Ottos Jolly Roger Imperial Stout

Brewed by Ottos Pub & Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
State College, Pennsylvania USA

Courtesy Santa (DocLock). Black with a thick, persistent dark tan head. Strong cocoa, anise, licorice, and roast. A hint of alcohol. A lot of bitter rosat and alcohol on the taste - they both are present all the way to the finish. Slight astringency, but it settles down and behaves. Got sweeter as it warmed. Very well done. The Ottos brews I’m trying keep getting better.

Courtesy jayMFg. The pour yields a dark mahogany body with a small tan head. Minimal amounts of sudsy lacing are left behind on the glass. The aroma shows deeply roasted caramel malts overlaid with coffee, roasted barley, baker’s chocolate, and some mildly smoky soy sauce. I also picked up a bit of cream, which I didn’t expect from this brew. The flavor follows suit, though it is a bit more impressive. The bittersweet chocolate blends well with sweeter than advertised caramel and dark smoked fruits. A touch of charcoal and some creamy coffee provide interesting contrasts. Medium-full bodied and smooth. Very drinkable despite the 9%. Solid brew. I’d definitely go for this again.

Bottle from Kramer. Inky black pour with a small but nice brown head. Tar and sludgy coffee aroma with a huge alcohol burn. The aroma is actually quite unique and not what would be expected. Smooth, cookie dough and chocolate chip flavor, a touch of grass and a mild marshmallow finish. Very nice. This IS is a lot different than others and is certainly a recommended drinker. If the alcohol burn wasn’t so strong this would be 4+, but I like a beer I can get a good sniff out of without burning my nose.

Bottle. Pours near black with a small head. Aroma of smoky malts, roasted coffee, prunes, liquorice and rubbing alcohol. Very smoky taste. Gets more complex as it warms. Chewy texture. Very nice.

Draft at KClinger’s. Pitch black with a thin but dark tan head that clings just to the side. Vague roasty aroma. Smooth flavors that you’d expect, maybe even a hint of a bourbon barrel, but not over the top. Nice. (#3286, 1/10/2008)

[966-20071212] 1pt6floz (c/o HogTownHarry, w/ him, blankboy, jerc, tupalev). Roasted malt and a bit of creamy smoke aroma. Black brown body with a medium-lasting creamy tan head. Smoky roasted malt flavour has a hint of bitter tin. Medium-full body is thick. Great imperial stout but not quite as impressive as anticipated.
Other notes: See <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/new-glarus-belgi Glarus Belgian Red for related notes.

I love this stout. Tons. I love the way the smell entices me in with deep, dark roasted malt notes, and beautiful bittersweet chocolate. I love the way the flavors bounce across my palate. So much is happening here. Latte, vanilla, chocolate, roasted malts, barbecue, smokiness. It’s like heaven in my mouth. I love how rich and creamy this beer is, and the I love the perfect bittersweet notes that finish it off. I love that this is a true Russian Imperial Stout, and not an overly hopped "Double Stout", which we see entirely too much of anymore. In short, I love this stout. Tons.

I had it at the brewpub and it was by far the best beer of the day. I was a little disappointed to find that my particular serving was lacking the thick, creamy head that I was expecting and had heard so much about...