Are Imperial Stouts over-rated?

Originally posted by madmitch76
So yes - hard to really fuck up an Impy unless you are Southwark or Harvey’s.

Nope. As with other Harvey’s, tried it a few times as you and many others love ’em and I think I need to persist but I still think the stout is grim.

Ho ho, the Harveys wind-up has begun!

First time I tasted H’s RIS, it was so unlike any other stout I’d ever had, I realised that I shouldn’t judge it as even being the same style of beer. It was a little disconcerting. However, half a world of beer later, when I next had it I realised what a delicious brew I had in my hands.

To each his own.

Originally posted by FatPhil
Ho ho, the Harveys wind-up has begun!

First time I tasted H’s RIS, it was so unlike any other stout I’d ever had, I realised that I shouldn’t judge it as even being the same style of beer. It was a little disconcerting. However, half a world of beer later, when I next had it I realised what a delicious brew I had in my hands.

To each his own.

I think Ratebeer has caused a resurgence of the number of Imperial stouts brewed, oh, and many other Imperialized beers. read into that what you think.

the banter is good, but it’s also how Ratebeer works, big beers win. Oh, and US beers, and Danish beers, and more and more we already know.

Do you want to fix this? do you think it’s wrong? I hate people justifying their beer purchases "coz it’s got a 98 on RB,bro. "

And, what is good beer to some, is frequently dif to others - the lens we look at beer through is a very interesting subject.

Is this thread still going, i thought i had it all sorted on page one when i said NO

and, on the same subject: http://www.ratebeer.com/forums/why-skew-the-numbers_270987.htm

I think Harvey’s Imperial Stout is the best imperial stout in the world. It’s the only one I’d put in a list of my top 50, or even 100, beers, probably. It’s not that I don’t enjoy imperial stouts, but Harvey’s is one of the few that has the complexity and depth of character to be up there with the best things I’ve had.

Originally posted by GarethYoung
I think Harvey’s Imperial Stout is the best imperial stout in the world. It’s the only one I’d put in a list of my top 50, or even 100, beers, probably. It’s not that I don’t enjoy imperial stouts, but Harvey’s is one of the few that has the complexity and depth of character to be up there with the best things I’ve had.

In my (probably twisted) synathesiastic mind, drinking a new RIS should be like making luuurve to a beautiful woman.

The RIS (hereafter referred to in the female vernacular) should be soft and warm, caressining and enticing. She will have big round voluptuous flavours that flow seamlessly in to each other in intriguing ways. My tongue (cough!) will want to explore all those (ahem!) Interesting intersections. She will be sweet and certainly a little spicy.

Harveys - bitter, dry, tired, thin and not a little yeasty. Fuck my old boot, I’ve pulled Dot Cotton!