Imperial Stout (Pinot Noir)

Taster from tap at Hopscotch. Pours black. Vinous, cherry, blackcurrant, chocolate, coffee, toast, oak. Big body. Good.

375ml bottle pours out dark brown almost black topped with a fizzy head. This one popped out of the bottle. I am convinced wine barrel aged stouts are not a good idea after I have had a few bad experiences with them. Nose is pit fruit roast pino barrel notes and a bit of infection. Taste is more of the roast malts wine barrel notes vanilla and a odd end. Pass.

Deep dark brown coloured body, but only 75% opaque when held up to a light, all with a very thin, half centimetre tall, light brown head with small bubbles. Aroma of alcohol, oatmeal, roasted malt, coffee, lactose and quite a bit of oak and dryness. Medium to Full-bodied; Deep roasty flavours throughout with a lot of coffee and oatmeal noticeable, all with a big wine flavour along with some oak, vanilla and even some whiskey notes showing quite a bit of boozyness at the end. Aftertaste is nice and rich with a ton of complexities, but a bit watery and bitter from the roast, but all-in-all, very good. Overall, a very nice stout, that tastes much more like a ’foreign’ stout than ’imperial’, but a lot of complexity, and a good beer to acquire and age for a bit, if possible. I sampled this 37,5 cL corked and caged split bottle, purchased from Liqour Outlet in Boonton, New Jersey on 30-November-2013 for US$4,76 sampled at home in Washington on 04-March-2016.

Refrigerated 12.7 brown bottle poured into a snifter. Black with dark brown highlights and beige. Aroma is light tobacco, medium body, low carbonation, and some lacing. Taste is dark malt, tobacco, leather, and herbal hop balance.

Shared 12.7 oz. bottle. Pours almost black with a large, persistent and foamy tan head. Roasted malt, light coffee, and vinous notes in the aroma. Flavors of wood, alcohol, light coffee, a bit of wine, and light chocolate notes. The unconventional barrel-aging almost works, but not quite... Decent.

17th September 2015
Opaque black - brown beer, tidy tan head. Palate is light and has a mild crispness. Modest winey nose. The dark malts are thin but flavoursome, some licorice and a little roast bitterness. Trace of wood. Very mild red wine and berries. Light dry finish. Modest bitter linger. Not bad but not the big sumptuous treat I hoped for.

Smells like pinot noir from beginning. Some roast and light oak. Creamy consistency with some oil. Milk chocolate. Pretty nice. Pours black with good head and carpet lacing. Tap at Black Squirrel.

Green bottle, 12.7 ounces, at and from Luc Bourbonnière (merci!), savoured on March 8 2015; eye: black, opaque, thin sheet of beige head, average lacing; nose: Madeira, chocolate, light roasting, slight coffee; mouth: Madeira, chocolate, light roasting, slight coffee, semi-dry finale in coffee with presence of Madeira, medium-full body, average carbonation, mildly bitter, lightly harsh texture; overall: correct FRANÇAIS Bouteille verte, 12,7 onces, de et chez Luc Bourbonnière (merci!), savourée le 8 mars 2015; œil : noire, opaque, mince couverture de mousse beige, dentelle moyenne; nez : madère, chocolat, légère torréfaction, très léger café; bouche : madère, chocolat, légère torréfaction, très léger café, finale semi-sèche en café avec présence de madère, corps moyen-corsé, carbonatation moyenne, moyennement amère, texture légèrement râpeuse; en résumé : correct

A deep dark stout with a thick frothy creamy brown head. In aroma, sweet fruity chocolate malt with light herbaceous hops, light grapeskins, soy sauce, alcohol warmth. In mouth, a sweet fruity chocolate malt with light molasses, licorice, light coffee grind, grassy hops, light mineral notes, alcohol warmth, pleasant.

Bottle. Pours black tan head. Nose/taste of black licorice, red grape, oak, charred wood and dark fruit. Medium body.