superspak (10160) reviewed Illuminati from Leelanau Brewing Company 10 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
375 ml bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Slight gusher upon opening. Pours pitch black color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy tan head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings around the glass, with a large amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of tart cherry, green apple, raisin, plum, red wine, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, dark bread, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, light licorice, light smoke/char, and yeast/roasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of roast/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and fruity/earthy yeast notes; with good strength. Taste of big tart cherry, green apple, raisin, plum, red wine, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, dark bread, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, light licorice, light smoke/char, and yeast/roasted earthiness. Moderate roasted bitterness, tannic oak spice, and light fruity/acidic tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of tart cherry, green apple, raisin, plum, red wine, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, dark bread, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, light licorice/smoke/char, and yeast/roasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of roast/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and fruity/earthy yeast flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet and tart/spicy balance with zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from roast/oak bitterness and acidity as well. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/silky, and lightly sticky/chalky/acidic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding sour imperial stout style! All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of roast/bready malt, bourbon barrel, and fruity/earthy yeast flavors; and very smooth and easy to sip on with the balanced acidity. A highly enjoyable offering. This had a really nice presence of the bourbon barrels for being a sour stout as well.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
750ml bottle pours a murky black with some cloudy, beige head. Nose has cola, tobacco, earthy, mild raisin, some vinegar, a little smoke. Flavor is tart with acid, pomegranate, some celery, mild tobacco leaf, a little soured cola. Full bodied, tart finish.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle at the main DC December gathering. Poured a near pitch black color with a small tan head. Aroma was chocolate, with plenty of grains, woody oak. Flavor had roasted coffee, burnt malts. Dark fruits. Some cherry notes?
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Bottle at the DC December Gathering #2. Black with tan head. Aromas of chocolate, oats, roasted coffee. Tastes of dark fruit, subtle sourness, chocolate. Medium-light body with a dry finish.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5
Some citrus and some bretta. Tangy finish. Not a lot of stout in this at all. Black pour with ok head. Not my thing.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
From a bottle at the Ratebeer Dec 22 gathering 2015. Pours black wtih a tan head. Funky, earthy caramel nose. Flavors of cardboard. Bitter finish.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Bottle courtesy of nimbleprop, thank you! Extremely dark brown color, beige head. Nice aroma of malted milk balls dipped in vanilla dipped in espresso. Taste is lightly funky sourdough brownies with a vinous edge. Nice.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Flaska från demolenbeershop drucken med ölföreningen. Syrlig kraftig stout. Mjuk och rund med tydlig syrlighet. Kaffe, choklad och lakrits. Trevlig.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Fast klare goldene Farbe, geringe weiße schaumkrone. Geruch minimal säuerlich, mild fruchtig, hefig. Geschmack nach Ananas, helle Früchte, mild.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Heller, trocken und mild säuerlicher Antrunk. Leicht steigende Säure, minimal herb, vollmundig. Trockener heller Nachhall, spritzig. 10/9/9/9/6/9