Sweetwater Tavern High Desert Imperial Stout

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

Growler: Opaque black pour topped by a bubbly brown head. The aroma is rich and chocolate mouse like (sweet and desserty) The body is creamy and full with loads of malt depth. Smooth carbonation, with a mild chocolaty flavor upfront, but then the finish hits with an amazing complexity of roasted coffee beans, truffle and a balancing hop dryness. A great Imperial Stout.

Handbottle from Dickinsonbeer. Huge thanks for this brew! Aroma is hot, with some mollasses--but even more soy. Black body is oily and thick. The hop and malt mixture doesn’t work for me in this stout. Plenty of huge malt and coffee/chocolate flavor, but there is an underlying bitterness that throws me off.

Roasted malt and choclate in the aroma.Pours black with a light to medium tan head.Lots of roasted malt stood out in the flavor.Medium to full mouthfeel with a smooth creamy finish.

First off, BELIEVE THE HYPE!!!!! 12oz Hand bottled by Dickinsonbeer. Thick black body with tight, dark brown creamy head. Nose hits from here, with chocolate, my mouth is watering. Nose has a strong roasted typical stoutness to it, but under that is some strong hops, and sweet malt coffee as well. Taste is actually a touch hot? Then I get bitter chocolate, and man is this stuff thick. Just hangs out in my mouth and throat. There is a sweetness swerving around to this as well. And quite an alcohol warming. Dickinsonbeer rules! sticky, fruity, pungent-smelling hops. There is also some sweet, sugary malts

Huge thanks to Ken for sending me this great growler. I have been drinking this stuff for most of the night and Im pretty messed up right now. Pours a nice deep ruby-black with some woody highlights- moslty cloudy - nice light yeast sediment on the bottom of the growler and a thin but lasting light brownish orange head. Aroma is roasty and nutty with a light hoppy kick, some fruity esters, dark and bittersweet chocolates and some alcohol as it warms. Roasty and chocolate flavor with a bit of alcohol, fruits, nutty- almond in the end, some annisette liquor, dark thick espresso and a harsh roasty acrid black malt character that I like in my impy stouts. Thick and big bodied with a somewhat chalky finish. Real nice bold impy stout. Thanks again Ken.

Growler from trade with kmweaver. Thanks Ken! Pours a pitck black color with a dark tan head. Has a nice heavy body with the aroma of expresso, smoke, licorice and rum. Taste is slightly bitter with hops and not as well balanced as I had hoped for. Seems to be a bit of a soy like twang in the flavor like someone else mentioned. However, still a good stout overall.

Rating #400. Tap, Merrifield location. Pours a pitch black core; dark tan head with fine-bubbled lacing. Plenty of milk chocolate and vanilla and roasted malts in the aroma. Full, chewy mouthfeel: plenty of dark chocolate, marshmallow, and vanilla; balanced out by a healthy dose of citrus hops coming through; tasty, dense, balanced, and remarkably drinkable. It’s nice to have an imperial stout that one can actually drink a pint of comfortably. Long, milk chocolate, marshmallow, and citrus finish.

Pours a very dark brown, the only way you can tell it isn’t black is by holding it up to the light. But don’t do that, just drink it! Huge head of thick creamy brown foam, easily 3” thick even from a gentle pour. Very nice lacing throughout the glass. Dark roasted malt and plumy aroma. Sweet chocolate malt and bitter roasted malt at the same time. Fresh vanilla. Coffee. Plum. Raisin. There are flavors going on all over the place. Bitter roasted coffee and a nice bitter grassy/herbal/minty hop presence in the aftertaste. Just about full bodied, smooth and nearly creamy, fantastic carbonation.