Victory Storm King Imperial Stout

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

Had a fresh bottle next to a 99 vintage thanks to Beastiefan2K. Pretty typical stout but I will say the older vintage, even oxidized, was way better than fresh. Not sure what they did to this beer but it isn’t very good anymore.

Aroma of dark fruits, aniseed, dark chocolate and wet earth. Pours black with a full brown head. Heavy lacing even if a broad snifter. On the flavor, fruits, mostly cherry and melon, ride over and are well harmonized with a rich roasted malt backbone, toast, oatmeal, molasses. Beginning sweet and tart, it progresses towards slightly bitter and boozy on the finish. Medium to full bodied, strangely drinkable despite its darkness, smooth and creamy palate, slightly effervescent with a nice alcohol burn on the tongue.

Pours a very dark black with a nice mocha head. Nice amount of lacing on the glass. Aroma is earthy with hints of raisin, molasses, alcohol, malt. Flavor has a nice hop bitterness to start and then very complex malty notes into the finish...dark chocolate, coffee and more in this one. Mouthfeel is silky and smooth. This is a very nice Imperial Stout. A nice find for me as I hadn’t heard any buzz until a chat with the owner of Belmont Station here in Portland...Cheers Carl!

Nice RIS from my real home state. Almost jet black with small tan head. Nice aroma of coffee, sweet malt, and hops. Flavor is complex: lots of hops, sweet malt, coffee, chocolate, and something else I can’t quite put my finger on. Palate is smooth, maybe a little on the watery side if I’m going to nitpick. A nice beer, different from most in its style.

(11/13/08) Bottle at friends’ house in Philadelphia. Black-colored with a small light brown head. Aroma of heavily roasted grains, some coffee, licorice hints and lots of hops. Very bitter and roasty flavor loaded with hops, coffee, dark bread and some herbal notes. Body seems a bit thin for an Imperial Stout. I don’t like really hoppy Stouts.

Very pretty pour. Black, with a thick, light mocha-colored head. The usual notes for an Impy stout, though this the nose on this one tends more toward the stale coffee side, and farther from the molasses / chocolate side. Flavor confirms. Bitter, stale coffee, with some cacao and deep, burnt malts. This one was heavy on the hops, for sure. I enjoyed it, but this style has a much higher bar for me, and this one didn’t quite do it.

Thick beer with low carbonation and no head to speak of. Flavors of molasses, coffee, roasted malt, and dark chocolate. Has sort of an acrid bitterness not for the faint of heart, but it really grew on me. Excellent.

Bottle. Pours a very dark brown color with a large, frothy, brown head. Lacing is excellent. Aromas of malt, port, and hints of citrus from the hops. Lively mouthfeel with an initial hop taste, then the traditional stout finish. Slick feel throughout the tasting too. Not the best stout I have had, but it is above average.