7.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle. Most recent vintage. Pitch black color the snifter. Head died real fast, showing no retention. The biggest aroma is black licorice, along with charred malt and a touch of chocolate nuances.
Mouthfeel is smooth and silky but the body isn’t what I consider full for the style. And at the gravity I was expecting more fullness. Licorice seems to dominate the palate, with notes of chocolate, raisins and prune juice. The ABV is almost completely hidden. Over all I love imperial stouts and this is a classic non- barrel aged example of the style. For my personal tastes it shows just a bit much licorice or anise flavor.
Mouthfeel is smooth and silky but the body isn’t what I consider full for the style. And at the gravity I was expecting more fullness. Licorice seems to dominate the palate, with notes of chocolate, raisins and prune juice. The ABV is almost completely hidden. Over all I love imperial stouts and this is a classic non- barrel aged example of the style. For my personal tastes it shows just a bit much licorice or anise flavor.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Mar 2016
at 11:42
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Hand pump at Cask and Vine Dark brown color with a bubbly frothy off white head. Rich chocolate and caramel with a touch of earthy hops and bits of woody oak. I pick up a bit of diacetyl which is a little distracting, but not uncommon from a cask served brew. Decent pint.
Tried
from Cask
on 18 Mar 2016
at 20:27
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
On tap at cask and Vine for Kelsen’s 2nd Anniversary party. Thick opaque black with a bubbly tan head. Big vinous fruity lightly tart notes atop a roasty chocolaty malt base. The brett adds lots of cherry pie and raisin notes to this beer. Light carbonation thick chewy heavy body. Still retains quite a bit of sweetness but that provides a nice counter to the fruity earthy tartness. Nice brew.
Earlier Rating: 1/2/2016 Total Score: 4.2
On tap at Cask and Vine, Rich roasty maltiness with bits of caramel and dark dried fruits. Solid earthy hop presence even after a year. Very tasty, glad I got to try this!
Earlier Rating: 1/2/2016 Total Score: 4.2
On tap at Cask and Vine, Rich roasty maltiness with bits of caramel and dark dried fruits. Solid earthy hop presence even after a year. Very tasty, glad I got to try this!
Tried
from Draft
on 18 Mar 2016
at 20:23
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
On tap at the Kelsen Anniversary Party at cask and Vine tonight. Slightly hazy medium golden color with a smallish off white head. Juicy fruity hops with a slightly bitter astringent that I can only assume is the tannin from the tea. Light sweet bready maltiness. This one comes together so differently than the straight version. The perceived bitterness is amped up by the inclusion of the tea giving it a somewhat sharp earthy bitterness. It works because the tea doesn’t really add much flavor but it changes the rest of the beer. I enjoyed this, but the traditionalist in me prefers the original.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Mar 2016
at 20:10
8.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
On tap at the Kelsen Anniversary Party at cask and Vine tonight. Slightly hazy medium golden color with a smallish off white head. Juicy fruity hops with a bit of resinous pine and just a touch of sweet bready maltiness to bring it all together. Tasty clean great tasting IPA.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Mar 2016
at 20:03
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
On tap at the Kelsen Anniversary Party at cask and Vine tonight. Opaque black color with a decent tan head. Big roasty chocolate and coffee with a huge amount of sugary sweetness. Earthy hop and coconut with a bit of woody oak help to cut through the sweetness with style. Thick chewy body with a silky creamy mouthfeel and a light level of carbonation. Great Imperial stout, this was the hit of the night for me.
Tried
from Draft
on 15 Mar 2016
at 19:59
6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Poured from a bottle dated 9/25/2015. Aroma is hoppy with a lot of woody and resinous hop aromas. Moderate chocolate notes with quite a bit of nuts and dark caramel. A light vegetal phenolic note. Pours a dark brown with a bit of a reddish hue and a medium sized, thick, tan head that slowly recedes. Moderate lacing and medium small legs. Flavor is slightly sweet with a strong bitterness. Medium light chocolate note with lighter roast. Quite a bit of nuts and dark caramel notes. Moderate, woody and resinous hop notes. A bit of that off, vegetal phenolic note. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Low astringency and low alcohol warmth. Overall, an alright beer but not a great one. The bitterness is too strong and off putting. There is also a phenolic note that doesn’t work well.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Jan 2016
at 23:03
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Tap at Whole Foods in Nashua. Fairly clear with a decent white head. Big juicy citrus hops with plenty of bready malt and spicy wheat to back it up nicely. Pretty good brew right there.
Tried
from Draft
on 18 Sep 2015
at 22:34
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle, clear gold, lasting head retention with a bright citrus aroma. Lemons, tangerine, lime peel. The flavor has a nice backbone of malt with the citrus giving balance. Bitterness is " lite "... See what I did there, ha! That being said it IS a session IPA, thinner body. This beer finishes clean without any one character showing at all. No flaws and very easy to drink. Nice
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Jul 2015
at 21:06
8.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Draft at Cask and Vine. Slightly hazy deep yellow with a decent off white head that persists. Huge citrus nose with bits of melon and a solid supporting sweet bready maltiness. Big citrus hop flavor with a solid bready light caramel maltiness that is firm but never overpowering. Medium body with a moderate carbonation. Wow that’s a pretty damn good IPA right there. I came here tonight to try something else, but I could have easily relaxed with a few of these!
Tried
from Draft
on 06 Jun 2015
at 21:25