Scotch Irish Tsarina Katarina Imperial Stout

this was good, and I was lucky to have it. (2005) poured into a large tulip. pours very black as night thick yet quick pour with a mild head that stays steady. creamy mocha chocolate aroma with a minor hint of alchohol. first sip you notice the front tingle of carbonation and the slight mocha smoked malty finish. as you set the glass down a thick lacing slowly slides down the edge of the glass staning its footsteps... very subtle and palatable yet exstremely complex, not an overpowering palate or flavor but a subtle demanding presence. seems very thick yet goes down easy. sweet front, smoky finish, mocha background, and slight smoked aftertaste. good stuff.

Name: Tsarina Katarina Imperial Stout
Date: 02/03/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

black, wispy tan head, roasted smokey chocolate aroma, rich chocolate malt flavor, very dry at first and picks up only a hint of sweetness, light bitterness, touch of smoke
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Name: Tsarina Katarina Imperial Stout
Date: 03/28/2007
Vintage: 2005
Score: ii to iii
Words: Bottle
Words: Trade

black, big dark brown head quickly settles to a wispy head, streaks of lace, roasted milk chocolate aroma with a lactose sweetness, creamy body, light roasted flavor, touch of milky sweetness, starts of with a milk chocolate character then morphs into dark chocolate,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.9/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

[428-20070718] 341mL (Vintage 2005, c/o jerc). Strong roast malt and coffee aroma with a hint of sickly sweetness. Black body with a long-lasting brown foamy head. Light bitter roasted coffee flavour with a sweet aftertaste. Full body is fairly smooth. Was expecting less sickly sweet, medium alcohol is mostly hidden.

Bottle from MrManning and 1FastSTi. Black with beige head. Aroma is full of rubbing alcohol, chocolate and light coffee. Flavor very mild. Nice balance of chocolate and coffee, finishes with some roasted/burnt grain. Mouthfeel has too much carbonation for an impy. Decent overall, but not big enough for an impy stout.

12 oz bottle from 2005 thanks to blankboy. Aromas were nice with some chocolate and molasses. Flavors fell off a bit. Still some decent flavors in there, but a touch metallic. Maybe the age? Still decent.

Vintage 2 year old bottle. Black body with a quickly disappearing head. Ouch! Sticky soya sauce and a little acidity dominate the taste. There’s some roastiness in there but it is in the background. I even got a little salted flavour. Alcohol is well hidden. 2 years of aging just shouldn’t do that much damage for an imperial stout. My friend Catherine (cathschlag) really wanted me to share that one with her because it bares her name. I hope Catherine will age more gracefully than the beer.

2005 bottle from Degarth. This has not aged well at all. Aroma is faintly chocolate malts, coffee, but I get more spoiled milk than anything, and perhaps a hint of fine garbage. Rat feces skirt the tongue like the ocean on a fine summer day, with crashing waves of fermented milk curd and raw sewage. Lo’! Elegant like Rosie O’Donnell riding a cat, no mortal beast doth touch this fair beauty, Tsarina Katarina, my love, lost.

Bottle. Average dark brown creamy head that mostly diminished. Fair lacing. Pitch black colour. Aroma was coffee, chocolate, dry fruit, liquorish, burned notes and very vinous. Medium to full bodied with a soft carbonation. Flavour was moderated sweet malty base with good burned bitter notes. Nice sweet and lingering finish.