8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

From Good Times Oakland, batch 9422.

It pours black with slight hues of red, good retaining head of foam with very good lacing.

The smell is coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malt, toast.

The taste is roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, quite bitter though it does have some sweet notes here and there. No sign of any vinous character.

Medium bodied, lowish level of carbonation, I would drink this again.

7.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8

25/1/2025. Bottle at the ITFC vintage and rare Saturday share part 1. From Beers of Europe. Pours close to black with a small frothy beige head. Aroma is chocolate, roasted malt, caramel, dried fruits, dark coffee, slight nutty edge. Medium sweetness, moderate bitterness, touch of alcohol tartness. Medium body, average carbonation. Developing roasted bitterness to finish. Good.

8

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

8

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle (2018, bottle # 02965) from Liquor Junction, Reading. Clear, virtually opaque brown w/mahogany, nice viscosity, ephemeral head, no lacing. Aroma is strong earthy, peaty malt, molasses/toffee and a bit dusty with background vinous quality, as advertised. Taste is strong red wine quality throughout, initial earthy, peaty, dry malt; later strong molasses. Smooth and frothy, soft carb, dry, bitter roasted finish w/slight alcohol warming. Good strength, nice complexity and balance. How different European and American RIS are!

8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle from Beers of Europe. Pours a dark brown with small beige head with good retention. Aroma of roasted malt, golden syrup, dried fruit, caramel, ginger. Taste of roasted malts, liquorice, dark chocolate, dried fruit and spice. Medium to full bodied, slick. Very nice indeed.

7.2

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

330 ml bottle. Pours a dark brown with no head. Aromas of roasted barley and sugar. Flavors of licorice, powdery dark chocolate, dry roasted malts, a tiny bit of smoke and a bit of sugar. Dry bitter finish.

7.2

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

330mL bottle, pours black with a thin body and a medium beige head. Nose has medium toasted malt (wouldn't say roasted) and a touch of cocoa powder -- very light aromatics for an impie stout. Flavour is more assertive, with black liquorice, English bready malt, toasted malt, earthy bitterness, and some woodiness. Quite bitter, toasty, and liquorice-y on the finish. Thin-bodied compared to American/contemporary imperial stouts, but still a nice body -- I'm appreciating the lower residual sugar. Good.

8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 7.5

All bottles 33 cl. Tasted simultaneously 14.09.22: Vintage 2012 (№ 8289): very dark brown with garnet and chestnut, foam weaker, creamy with an ashy tint. Aroma seems old, a lot of stale bitter chocolate, moderate sweetness, a crust of black bread, black coffee, a hint of sourness and old red wine, caramel a little, a little spices and walnuts, nutty and cocoa-chocolate shades. Taste: sweet, caramel, caramel liqueur or balm, a little spicy herbs, mild carbonation, a little bitter chocolate and coffee, warms well, mild hop bitterness at the finish, nobly aged, woody-spicy shades and a drop of old whisky. 8/4-/8/5/14=3.9 Vintage 2018 (№ 00693): very dark brown with garnet, good cappuccino foam. Aroma: a little sweeter, honey, caramel, light sourness like from yeast and roasted malt (or barley), dessert chocolate, a little wine, bread and coffee, dried fruits, prunes. Taste: sweetish, more lively carbonation, strong dessert wine with tones of black muscatel, chocolate, coffee, a bit sour, quite elegant and easy to drink, warming effect, dried fruits (prunes and dried dates), bitter finish, good balance. 8/4+/8/5/15=4.0 Vintage 2018 (№ 00685). Tasted 02.10.20: dark brown, brownish foam. Aroma: esters, caramel, wine, honey, fruity, slightly smoky, still good. Taste: caramel, honey, malty, winey, sweet, so British. 7/5/7/4/13=3.6.

7.2

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle. Pours dark chocolate brown with pale beige head. Light barrel feel on nose, roasted malts, dark chocolate. Taste of dark chocolate, cocoa, maybe bit of plum. Okay, not really impressed though.