Bottle Pours a very thick black witha dense creamy brown head and lacing that is thick, fine and resiliant. Aroma is a rich chocolately, licorice with plenty of molassas and an marked but not over powering alcohol note. Flavors are sharp smokey and quite bitter. They seem to work together well though and the feel is very smooth. Finish is bitter and of charcoal but somewhat short lived and clean. Very nice brew. Thanks to Secret Santa !

Dec 2002 bottle consumed in December 2003
Opaque Black beer with good amount of sediment (looks like black malt). Deep, rich toffee colored head. Moderate size and fairly long lasting. Smells of camphor?, vanilla roast coffee, oak barrel alcohol, dark bitter chocolate. Aroma lasts long. Quite unexpectedly, this beer is a relatively light imperial. Tastes like a strong, bitter porter without the sweet, extra malted finish. Bitter hops. Brown sugar in the middle. Dry on the finish, but not overly so. Very smooth and even. Maybe some dark chocolate lingering in the background. Finish is moderately nutty and roasty. A toned down Imperial but still very well made. The aroma kept me guessing. Some thinning after it has warmed. Not quite as complex as some of the best, though still up there. Highly recommended.
2005 bottle (I think) shared by SuIIy on 4/22/07
Nice to see that my previous score was accurate. This is still a fantastic IS. Rich and chewy, with cream, vanilla, nougat and caramel, but well enough attenuated to not get cloying/syrupy. Roast is pretty tame, only adding some light dryness on the end, but it’s pretty liberally hopped, which also helps add balancing bitterness. The Ringwood yeast, fresh and unpasteurized/unfiltered shines through, giving a light nuttiness and some earthy notes that lend some uniqueness to this one. With warming, the roast comes out further, giving a hint of oiliness and light smoke. Vinousness is moderate, with flavors of berries and light prunes soaked in vanilla. Supple texture, gentle carbonation, no raw/apparent alcohol notes.

2002 Batch:
Black in colour, completely opaque with a dense small-bubbled dark brown head. Simply put: a great looking beer! Smells of roasted malt, oatmeal, coffee, chocolate and the slightest of sweetness from pit fruit. Very nice smelling, but not perfect. Full-bodied; High carbonation; Roasted malt, coffee (espresso almost), bittersweet chocolate (~77% cacao) and once again, the tiny amount of sweetness that seems like it came from prunes or plums are all strong components of the taste. Aftertaste bittered from the roasted malt, oatmeal & coffee flavours, but sweetened a bit by the chocolate tastes. Overall, one of the best Imperial Stouts I've had recently...definately worth trying if you can find a bottle! I bought my twelve ounce bottle from Merchant's in Dearborn, Michigan and sampled it on 1-September-2003.

Thanks to Darkover for the trade. Textbook pour for an Imperial Stout. Used motor oil black with a head like you would see on a rootbeer float. Nice roasty malt aroma with a little alcohol as well. Flavor is big and bold, with coffee, chocolate, malt and raisin. Borderline great, the only thing that keeps it from perfection is a lack of complexity.