Victory Storm King Imperial Stout

Brewed by Victory Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Downingtown, Pennsylvania USA

After hearing so many good thigns about this beer I figured I had to give it a try. Picked up a 6pack and chilled just below room temp. Cracked open my first one, poured it, and was very impressed. I havent seen a King that dark since James Earl Jones in ’Coming To America.’ The thin tan head sat on top of my glass till i started drinking. It smelled great, dark chocolate, raisins, badussy, and so on. It was thinner than I expected, no oat taste, thin, hot with alcohol, and rinses off the pallet quickly leaving behind the coffee, chocolate, and alcohol. Flavors are fantastic. The thin body makes it easy to drink. The high alcohol content makes me drunk. This beer is designed to help people like me make terrible life decisions.

Bottle, dark brown/black, medium tan head, nice aroma of chocolate malt, nice taste of chocolate, definite taste of hops that leaves a mild bitterness at the end

Pours black with a thin tan head. Really hoppy aroma which was quite a surprise. Also lots of roasted qualities and bitter chocolate. Up front hops on the tongue, then rounds out with good ol’ roastiness, chocolate, and espresso. Full bodied, lingering finish. Paired very well with my dark chocolate tasting platter for dessert!

Black with a light brown head. Aroma is hoppy with a harsh roasted undertone. Body is medium to full, slick and somewhat oily. Flavour is hoppy and roasted with notes of burnt wood, dark bitter chocolate, salty liqourice and light fruityness (green apples.) Remembered this one as a bit better the first time I tried it.

12 oz bottle from trade with adamharbaugh. Pours dark brown with dissipating tan head. Nose is roast, some booze, chocolate, ripe dark fruit, earth, licorice, and some hops. Flavor is hops, roasted malt, earth, dark chocolate, and some licorice with yellow lacing. Lingering hops and roast finish off this medium-bodied monster.

12 oz. bottle (2009) in a snifter. Aroma is sweet w/ more hops than I have found in any other imperial stout; pours jet black, albeit not too viscous (reminiscent of the Blackout Stout) w/ a substantial beige head; flavor is sweet malty w/ some molasses and smoke giving way to coffee bitterness; full-bodied, not too chewy though, ending long and tarry w/ a metallic undertone. Tobacco evident throughout. Good stuff that tastes best at near-room temperature. Nice burn on the way down- this brew has quite grown on me.

Pours very dark with a decent size tan head. Aroma is not quite what I had expected, bright pine, lemon grass and floral hops with underlying roasted malt, chocolate, and espresso. Flavor is really hoppy at first, with the pine and such, then fades into toasted malt, coffee, and chocolate bitterness twards the finish. Coffee lingers, and hops return for a little extra bittering at the end. Different spin on an imp. stout, but not bad.

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter. Quite black in color, but with a red/brown tinge when held up to light. Very small tan ring around the glass. Aroma of roast malt and dark fruit. Taste of toasted/roasted malt, espresso, and dark fruits. Mouthfeel is thinner than other impy stouts, but still smooth. Not up there with Expedition Stout to me, but pretty good.