, a great woody touch with vanilla notes and a bitter finish with big roastiness and a bit of alcohol. Full thick-bodied with light hints of alcohol on the tongue. A bit acidic and maybe lightly salty when I pour the bottom of the bottle. A magnificent balanced Stout.

Damn, I hate it when I get guilted into rating.Bottle shared from Douglas88. Thanks for the very special brew. So many flavors blended together and harmonizing perfectly like all 50 members of Jet. ( they were a band in the 70’s) You now when you enjoy an Expedition Stout, the flavors can almost yell at you: "hey,grey haired old guy, this is the molasss crew over here smacking your taste buds or " gee can you guess that we are from the Coffea canephora family?". The flavors in this brew whisper in your ear. Simply a wonderful brew.

A huge thanks to Doppelganger for this bottle. What a find. 275 ml bottle September 2005 vintage drank August 2008. Pours a dark brown body with a nice medium orange brown head that stays throughout. The nose is very strong and awesome; cocca, burnt malts, light dark fruits and some hints of oak. The flavor is very damn complex and so good; smoke and woody, almost meaty flavors, some barrel and soy sourness, sweet chocolates and roasted malt. I drank this with footbalm and he remarked aptly that this beer is so full of flavors, none of which are overpowering in any way. Just full enough to give you the ability to taste it all. Amazing.

Big thanks to Ken for this one. Dark black color with a creamy brown head. The aroma is predominantly alcohol at first, quite boozy, then lends itself to chocolate, bittersweet cocoa, sweet dark fruit, and dark fudge eventually comes through. Flavor has a tangy sweetness, smooth bittersweet chocolate, a light bit of coffee, and slight lactic sour quality at first but then fades. Not too tick or heavy, delightfully smooth imperial stout.

(275ml, thanks kmweaver) Small brown head atop oily black body with brown edges. Taste is moderately sweet, molasses, smoke, some tar, roast, dark chocolate. Taste is moderately swseet, molasses, smoke, dark chocolate, some milk chocolate. Sticky full body, low carbonation.