 emacgee (1132), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
May 26, 2008
Thanks a ton for ty5992. Has a nice dark black pour with no head, coaxed a thin brown one. Has a rich roasty aroma, fruity, some coffee and chocolate. The flavor is very rich, roasty, chocolate, a little waxy, nice chocolate. The palate is smooth and rich, very nice velvety mouthfeel. Finishes roasty and leaves some coffee. A good RIS, no doubt. But not as good as it is rated.
miketd (375), Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Oct 9, 2008 2007 bottle. pour is pitch black with a pretty good beige head. Aroma is roasted malt and bitter chocolate. Flavor is roast chocolate again and kind of ashy. Full bodied and good, but I remember the 2005 being better.
fonefan (4871), Ulfborg, Denmark
Sep 22, 2008 Bottle 75cl. [ Courtesy of cgarvieuk ]. Clear dark black color with a large, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, light brown head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, chocolate, licorice, tobaco. Flavor is heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration. Body is medium to full, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. (260708)
gunhaver (660), Tampa, Florida, USA
Sep 18, 2008 Bottle. Pours pitch black, with a thick tan head and sustaining creamy white lacing. Aroma is big on roasted coffee, chocolate, toasted malts, cereal. Flavor is more of the same, with chocolate in the forefront, coffee, and a bitter roasted finish. Alcohol is there, but it doesn’t make a huge impact. Good, but felt the flavors weren’t as strong as I’d like to see in big imperial stouts.
tupalev (2311), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sep 11, 2008 Bottle shared with Blankboy, Jerc, Garthicus, GregClow, and Hogotwn Harry, courtesy of Harry, 2008 bottle. Very black, small choclate head. Roasty sweet aroma - nice. Great taste - roasty, bitter, full favored yet body is almost light and tingly (in a good unique way). Really good.
Beerlando (1352), Orlando, Florida, USA
Sep 10, 2008 2008 vintage, courtesy TheCheeseMan. Tasted alongside a 2008 Portsmouth Kate The Great. This looks beautiful in the glass. The body is nearly pitch black in color with just the faintest possible hint of mahogany showing when backlit. A well retained, thick, coffee colored head leaves thick flares and obtuse spots of sticky lace on the glass. Dark, roasty elements fill the nose, with baker’s chocolate and coffee dominating lesser notes of anise, licorice, and a hint of lactic cream. Flavors are just as roast-forward, chocolate and espresso calmed by smoothing molasses and vanilla. A surprisingly potent, earthy hop finish creeps into the picture. The body is medium-full and suffers from a very slight case of overly active carbonation. Alcohol is hardly noticeable, which is a major accomplishment in a beer of the magnitude. Excellent brew from start to finish. Beats the Kate The Great out by the slimmest of margins.
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