Sweetwater Tavern High Desert Imperial Stout

Brewed by Sweetwater Tavern (Great American Restaurants)
Style: Imperial Stout
Falls Church, Virginia USA

Small brown head with decent retention and lotsa spotty lace. black bodied. Nose is chocolate, light roast, cocoa, oates and a hint of coffee. Body is med/full. lightly oily and lightly astringent on the palate. Chocolate, roast, caramel notes, bittersweet with some licorice notes. Lightly sweet chocolate finish. Hand bottle received in a trade with odeed, thanks much!

Bottle shared by slob, dark black body, tan colored head. Aroma of licorice, cocoa chocolate and ashe, pine, caramel. The flavor was same deal, some slight off-ness, though, light roast detectable too. A decent brew, thanks for sharing, Bert!

Growler courtesy hopscotch. An almost black pour wht hints of red and brown on the fringes. Toasted malt and coffee on the nose. Sweetness on the breath as I started to drink. On the drink I got a taste of large coffee flavor and abv. Full mouthfeel and solid carbonation. Good solid full flavor mouthfeel and blend together to make it a total package.

(growler from kmeaver.thanks man)awesome appearance as far as impy’s go.jet black with a dark thick brown head.the aroma boats loads of pine hops,molasses,roasted coffee,roasted malts,and alcohol.the flavor does much of the same along with some brown sugar,burnt coffee grounds,and chocolate.not bad,but not great either.

Growler shared by Odeed; Nose of chocolate, raosted coffee, and a bit of smokiness; black with a big beige head; flavor has chocolate, light hoppiness, coffee, and and alcohol note; finish is light hop bitterness.

Blind Imperial Stout Tasting. Black body with a small tan head. Dark chocolate nose with roast, burnt malt and ash. The flavor is moderately sweet with molasses, chocolate and ash. Full body is soft and sticky with moderate carbonation and an astringent finish.

Many, many thanks to Ken for the bad-ass growler! Poured a thick, near-black with a creamy, well retained, dark tan head.. sticky lacing stuck on the glass. The aroma was surprisingly hoppy after a couple glasses and as it got to room temp.. spicy and pine notes rode elegantly over rich layers of chocolate and light molasses.. dark and seductive, and it made me drink more than I should have. The flavor had dark, well-roasted chocolate at the core, with caramel imparting some sweetness.. heavy pine bitterness surrounded, and made this a very enjoyable, well-hopped imperial stout.. long sweet, spicy, and roasty finish. Heavier-bodied, warm, and well-balanced, especially considering the ABV.. grainy, warm finish lasted quite a while, and carried through a lot of the bitterness. Excellent beer!

Courtesy hopscotch. Growler. The pour is a dark mahogany brown to virtually black color. A small, frothy, bubbly tan head reverts to a wispy film rather quickly, leaving behind some spotty, sudsy lacing. The aroma shows cocoa malts, roasty coffee, and a touch of molasses sweetness. The flavor turns a bit more soft and luxurious, with a lactic creaminess accompanying the sweet dark chocolate. Woodsy vanilla notes enter the fold as well. The medium-full body is very smooth on the tongue, lending to drinkability but not really impressing for such a big imperial stout. This is a very nice brew, but a tad bit overrated for sure.