3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Date: February 27, 2009
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Appearance: black, fine tan head, streaks of drippy lace
Aroma: sweet dark chocolate and roasted aroma, touch of dark caramel sweetness
Flavor: rich roasted malt flavor, dark caramel sweetness balanced with a dark chocolate bitterness, touch of fruityness, light coffee, finishes with the roasted and a touch of black malt bitterness
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Draft at the brewpub. Pours a dark, opaque brown, almost black, with a small brown head with good retention. I let this one warm as much as I could. Aroma of roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, cream, earth, and alcohol. Very straightforward and pretty nice. Flavor is pretty much the same as the nose, roasty, sweet, and malty, with warming alcohol. Full-bodied, with low carbonation and a robust, oily mouthfeel. There’s nothing that stands out here to set it apart from imperial stouts, but it’s a very nice, straightforward example of the style and should be sampled when visiting here.
4.2 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
On tap at brewpub
Any brewer can make a half respectable imperial stout by tossing in enough ingredients to mask the underlying flaws. It takes real skill to create something that is still balanced and has a goal. This manages to do so despite what some previous raters feel. Perhaps my experience was against the grain but if this were a happy hour option I would be drinking it every week that it was on tap.
Aroma / Appearance - Murky and black with a chewy oatmeal colored head the beer looks like the prototype for a solid imperial stout. It is not as oily or thick as the true high ABV monsters but then again I get the sense this is not just intended to be a big beer loaded down with alcohol for no reason. Raisins, espresso, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and anise create a sweet and inviting note. It is so heavy and thick that I almost wondered if additional aging had taken place.
Flavor / Palate - Anise, smoke, and chocolate give this a chewy kick from the start. Rich malt defines the transition to a rich fudge finish. Unlike other chocolate heavy beers that spring to mind this one however is not all about being one dimensional. If it were not so hot outside that day (or if I’d had more than one day in Saint Louis) I might have tried to drink a full pint. Once word about Square One gets out this might become a popular beer.
3.1 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
almost black color, brown bubbles around the rim, lacy. nose is very mild roastiness. flavor has chocolate, musty maltiness, roasted coffee, nuttiness. medium bodied, light bitter finish. i did not detect any alcohol, and would be surprised if it were over 6% abv. on tap at square one brewery.
3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
On cask/hand pump. Black with a tan head. Nose is light burnt malts. Taste of chocolate, coffee, roasty malts, thick and chewy. Very well done.
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Around 7.5% abv, loads of chocolate, thinnish body, fizzy head. Decent chocolate stout, but not really an imperial-type feeling.
Essentially, lacks any real complexity, just a lot of chocolate flavors, some small hints of roasted grains, and thin body. Head retention is non-existent, as are any legs. Taste is okay though.
3.1 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
On tap at the brewpub. Dissapointing for the style. Poured black with a creamy medium brown head. Not much to the aroma. I want to say I smelled what should be in the aroma of an imperial stout, but I got nothing. After letting it warm a bit I got some coffee from the aroma. Flavor was mostly coffee. Solid malt body.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
well, I sampled this alongside the IIPA. I think that this beer is a little better. However, this is not an imperial stout. There is no way-very faint alcohol note, lite body for the style and not very dark. pours black with a small borwn tinge around the glass. nice tan head with large bubbles. chocolate and char dominate the nose with lite anise. lots of roast on the flavors, but with little complexity. finishes long and burnt. pretty good.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
#1004, On tap at the Brewery. Entirely opaque, thin tan head that is quickly discipating. Nose is malty with lots of cream and lots of grains and dark fruits. The taste is strong with malts and orasted coffee and very little alcohol present. Id actually say that with some more hops and stronger alcohol presence this would have been awesome. Solid.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Draft sampler from the brewery. Pitch black and opaque. Thick, tight tan head. Toasty coffee and chocolate aroma. Full bodied and smooth. Sticky and thick. Chocoalte and cocoa flavors. Nutty and toasty. So, so smooth! Negligable burn. Dry and smooth intermittently. Rich but maybe a tad too thin. But still very nice. Starting to evolve into something else. Which is good. Subtle esters and fruity notes. Nice brew!
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