Victory Storm King Imperial Stout

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

This beer has quite a bit of hops for an Imperial Stout, which at first caught me a little off guard. Pours black and thick, thin to medium sized head with just a little bit sticking around. Not much in the way of lacing. Pretty big hops, pine needles, roasted malts, notes of coffee, chocolate, and molasses and a bitter dry finish. All blended pretty well with the hop profile more prominent than expected. Easy drinking, even at 9.1%. A good one from Victory.

12 oz bottle from a sixpack bought from Party Liquors (Steger, IL). Pours a nice deep blackish pour, largely opaque with a big burly coca cola head and syrupy thick pour. Very nice. Aromas are a sticky sweet roasted malt and chocolatey feel with a sustained coffee feel and some light dark fruit sweetness. Initial is very nice, light bitterness mixed with smooth flavors of roasted malt, coffee, some chocolate, dark fruity sweetness, and a light dust of cinnamon. Body is fairly full, not overbearing. Decent bitterness from hops and coffee, complex flavors dominated largely by coffee in the finish and some smokiness remains on the palate. Pretty nice. Hides its 9.1% ABV tag very well. Glad I finally got at this brew. Cheers.

Tulip glass. Light aroma, hints of dark chocolate, roasty malt. Thick night black with a thick white head. Espresso, and dark chocolate, mixed with roasty toasty malt. Warm foamy palate, boozy. Great beer overall.

Pours a deep black witih a small tan head. Aroma of coffee and chocolate are apparent. Tastes of coffee, chocolate, dark fruits, and caramel. A very solid stout. This is a favorite of mine and highly recommended.

Fresh 12oz bottle. Pours a pitch black body with a huge, inch thick, creamy, dark brown head that takes forever to dissipate and remains extremely lacy. Looks damn good. Aroma is sharp and dark ripe fruits, molasses, malty, coffee, american hoppy, a hint of booze. Pretty complex with a noticeable hop backing. Flavor is really nice with a great bitterness throughout without being overbearing. Very rich and dark chocolate initially, then malty and roasty, and finishes dry and coffee-like with a lingering bitterness. Warm on the way down, but no real signs of alcohol. Some plum in there too and a noteworthy dark roasted bitterness. Palate is medium to full and slightly carbonated. Dry and sticky. Overall, this is a really nice beer even fresh. Ive heard great things about cellaring this so I look forward to re-rating in the coming years...if only I can wait that long. Ive heard that it loses the pronounced bitterness and roastiness, but gains a ton of malt definition and loses the head completely. Should be fun.

I am not a fan of stouts, so I found the finish to be a little too strong, especially because of the punch of alcohol at the end. However, both the flavor and the body are exceptional, and it made the beer quite enjoyable.

Serious thanks to TheRealBastard for a bottle marked 99. Black with zero head. Had to force the tiniest show of carbonation, and then it was only a hint. Smell is super sweet molasses, plum. Flavor is full, and way complex. Sweet, sharp, malt, caramel, coffee leftovers. Way good.

bottle thanks to swalden28. poured black with a tan head. aroma had some fruity hop notes, dark roasts, and alcohol. flavor of dark roasts, coffee, and a nice bitter. a solid stout, but i think i underrated it.