The Bruery Black Tuesday Imperial Stout

On tap @ the release, 10/27/09. Black with a small cinnamon head, fair retention. Lots of roast up front with some soy and chocolate--much roastier with more soy than the Chocolate Rain, which I had first. Oak and bourbon are noticeable, but far from dominating. Flavor is fairly sweet with tons of heat. Roasty soy finish, bitterness peaked at a 4. Light carbonation, very thick, heavy, syrupy, etc. Huge beer--a 750mL could and probably would go through eight people, unless one person wanted to give themselves diabetes. Despite its claims, I can’t see how it is 19.5%--way too much residual sugars. it isn’t ungodly underattenuated, but it is definitely sweeter than Dark Lord--more alcohol burn, too. Overrated and hyped a bit too much, IMO.

41st rating of this big ole impy. So I’ve been excited to try this but, so out of the loop I didn’t get any bottles of my own. I had this tonight at the tasting Joey from South Bay Hosted at La Bella’s Pizza. The brew pours black with a nice light brown head. Nose is sweet, smokey, oaky and smooth with burnt coffee and chocolate. Taste is sweet, choco but very very hot. The mouth feel is kind of overwhelming at first. It kind of fills my mouth. Also its way hot right now in my opinion. Its too much on the throat at first above warming, almost ethcing. I think with a couple more years this will get really excelletn.

Thanks to Greg for the sample at johns. Much appreciated! Pours pitch black with a small tan head. Aroma is up front raisin, vanilla, figs, plums, and brown sugar. Lots of dark fruit along with chocolate are sitting in the background, and the alcohol is really prominent after a good amount of sniffing and swirling. The flavor, unfortunately, is a bit of a mess.

Up front this beer has a great bourbon/vanilla flavor, and quite a bit of chocolatey goodness. Molasses and toffee round out the good parts. Very rich. It all falls apart when the cloying sweetness hits you. All of the great notes of the beer get dominated by the under-attenuation, think amaretto sweetness and you are getting close. After a few sips I’m just overwhelmed. Not enough is going on to offset the cloying aspects of this beer; it doesn’t try to hide it one bit. It also had a bit of over roasted coffee thrown in that I didn’t pick up at all in the nose. I had a rough time getting through my pour and I think if I would have finished it my score would be lower. If ever a beer demanded to be drank in 4oz portions for maximum enjoyment, I’d say this is the one.

The finish is very viscous, almost exactly what you would expect it to be. Carbonation is very soft and works really well. It does have a decent bit of peppery alcohol bite, think tequilla. Being a big spirit drinker I’d certainly question the 19.5% claim on this one though, I’d peg it more in the 15-16% range. If they hit ~20, I’d be impressed with the lack of alcohol presence. Overall this is a very nice imperial stout and I look forward to trying it again. I could see myself drinking this one in place of a nice port after a meal or when I have a craving for sweets.

750ml bottle, with a big thanks to JessetheHutt over on BA! Pours a thicker dark black with a moderate dark brown head that lingers and settles to a chunky ring. Aroma is so crammed with well integrated goodness it’s almost over the top; vanilla, molasses, milk chocolate, rich overripe dark fruits, creamy caramel, bourbon, brown sugar, oak. Flavor is more of the same and equally intense yet nuanced. This beer somehow finds a way to be powerfully intense and gentle at the same time. Can’t imagine how the ABV is so high without turning this into a complete bourbon-sweet mess, but boy if it doesn’t get the job done! This one lives up to the hype to me, thanks again Jesse!

Sample at GABF 2009. Pours a ridiculously murky pitch black color with menacing tan head. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of chocolate, toffee, caramel, molasses, brown sugar, light bourbon, vanilla, wood, smoke. Flavor is about the same with the addition of figs and rum-soaked raisins. Full body with pleasing malty with chocolaty finish. Hard to believe this is nearly 20% ABV. Very nice Imp Stout.

Appearance is surprisingly good, usually when you get this high into ABV you are looking at near stillness. This is black as can be with a very nice head and lacing. Scent is just fantastic. Nowhere near as boozy as some several percentage points less. Rasins, other dark fruits, bourbon, vanilla, and maple syrup hit me as I opened the bottle. Taste, while not nearly as boozy as several beers with quite a bit less alcohol, is still a tad on the boozy side, which I feel is the only thing keeping this from a perfect 5. The dark fruits and a sweet maple presence make themselves known, along with the vanilla, smoke, light wood. Mouth is just great, a great level of carbonation that I would consider medium level overall, and a pretty suitably thick feel. Overall, this is a really incredible achievement in the style. Managing to get the ABV this high, and having it not taste like rocket fuel and fire, LET ALONE having it taste damn good in the process, is just amazing.

Fuck. I mean fuck. Motor oil black. Brown head. Aroma of liquid prunes. Raisins. Chocolate. Booze. And oddly enough it has an aroma that reminds me if sam Adams utopias. Flavor is unreal. Sweet and boozey. Raisins. Bourbon. Chocolate. Brandy. Fuck me. This beer is amazing. Unreal.

On tap at the Bruery. Pours very viscous, like maple syrup. Aroma is a very rich combination of brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, toffee...Not over the top but pretty close to it. Taste is very sweet, and I love sweet so this is good.
Actually reminds me a lot of Avery Mephistopholes, if it were barrel aged. I think the times I’ve tried Mephistopholes, it was oxidized and little autolyzed, but then I didn’t try it fresh. Mephistopholes seems like a beer you wouldn’t want to try fresh. I don’t notice any major flaws like that in Black Tuesday.
Certainly a dessert beer, that I would in no way want to drink a pint of (800 calories). I’ve got an 18% muscat wine that has been sitting on the shelf for over a year. It is also very sweet and delicious and flavorful, yet I find myself going for a nice red wine or beer instead. I think of Black Tuesday the same way. So I can’t give it close to the 5.0 rating that the hype train is dictating. I gave Avery Mephistopheles a 4.0, and this has less flaws, so I bump it to 4.3, primarily hit by low drinkability. There I said it.
Excellent beer! Cheers!