Bottle @Luppolo Station (Rome). Bruna, quasi impenetrabile, schiuma beige media, discretamente persistente. Al naso note di caffè, caramella d'orzo, frutta rossa. In bocca è dolce con note di cioccolato e caffettose sul finale. Corpo medio-leggero, carbonazione media. Buona.

Bottle from Foragers, Brooklyn 7-10-18 (mcm only)

12 fl oz bottle. A clear very dark brown beer with a mid-sized most good lasting beige head. Aroma of liqourice, dark soft roasted malt, cookies. Taste of strong dark malt, red malt, roasted malt, liquorice, some chocolate.

Bottle @ home. Opaque black color with a medium sized light brown colored head. Aroma is malts, nice firm chocolate notes. Taste malts and again chocolate, chocolade bitter, bitter. Hmm ok, decent.

Black with thin head. Aroma and flavour have some caramel, brown sugar and roasted malts. Nice smooth texture. Overall a bit too sweet.

355 ml. bottle. Joint purchase & share with Kraddel. Black, mocha head. Nose is low roast, chocolate, date, sugar, cookie dough, sweet mocha. Rather thin beer, there is cookie dough but also thin gravy which takes it bit down for me, weak, plastic, mocha, cookie dough saves it but I am not blown away with it unlike their anniversary beers.

Bottle at home. Very dark brown with dark beige head. Milk chocolate, peach, soft berries, sweet malts, agave syrup, cocoa-fantasy fake chocolate, light earthy. It’s surprisingly fruity and malty, with some chocolate but no typical Imperial Stout roasted notes. Over medium sweet and just medium bitter. Over medium bodied. Not really a RIS but I like the peach-chocolate combo here.

Backlog rating, as Satin Solstice. Vanilla wood aroma, milk chocolate. Dark brown, low brown head. Dark wooden roast, chocolate, coffee, preserved fruit. Medium body, mellow mouthfeel. Very roasted bitter.

From Mar 2008

I got this in a trade with Grizzly Adams. Thanks Cole!

The pour reveals a near pitch black liquid with about an inch of tannish foam with some fine lacing. The foam all but disappears after a few minutes.

The smell has notes of roasted malt, toffee, chocolate, coffee, and some dark fruit. Over all, it smells like it's going to be relly sweet.

The taste starts off with good roasted malt and coffee and then some toffee and chocolate. There's some bitterness mid palate that becomes more noticeable after a few sips and it dominates the finish. A nice medium mouthfeel helps make this a fine RIS to sip on but I think the alcohol is more apparent than the abv would indicate. That's not a slam because I do think it's a very tasty and easy drinking example of the style. I'm glad I got to try it.