8.6

Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9

'Truffled' and whisky barrel aged stout from a brewery near Wellington in New Zealand, expensive bottle shared by Craftmember, cheers! Medium thick, yellowish beige, moussy, slowly breaking head on a jet black beer with thin burgundy edges. Intense but beguiling bouquet of initially strong whisky which fades further on, hot chocolate sauce, vanilla-scenting oak wood, almond, toffee, cappuccino, only the faintest touch of black truffle (very volatile - blink and you will miss it), venison with reduced port sauce, blackberry coulis, dried prunes, tobacco leaf, gravy, salmiak and 'Haagse hopjes'. Bursting ripe blackberry fruitiness in the onset, prune and an odd but well-matching hint of fenugreek, flanked by subtle black olive- and gravy-like umami accents; soft carb, very full and oily but also delicately velvety body. A coating of black chocolate sauce, pecan nut paste, toffee and cappuccino ensues, thick layers of luscious 'blackness' shifting from pleasantly balanced sweet to equally equilibrated roasted bitter, draped with a strong vanilla-ish oakiness and again that very volatile, brief truffle aspect, a 'dot' of flavour in a sea of other flavours as it were, but still able to distinguish this stout from others. Dark fruit, salmiak, tobacco and liquorish linger in the end, when a deeply situated peppery hop bitter element, warming bittersweet whisky alcohol and lovely deep-dark maltiness tie everything together in a long, complex, fascinating finish. This is U.S. style imperial stout at its best - even if it is brewed in a different part of the world; it has all the richness and depth of many of America's great legends in the style and manages equally well to combine power with elegance. The truffle element is not much more than a gimmick, probably helping to justify the hefty price tag, but do not let this element misguide you: this one is worth buying for it sheer splendour and grandiosity alone, with or without the truffle. Amazingly gracious, powerful, delicately and perfectly structured stout, one which truly blew me away.

7.6

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

Can from Low Cost Beer Online. Pours surprisingly clear golden with a thin white head. Aromas of tropical fruit and light coconut shampoo. Taste has biscuit malt, tropical fruit and coconut again. Bitter finish. Ain't no NEIPA.

8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Bottle. Black color with beige head. Aroma is chocolate, oak, coffee-ish. Taste is chocolate, vanilla, wood, caramel, mild booze, nice bitterness, good balance. Very nice!

8

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

Bottle shared. Black. Sweet malts, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, boozy. Quite sweet, also quite boozy. Good.

7.4

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

Can bought at Anchor Tap, Horsham. Aroma has caramel with a boozy edge and dark dried fruit. Medium sweet. Molasses. Treacle. Bitter edge. Tangy sourness. An earthy umami streak appears. Light-medium bodied. Creamy. Soft carbonation. Long dry somewhat astringent finish. Rich sums it up nicely. But definitely not sessionable.

8

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

Bottle shared at tasting. Opaque jet black color, small light brown color. Aroma and flavor are malts, roast, liquor, bitterness, rather dry. Quite good though. Very nice.

8.1

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

Bottle shared at tasting. Dark brown color, small beige head. Aroma and flavor are malts, some caramel, candy sugar, liquor. Very solid, I like this one!

7.4

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

500ml bottle. Heavy, sweetish and earthy with some caramel, toffee and syrup, slightly boozy.

7

Heavy, sweetish and earthy with some caramel, toffee and syrup, slightly boozy

8

Sweet, mildly boozy. Caramel, raisins, some earthy stuff that I guess is the truffles. Very nice.