Bottle from ogglethorp (thanks!) - Son of a freakin’ bitch, why can’t these hot new impy stouts ever live up to the hype? - it looked soooo good when I poured it - thick black pour that no light can get through, with a very short-lived tan head - highly roasty aroma, with hints of black coffee, vanilla, and a tiny bit of oats (none of the other complex notes I’d expect from a world-class impy) - a rather slick mouthfeel, with a medium body for the style - coffee/roasted notes, with some touches of cream, which is probably just my brain making associations between the sweetness from the oats and the coffee flavors - the oats give a nice smoothness to the beer, which I have to give it credit for, but the flavor is pretty much chocolate and roasty/burnt notes - flavorful, but not complex - this really didn’t make a huge impression on me - nice, but top 50? - I think not.

Bottle from ogglethorp (thanks, man!) - well, this brew ain’t much to look at - looks like a thin brown ale with a few stray bubbles at the top - the aroma and flavor are essentially identical - a very nicely balanced combination of assertive hop bitterness and piney character from the IPA, and the deep, roasted qualities of the stout - the stronger malt profile of the stout does a really service to the IPA (as I remember it being a little less malty than I had hoped), bringing a little more body and sweetness, while retaining the strong, crisp hop flavor - I’m normally not a fan of blends, but this is nice.

Bottle from ogglethorp - thanks, man! - bright copper pour, with a frothy, off-white head - full, well-rounded aroma, with strong citrus and pine, balanced out with a sweet, bready malt smell - apricot and peaches up front, with a rather dry, nicely bitter mixture of spicy hop flavors - light bodied, but not thin - I was expecting bready malt from the aroma, but the malt backbone on this is more biscuity - a tiny bit of honey sweetness on the back end, mixing well with a light, herbal tea-like flavor - quite sessionable (or at least it would be if the abv were a little lower) - well-done, and the strong apricot up front sets it apart from a lot of other ipas.

2006 bomber from Black95tt drunk on 3/9/07
Dark copper-amber, much darker than your typical IPA, with a dark-ivory colored head that is slow to form, but continuously builds, rising up to a nice height eventually and showing medium to strong retention, with moderate lacing. Clarity is high, with no sediment in the bottle. Plentiful carbonation.
Extremely spicy hops in the nose provide more atypical American IPA characteristics. Very relaxed citrus shows tangerine, light lemon and a brush of orange, but continuous feeds of spiciness and a bit of cut grass on the finish keep it quite unique. Some crystal-like maltiness is delicately added on top of the dry hop aroma, but as it warms/breathes, plenty of underlying pale maltiness, well-extracted and modestly supple, emerges to help balance the hardness/dryness. Graham crackers, brown bread and greater quantities of emerging grapefruit and orange hop character sit on the finish, with caramel underlying everything. Certainly not my favorite grain bill for an IPA, and the hops could definitely use a little juiciness (again, just my preference) as it’s quite dry, but this is a very clean, well-constructed aroma, free from flaws or alcohol.
Rich caramel and light toffee immediately set in on the palate, with a high amount of carbonation that is somehow very soft and creamy. Honey and very light chocolate-graham cracker flavors sit behind spicy and citric hops. Not very bitter at all, and though some leafiness dulls things somewhat, the hop character is pretty well focused and flavorful. Candied orange, spicy herb/grass flavors and a malt flavor and texture that is comforting to the end. Medium-full to full body is filled with more dextrines than actual residual malt sugars and thus is full in texture, but surprisingly light on the palate and quite drinkable. No alcohol or flaws. Some dry, crackery/breadiness and a touch of astringency is lightly noted, from the medium/dark malts, but is mostly harmless. Despite the odd grain bill, I still like a more malt-sided IPA and so this stuff goes over well with me.

Thanks to Captain Cougar for sharing this one at the pre Cask Ale tasting. As expected, a black pour with a firm head of light brown. Lots of dark roasted, almost burnt coffee in the aroma. The flavor some across as big and dry with lots of roasted malt. Not as sweet as many Imperial stouts. Very well balanced. Re-rate 1/6/11 As good if not better. +taste from previous rating

Pours a deep amber with a large fluffy off white head. Aroma is big on citrus and grass hops. Grapefruit being the most noticeable. Also has a bit of spices in the aroma. Mouth is a little thin, but not bad. Flavor is big on the citrus and grass with a good hop bite. Finishes pretty bitter. This is a solid IPA, but I wish the palate was less watery. I’ll enjoy this again.