Shed Imperial Stout

Brewed by The Shed Restaurant & Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Stowe, Vermont USA

Serve in Snifter

Objectively speaking: A smooth and fruity imperial stout.
I like: Nice fruity complexity with grapey and blackberry notes.
I dislike: Sweet charred toffee and wooden notes hesitate before taking the roasty route which removes some drinkability and make it sweeter than necessary. Thinned-out palate akin to impies which spent long sojourns in a barrel. Noticeable alcohol despite 8% ABV.

Growler: Maple chestnut. Beige ring of head forms as tiny bubbles quickly reach the surface. Clay, tannins, rum, cotton, and leather in the aroma. Much more alcohol than roast and black currants. Light in body with a soft prickliness. Opens with a pointy edge of whiskey derived tannins augmented with a dryish brush of alcohol and toasty oak. Coffee bean and muted roast inklings reinforce the dryness. Very understated caramel and fluffy nougat hints are late to arrive, but briefly bolster the nimble body. Nary a hint of char, however, and the body’s thinness soon returns due to this. Depthless malt finish reveals but a hint of coffee to go along with a mild dusting of oak and roasted grains. The complete lack of esters and char drastically hinder the complexity, and beneath that it’s just not all that interesting. It’s also quite thin and overly alcoholic for its size.

UPDATED: JAN 13, 2006 Hand bottled by the brewer shared via weeare138. Poured a dark, dark brown color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of oak, roasted malts, light vanilla and very light whiskey. Tastes of wood, light whiskey, and some dark fruits. Although the body was on the weaker side for an Imperial Stout, the whiskey soaked oak chips definitely makes this interesting.

Much thanks to grassrootsvt for this hand bottled beer from the brewer... Appears a black with a small tan head that slowly fades and leaves scattered lacing around the glass. Smell is of oaky stout with hints of vanilla and just a touch of the rye from the bourbon. Taste is of dark malts with some oak, bourbon, and a touch of banana(kinda odd but I revisited the taste several times with the same results...mixed bourbon?). Mouthfeel is has a mild alcohol feel with some yeast and roasty malts kicking through to supreme richness.

Thanks to weeare138. Hand bottled by the brewer right off the tap. Pours a dark black with a small tan hand. Aroma of the whiskey soaked oaks chips for sure, some of the chocolate and alcohol a bit musty. Flavor of cocoa, light coffee. A bit watery but it may have been because it was hand bottled from the tap and shipped to PA. A little different them the other imperial stouts I’ve had.

Half-pint stem glass at the brewpub. Totally opaque black with a thin, everlasting brown ring of head....nose at first almost pure moderately sweet chocolate, but whispers of vanilla and almond enter in eventually.....rather odd mouthfeel with somewhat high carbonation and a bit of paperiness...interesting flavor profile helps, though, with licorice and piney hops, oreangepeel...quite bitter and roasty overall with a fairly harsh burnt finish....alcohol nowhere present...near the end of the glass, some grapy qualities appear, cutting the bitterness a bit but not really improving this solid, but unspectacular example of the style. Overall, needs a bit more body, and balance.

Verre de dégustation de 4 oz pris dans le bar du restaurant. Arôme: Odeur de malt, de café et de chocolat. Apparence: La couleur est noire opaque. Présence d’un mince col crémeux, absence de dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de café. La durée de l’arrière goût est moyenne. Palette: Le corps est moyen. L’effervescence en bouche est moyenne. Présence de café en arrière goût. (Rating #404)