Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #5

Formerly brewed at Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Houston, Texas USA

This pours black. This is how it should be with a RIS, so it’s starting out well. It produces a minimal head of dark brown foam. With 10.00%abv though, this is understandable. The lacing is in tiny spots and mildly sticky. The liquid leaves a slightly oily film on the glass and the lacing is sliding it. This has a huge, malty nose, with a touch of sweetness and a lot of roastiness. There are mild hints of dark cherries. Much to my surprise, I’m getting a good level of vanilla here, also. A very light hint of licorice. This is definitely heavy on the big, dark, roasty flavor, but it’s not in a palate destroying way. It’s actually smooth and quite nice. There are notes of rich, dark chocolates. There is a sweetness of dark cherries that is very nice. The vanilla notes are not as big as they were in the nose, but are still here. This is a big, bold, beer that manages to maintain a wonderfully drinkable balance. This one is full-bodied and viscous. It has a mild level of carbonation. This presents itself as very smooth and nicely creamy. Almost like velvet. Wonderful. The high abv is well-hidden. If I didn’t know, I’d guess it to be in 6.5% to 7.5% range. Combine this with the wonderful flavor and balance and this is a very drinkable and enjoyable brew. I wish I had a warehouse of this stuff.

This is my favorite of the St. Arnold’s Divine Reserve beers that I have been lucky enough to try. I love imperial stouts and this one is no exception. Great beer.

Bottle at home ... Thanks to Bu11zeye for this one ... deep black .. thin tan lacing ... smokey charcoaly roast malt nose ... Again a little smokey ... some chocolate ...some coffee ... but its the definitly got a odd deep smokeyness ... some warming alcohol ... little spice ... building coffee ... some raisins ... quite nice once i got over the unexpected smoke tones

Bottle split with Cavie. Aroma of alcohol, malt, and toffee. Tastes like chocolate, alcohol, and malt. Coffee and alcohol aftertaste.

HUGE thanks to Lumpy for this one! Very dark brown pour. Sweetbread aroma. Sweet scents of dark malts and caramel. Most intriguing taste. Has large hints of dark chocolate and coffee ground. Interesting but so tasty! As it warms there is a fair taste of raisins.

Bottle from Tom. Thanks! I have wanted to get my hands on this one for a while. Black colored pour, roasted malts and coffee / chocolate in the nose. Taste is very dry and rich, toasted coffee notes and chocolate and dominant. No alcohol to be detected. Pretty damn good beer, still drinking very well despite being two years old. Thanks Tom.

Dark brown color, dark brown head. Molasses, dark chocolate, tobacco leafs, dark cherries, nutty rich nose. The roasted character isn’t so prominent in the mouth, more focused on baked cake, charcoal, dark chocolate, tobacco leafs, dark fruit. Slightly boozey and bitter. Molasses and dark chocolate lingering in the finish. Very rich, very warming, very complex, very wonderful.

From the Bottle at Dr Bill’s Tasting Falling Rock Tap House, Denver 10/10/2008 Bourbon aroma. Beige head. Black smooth on the palate and strong in alcohol with a little dryness in a bitter and warming malt finish.