EKGoldings (447), Radford, Virginia, USA Dec 15, 2007 Almost seems like a separate style - baby imperial stout. Doesn’t have the wine character some higher gravity imps have, so his one has its alcohol very well hidden. Nice flavor balance, roasted malts, some dried fruits, some zing from the slightly overdone carbonation. If you find imps too trong for your taste, you might like this one. BigBeer45 (675), Troy, Michigan, USA Dec 14, 2007 Pours mostly black with brown edges, dark tan bubbles emerged that leave some lacing and a somewhat oily film on the glass,
roasted malt with fruit sweetness, dark chocolate and chocolate fragrances, some dark roasted malt (almost burnt)
aroma appears as the ale assumes room temperature, initially dark roasted, some slightly burnt malt with dry bitter chocolate flavors,
faint sweetness, faint berry and chocolate taste towards the finish, the burnt malt flavor taperes off as it warms, I got a faint coffee flavor
as the brew reached room temperature, not as heavy or chewey on the palate as some other impy stouts but smooth and easy to drink,
I hardly detected any alcohol, alcohol is hidden pretty well, much better then their Heresy. lb4lb (2011), Austin, Texas, USA Dec 14, 2007 Big thanks to LittleBreeze on BA for the bottle! Pours oily, thick black with a big tan creamy head after a violent pour. Notes of Dry cocoa, rich dark roastiness, faint hint of alcohol as it warms, and some nutty, oaty sweetness as well. Very nice. Taste is nicely dark roasted, with drying cocoa powder notes. Again a touch of alcohol that is unobtrusive. Body is a bit more carbonated than expected but subdues after a bit and the beer is still thick and nice. Overall this is a great beer that surpassed my expectations. dpjuart (670), Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA Dec 14, 2007 12 oz. bottle. Pours dark black with chocolate head, creamy and small. Roast and chocolate nose with some hops. Also some dark fruit, mailny plum and raisin. Great roasty character, chocolate and light fruit. Dry hop finish with some coffee notes, bittered pretty well. Alcohol is masked, but shows up a bit in the finish, right there with the hops. The after is straight coffee, dry and mouth-puckering. Mouthfeel is a bit lacking, medium-watery, not thick and viscous. Carbonation helps it out a bit. I would have to say, though, that its my only complaint. Not a bad beer, but lacks a bit of complexity to put it in the top-tier Impy Stouts. Drinkable, and is definately a repeat. jpm30 (1588), East Central, Georgia, USA Dec 12, 2007 12 oz. bottle, no bottling/freshness date, sampled in a snifter.
Poured a lush looking blackish brown, like crude oil, with a robust tan head that settled into a thin sudsy lacing, light amount of sticking.
A rich smelling nose of dark malts and fruits, mocha coffee, caramel, roasted grains, plums and raisins. Hints of orangey hops hang out at the edges and the alcohol is a barely noticeable estery.
Smooth and thick feeling body with an oily slickness on the tongue, this is one easy, velvety sipper. Delectable malty tastes of charred grains, dark chocolate and mild dark earthy coffee. The alcohol meshes with the plum and raisin fruitiness for a steady low temperature warmth in the mouth. The hops are properly subdued, just light traces of citric orange and a soft leafy bitterness in the finish.
An very enjoyable Imperial Stout, tasty, smooth and balanced, perfect for a cold December night.
tytoanderso (1382), St. Louis Park, Minnesota, USA Dec 8, 2007 12oz bottle. Aroma of roasted malt, anise and semisweet chocolate. Pours opaque brown with dark amber highlights. A creamy khaki head fades fairly quickly but leaves decent lacing. Lots of roasted sweetness on the palate. A hint of bitter coffee, bitter chocolate and anise. Fairly astringent bitterness. Medium boded with a bitter roasted finish. kassner (429), Wexford, Pennsylvania, USA Dec 7, 2007 For the style The beer is sweet and the sweetness lingers. The palatte is also quite nice, a little too astringenttones The head is avery nice red brown over the darkclear beer. Carbonation is good but not overpowering. It has no noticeabl;e hop finish like Stormking, just a sweetness that lingers. One nice feature is the alcohol never surfaces though the beer is 8% SHIG (2012), Aviano, Italy Dec 3, 2007 Bottle at Toms Ultimate Glasgow Tasting: Poured a Black with a light brown head. Aroma is sweet candy and roasted malt. The taste is roasted coffee with a slightly smoked fruit finish with bitterness.
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