Got in a trade with beergoot. 375 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in 2017. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a small dense and creamy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, cherry, date, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, wood, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of huge dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, cherry, date, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, wood, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal, woody, grassy, peppery, roast, charred bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, licorice, raisin, prune, fig, cherry, date, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, dark bread/crust, smoke, charcoal, wood, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Light carbonation and full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 12%, with no booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding imperial stout. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mildly bitter/drying finish; fantastic soft feel. Tastes a bit Belgian to me, but works really well. Perfectly balanced between rich English malts/oats, and fruity yeast; with solid earthy hop presence. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and very impressive style example.