Imperial Stout

33 cL bottle. Pours dark brown to black with a small tan head. Aroma is roasted and dark malty. Mild acidic and dark roasted malty. Lingering dark roasted malty and slight liqourice finish.

dark brown, small brown head. roasted malty aroma, rather mild. flavor is mild, licorice, caramel, roasted grains

Bottle 33 cl. Courtesy of bluebetty. Pours black with a vague tint of red and a creamy light brown head. Hard roast malt in the nose and some licorice. Medium body, sweet hard roast malt, some vanilla. Very subdued bitterness. Not much to fuss about realy, but it’s a nice straight Imperial Stout - a bit to the sweet side. 150311

Pours black with a fading large tan head.Aroma is a bit of a dissapointment at first, I was expecting more, but later on it improves. Quite sweet with plenty of treacle, liquorice and molasses. Underneath is a hint of roasted malt, coffee and smoke.Flavours are quite different with much more roasted malt, smoke and some woody notes. Alcohol follows, a little hot and powerful. Too sharp, not rich enough.Carbontion seems too high, the body is too light.

500ml bottle, 2008 version from brewery. Oily black, an inch of loose tan head settles to a nice half cm which reappears when you give it a swirl. Aroma has coffee, chocolate, vanilla, roastiness and firm grass hops. There’s far too much remaining carbonation, but after a bit of swirl in the glass there’s a smooth mouthfeel on a medium to oily body. Layers of roasted/ burnt flavours. Some dried fruit notes under the coffee. The hops seem mainly about structure rather than bitterness, and they balance up the beer well. Apart from the carbonation, everything’s nicely integrated in this (the 2008) now, but it will probably improve for a year or two if I can keep the remaining bottle that long. [3.7] 500ml bottle, 2008 version. Opened less due to impatience than the alarmingly short shelf life of some of their other beers. Perhaps a better glass (large tulip) brought the head out a bit and got rid of the overcarbonation of the last one - or maybe it’s settled down a bit. Anyway, pretty much as above: a lovely beer that’s kind of light for the style. [3.9][11/2011]Bottle, 2011 version. Black with a tan head that fades but laces pretty well. Aroma is hoppier than previously with flowers and spices. Coffee, dark sugars, roasted malt. Silky texture with low but noticeable carbonation. Taste has dark toffee, roasted malt, cocoa, vanilla and coffee and is moderately sweet before a bitter finish that’s a little spicy. A little smoke, too. Some roasted bitterness and more hops than even fresh ones I have before. [3.8][5/12 ]Another 2011 bottle. Aroma is more delicate than the taste - more floral and spicy than roasted or fudgey notes. Very silky and luscious. Quite sweet with mocha and roast, dark fudge, spices. Again have the impression that this is more heavily hopped than previously. [4.0] Buy more this year. Averaging score.[7/14] 2014 version. Not much in the way of head at all. More chocolate than previously. Some soy sauce notes. Not tempted to up score, but very satisfying and harmonious. [6/16] 2016 bottle, Cellar & Pantry. Coming out in winter now. Appreciate the 24/5 bottled on date. Less aromatically hoppy but really quite bitter. Would have liked it to seem a little drier by the end. Fudgy and and a little earthy. Some licorice, deployed as a spice with anise. Carbonation is fairly low.[6/17]Similar to last year: lots of chocolate, low carbonation. Finish seems slightly sterner. Still really good.[6/18] Again a little less hoppy. A bit more of a creamy caramel note joins chocolate, roast and spices.

Near pitch black color. Very big dry roasty nose. Caramel, coffee notes. Smooth, full bodied, roasty dark chocolate, dark fruit mouth. Very strong flavors. Well balanced. Smooth. Dry. Excellent.

Bottled, thanks Fil. A pitch black beer with a brown head. The aroma is sweet malty with strong notes of roasted malt as well as light notes of fruit and bread. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of hard roasted malt and bread as well as lighter notes of coffee and bitter chocolate, leading to a dry, bitter, and roasted finish.

Bottled at RBESG after session. Very black, minimal head.Strong licorice aroma. Medium sweet and very roasty with near full body. Tarry licorice dominate chocolate. Salty finish.