Victory Storm King Imperial Stout

UPDATED: JUN 2, 2006 Bottled Dec 16 2004, almost four months ago to the date. This “King” is pouring a soupy tar black, with black currant ruby fringes and glint of that in the light. A thin brown head forms then fades…a little growth of carbonation settles in the center of the beer. The lacing is fantastic. Aroma is strong, with good aged malt and black currant aromas, backed with cherry, oak, and chocolate wafts. This smells extremely impressive, with depths and kick of hoppy sugars in the nose. Flavors are strong and flower on the tongue with roasted sugars, pecans, raisins, rum and coffee. Extreme complexity and depth to this beer…wow. Alcohol? It’s hardly even noticeable to me…and may have benefited from 4 months in my cellar. That beautiful little hoppy kiss at the end is nicely balancing the strong malt front end. This is again a character I look for in a beer, over and over, is strong flavor with good balance, and this beer certainly has it. I don’t want this to end, as the flavors are improving and blossoming as the beer warms and my palate adjusts. The palate is extremely smooth, but with a sugary dry lingering aftertaste of oak and light pipe tobacco. It’s extremely chewy and full, as I feel like biting into this beer, only to find it dissolving down my throat. Good to the last drop! Wait! I poured the rest of the beer out…and a new flowery yeast has added yet another dimension to the flavor. It never ends.