Saranac Imperial Stout

Bottle at Oliver Twist. Pitch black coloured with a medium sized beige head. Roasted aroma of dried fruits, grass, chocolate and hops. Roasted flavour of dried fruits, dark berries and chocolate. Roasted finish of chocolate.

Bottle. Look: Black. No head. Smell: Soy. Not much more. Taste: First chocolate, then soy and lots and lots of coffee in the aftertaste. Espresso? Coffee beans? The alcohol is a little too strong in this brew. Overall: Nice taste in´many ways. Some clear weaknesses though.

Bottle poured into a tulip style glass. Pours a jet black with a 1/2" tan head. Aroma is heavily roasted malt and chocolate. Palate is heavy, rich and full. Low carbonation. Flavors are chocolate, molasses, malt and some dark fruit. Warming finish with an alcohol burn. Ok, so it’s not Expedtion, but it’s a nice competant stout.

I have to admit, I never have high expectations whenever I try a new beer from Saranac. That said, I found this beer to be better than most I have tried in the lineup. Pours black with a moderate-large brown head that lasted until mid-glass and left decent lace. Pleasant aroma of malt, molasses, prunes and alcohol. The flavor is malt, molasses and prunes with a bit of cardboard emerging after a few seconds, followed by alcohol. Medium bitterness at the finish. Medium-full bodied.

Bottle, 12oz. Pours black, small head. Malty, sweet nose: dark fruit, prune, raisins, chocolate. Palate is thick and rich. Flavor starts with prune sweetness, matched with nice creamy chocolate. Mid-palate brings in roastiness and some black coffee; doesn’t lose its overall firm sweetness yet. Finishes chalky and dry, with back of the mouth alcohol and flavors of bitter roasts, plum. Finish lingers nicely. Well done.

Pours black with a one finger light brown head. Aroma is of roasted malt with sweet chocolaty notes. Taste is a bit sharp on the tongue to start, with notes of chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt. Aftertaste lingers for a bit, with bitter chocolate and coffee dominating.

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle no. 2757-1150. It pours almost black with a brown, creamy head and decent lacing. The aroma is strong with malts and dark chocolate. The texture is elegantly chewy with a medium-to-bold mouthfeel. The flavors are of coffee, dry hops, and maybe even a bit bready. Smooth overall.

2009-02-05 Brown rimmed black body with a hesitant khaki head. (3+) Pleasant roast aroma with nice mild chocolate undertones, mild sweet malt. (7+) Sweetish flavour has pleasant roast and chocolate, bitterness in the finish. (7+) Smooth medium bodied palate. (3+) Surprisingly decent straightforward imperial stout. Enjoyable. Bottle from Premier Gourmet, Buffalo