Olde Hickory Stick Stout

Draft at Bayou Smokehouse and GrillI in Banner Elk, NC. I utterly fail to see how this beer is an Imperial Stout. Still the aroma is a fairly rich coffee/chocolate affair with a bit of treacle in the mix. The body is full black and holds a diminishing mocha head. Has a a maple syrup/brown sugar flavor on the first sip along with bittersweet chocolate and coffee and a hint of smoky licorice, which is probably the hickory, but I’ve never had hickory so I can’t single it out. Again this isn’t really and imperial stout, but it is a pretty decent, full bodied tweener of a stout.

Mini Keg courtesy of Degarth. Pours up dark darkness with nice frothy – creamy mocha head. The aroma is of roasted to burnt malts then into ashy-ness. The taste is much the same with highly roasted malts that head toward burnt malts and some hints of coffee. Really roasty brew but far from an Imperial Stout in style.

Mini-keg, courtesy Degarth. Pours a dark reddish brown, with a fizzy white head and wet lacing abound. Caramel maltiness in the nose, with floral hops and some chocolate. Smooth malty flavors, tender caramel...subdued compared to the aroma. Soft and easy to drink, and finishes malty.

Draft sample at Knoxville Brew Jam. Poured a dark brown color with an average frothy brown head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate roasted coffee and chocolate malt aroma. Medium to full body with a smooth texture. Medium roasted bittersweet flavor with a medium bittersweet finish of long duration. My expectations where met.