 arjoseph (514), Marshall, Wisconsin, USA
May 29, 2008 GABF 2004; tasted then, rating from notes taken then. Great imperial stout. Buttery malts on the smell, deep but also sweet. Same carries over into the taste, caramel in there with the somewhat roasty chocolate. Awesome hops kick in the finish (not roasty, but almost tangy and definitely bitter), but turns a bit thin there too; otherwise, full body and feel. Very nice.
awaisanen (1116), Irvine, California, USA
Dec 10, 2007 GABF 2007. Pitch black, viscous pour with a thick layer of tan head. Rather sweet aroma of caramels and bourbon blend with some spicy fig-like dark fruits and some dark chocolate. Mildly roasty, but the sweetness dominates the nose. A bit of additional roast bitterness could actually help smooth out some of the malt aromas, as the sweetness is a bit strong. Full bodied, chewy mouthfeel with a creamy texture and carbonation. A bit of brown sugar sweetness at first on the tongue, and then develops some nice prune/dark fruit flavors mid-palate. A bit of bourbon caramel sweetness lingers in the finish. Could use a bit more roast character to balance out the flavors, and far too sticky sweet for my preference.
fordest (1655), Santee/San Diego, California, USA
Dec 6, 2007 GABF. One of the favorites. Nice Dark pour with decent head. Lots of dark fruit and chocolate aromas. More on the flavor. Roasted malt and coffee too. Very good
xmarcnolanx (574), Kirkwood, Missouri, USA
Oct 18, 2007 Tap @ the GABF
Alcoholic twinge on the nose with chocolate notes. Taste is very smooth chocolate with a slight alcoholic finish. Very nice and well balanced. Hops do not really come through as much as I would have expected. Very good.
Ughsmash (2835), Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA
Oct 4, 2007 Yet another mason jar from the Samurai!! Thanks Exra! Looked a touch flat in the jar, but had a very welcoming rising carbonation in the glass when poured.. nice and black with just a little bit of deeper beige head sticking around. The aroma picked up lots of dark chocolate, mild coffee, and a little bit of vanilla with a bit too much alcohol apparent.. otherwise warm and very enticing! The flavor was large and imposing.. lots of dark chocolate that was fueled by alcohol, darker fruits, and anise.. warm alcohol and lots of dark malt on the back-end through the warm finish.. delightfully complex and enjoyable! Heavy on the palate with a little less carbonation than I’d like (but probably due to the effort in getting it to me).. top freakin’ notch on all fronts!
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