4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Mini-vertical tasting of 07, 08 and 09. This is for the 08 (my fav) at the tasting. Poured a dark brown with tan full head. Big aroma of yeast, chocolate and vanilla bean. Taste is potent and filled with toffee, raisins, molasses, and malts. Creamy mouthfeel. The finish is boozy, with a sweet chocolate ending. Crazy big beer. A must try.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
11th June 2009
Opaque black beer. Soft light palate. Very smooth stout, roasty and bitter traits are absent. Rich chocolate with a little coffee. Tangy - subtle fruit. Rich malt finish with a trace of brandy. A superior Impy Stout. Deft, intense and alse very light.
4.5 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 19/20
’10 vintage. About cut my hand off trying to get the wax of this bottle. Anyway, this pour absolutely gorgeous, black with a small brown colored head. Didn’t leave much lace, just a bit. Lots of aromas bouncing from this one. Dark roasty malts, black licorice, some coffee (Columbian roast), cocoa, wait, maybe milk chocolate and just a tinge of smokiness, could smell for days. Flavors were just as intense, long roasty malts, chocolate, coffee grounds, lightly bitter, slightly sweet, I’d say just about perfectly balanced. Leaves a big bitterness in the mouth post sip. Welcome’d in my book. I would love to try this next to an Expedition and compare, I’d imagine they would be quite close. Just shows you how great Bell’s is. Regardless, what a job from Surly. Fantastic. My 70th rated Imperial Stout.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
’08 vintage pours black as oil and smells of coffee, chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, leather and tabacco. Sweet chocolate, coffee, vanilla and tabacco. Mouthfeel is thick and chewy and the finish is chocolate, molasses and smooth.
4.2 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
2010 bottle, shared by Hoprider. Black pour, brown head. Aroma has molasses, creamy roast, some smoke, alcohol, port, good coffee/espresso, very nice balance with milk chocolate and ripe prunes. Some spices as well. Taste is very thick with plenty of sweetness, very gentle, silky and soft, without losing the punch. Extremely well balanced. Lots of sweet chocolate and espresso in the taste as well.
4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
completely loved this. super opaque, slick and sticky but not cloying. super complex, plenty of roast but with layers of fruit, cocoa, molasses, slightly astringent. one my favorite scores of the year
4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Vampire bottle thanks to thebaldwizard. Dark black pour, thick tan head. Fairly dry for an IRS. Very roasty, dark malt, dry chocolate, bitter hops, and notes of fruit in the background. A nice stout, but did not live up to the top fifty.
4.3 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
’08. Pours as black as any stout I’ve seen with a thick syrupy pour and a deep dark brown head. Smells of sweet caramel and chocolate, vanilla, oak, tobacco, and licorice. Lots of tobacco on the palate with chocolate and coffee really coming through. Honey and vanilla with some nice dark fruits like raisins and plums coming through. This is very oily, with a very heavy mouth feel. Long bitter finish.
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