12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled 2/14/2017. Pours pitch black color with a nice 1-2 finger dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, dark/brown bread, toasted biscuit, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, licorice, dark fruit, herbal, wood, pepper, pine, and roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, light-moderate earthy hops, and light fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, dark/brown bread, toasted biscuit, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, licorice, dark fruit, herbal, wood, pepper, pine, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate roast/char and woody/spicy/piney hop bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, dark/brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light smoke/char/dark fruit, herbal, wood, pepper, pine, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, light-moderate earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and zero acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/roast/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Minimal warming alcohol for 8.2%. Overall this is a fantastic imperial porter! All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, light-moderate earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV; with the modestly bitter/drying finish. On the roasty side for a porter, but nails all of the biscuity/nutty/sweet dark malt complexity that was expected. Well hopped, but not overdone. Fits more of an American porter profile, with English style influences. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example.

12 oz bottle; clean, very dark brown pour with a small head; roasty aroma; nice, flavorful mouthfeel; roasted malt tast with slight alcohol aftertaste but not a kick;

Draft at Crunchy’s, East Lansing. Deep charcoal body with reddish edges, thin light brown head. Dry nose with huge roast and roasted coffee beans in addition to just a hint of vanilla. Dry, slick body with coffee beans and oily roast, liqueur-like with warming alcohol. Extremely rich but not sweet, one of the finest porters I have sampled.