Schlafly Imperial Stout

Name: Schlafly Imperious Imperial Stout
Date: 11/07/1997
Source: Brewfest, Real Ale Festival

black, frothy tan head, rich roasted malt aroma, rich and creamy roasted malt flavor, slight hint of esters,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.8/5.0
Score: *4
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The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Draught@HBF2009. Dark ruby-brown color, small beige head. Cocoa, oak and vanilla in the nose. Full-bodied, a bit sweet liquerish. Flavor is similar to aroma: cocoa, vanilla, some oak, some salted licorice in the aftertaste. Quite sweet impy, this must be barrel aged.8

Very dark, sparkling clear, ruby ale. Small, creamy, well-tanned head. Notes of buttery milk chocolate, coffee, vanilla, dark fruit, cinnamon and burnt flowers in the aroma. A touch of alcohol in the nose and flavor... only a touch. Tons of malt in this dark ale. Sticky, sweet flavor with tons of chocolate, molasses and smoke. The bitter hops are evident, but not sufficient to balance things out. Full-bodied with a syrupy mouthfeel and lively carbonation. Lengthy, bittersweet finish. Very good brew! Thanks to MJR for the growler!

I had this side-by-side with the BA version, which is much tastier. This is dark brown enough to be called black and has a thin tan head. It’s got an aroma of milk chocolate, roasted malt and a touch of barley, some smoke, and a splash of old coffee. Some dark dried fruit is added to the flavor along with a light taste of alcohol. It’s a bit thin and finishes on a dry note. Not bad.

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(Draught@HBF2009) Very dark cola brown with a small, beige head. Roasty-malty aroma with licorice hints and some stinginess. Glue-perfumy, roasty and quite licoricey flavor with moderate bitterness and some black coffee. Medium to full body with soft carbonation. Hard to say if this is a bit unclean, or just interesting. In either way, quite enjoyable.

Poured an opaque black color with a small, bubbly, tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Roasted coffee beans, chocolate, and light cherry aroma. Milk chocolate, coffee, caramel, nuts, hops in the taste, and just a light amount of alcohol in the finish. Creamy mouthfeel. Great bottling job Jeff!

Keg (HBF2009)
Very sweet roasty aroma, vanilla’s there, for sure. Salty taste - spicy - and a touch alcoholic. Yup, OK, there’s stoutness too there, that doesn’t need to be said. Tingly finish. Weird. Are there anchovies in this?

Draught at Helsinki Beer Festival 2009. Dark reddish brown color with creamy head. Vanilla and bourbon aroma upfront with coffee and chocolate in the background. Sweetish, roasty and whiskyish flavor with firm bourbon barrel note. Some solventy and sharp alcohol notes. There are some tasty elements here but overall the stout is too much lost in bourbon.