 tupalev (2311), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Jun 17, 2004 Updated: Mar 6, 2006
My wife brought this back from her trip to New York for me and since I have only ever had the Oatmeal Stout from SS, I thought it was a good choice. After having a bottle, I can say I enjoy it even more than the Oatmeal, a beer I am quite fond of. Deep black pour, small brown/white head. Heavy chocolate and roasted smells. Good carbonation for a stout. Lots of chocolate and roasted barley in the flavour with a really good hop bite at the end. I didn’t notice the alcohol until it warmed up. My wife’s comments was that there was quite a bit of flavour for a stout and I agree – all the usual suspects are there, but it really comes together quite nicely, while not being overwhelmed by alcohol like many in this style are. Quite good.
mjs (576), Helsinki, Finland
Oct 5, 2008 (Bottle at Tuulensuu, Tampere, on 2008-10-04) Almost black. Large tan coloured long lasting head. Roasted malts and metallic earthy aromas in nose. Full bodied and a bit watery palate with lots of carbonation. Metallic flavours, roasted malts, coffee and liquorice in taste. Long lasting aftertaste with bitter and roasty flavours.
SamGamgee (585), Santa Cruz, California, USA
Oct 4, 2008 550ml bottle. Black with a thick tan head that leaves some foam behind. Acidic roasted barley, wood, alcohol, and caramelized sugars in the aroma. The flavor has good balance of roast, sweet malt, and bitterness. Not incredibly robust, but very drinkable for the style. Nice dark chocolate flavors. Medium bodied with a lighter feel. Solid flavors, good balance. An impy that you could throw back more than one pint of.
verymerrymonk (210), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Oct 3, 2008 Pour is a thick black with a lasting tan head. Some chocolate, coffee, ripe dark fruit. A slight dry alcoholic finish.
pittnerie (2), Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
does not count  Sep 29, 2008 Yum, it has a distinct licorish taste, dark, with head. It is a good Imperial ale.
ALLOVATE (1127), Perth, Australia
Sep 26, 2008 Poured this at room temperature, which is right now near freezing anyway here in Bunbury. Appears a moonless midnight, just hankering a darkest brown looking upwards thru the glass towards its thin tan hued creamy head. A thin lace lathers the glass before an oily release causes it to drop back into the beer. It’s got a woody, topsoil, balsamic vinegar and Bovril nose with an overtone of rich 85% cocoa chocolate melted in butter. The buttery chocolate blend continues into the mouth adjoining some burnt toast and caramel, tar and leather, a little marzipan if you dig deep and milder muscatel notes. It is long and robust even in the swallow with a soft malt bitterness melding well with the chocolaty, leathery trail. It is silky to slightly oily on the palate, though the drier, dusty malt characters give it a really pleasant mouthfeel. The alcohol is well masked, consumed by the weight of the malts. This is really nice to drink, or to sup for use of a better word. It’s calming and warming, full bodied and flavoursome. A nice old-fashioned Imperial stout, that’s not too overbearing. (355mL, BBE 02/09, Frankie’s Liquor, Bunbury)
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