Great Divide - Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

I've been breaking out some decent bottles in the last month or so, some of which are documented in this blog.  Today will provide no exception as I'm finally ready to crack open a bottle of Espresso Oak Aged Yeti from Great Divide Brewing Co. out of Denver, Colorado.  I'm pretty excited to say the least.  I've only snagged tastes of Yeti before and one of those was a bottle that was shared at the 2012 Dark Lord Day, but it had soured.  I tasted it anyway just to see the off flavors.  As with many beers, this one is not immediately available in my area, so you know that when I saw it at a beer store when I was out of town, I had to snag it.  Especially after being subject to its reputation for too long.  Let's pour!

Oh baby.

Aroma 12/12

Even before opening the bottle I was expecting a monstrous coffee aroma in proportion to the mythical creature of its namesake.  Thankfully, I was mistaken.  Yeti did not try to bowl me over with overpowering coffee.  I was apprehensive after seeing "with coffee added" on the label instead of being brewed with coffee or a malt that might elicit the same flavors.  As mentioned, Yeti does sets aside all those worries and gives the drinker something truly special.  It's not often one is comforted by a Yeti.  You may quote me.

Surprisingly, the first to the nose is a dark, dark chocolate malt and is followed closely by brewed espresso (naturally), and a lesser sweet oatmeal or lactose note.  The coffee is anything but overpowering even as the drink warms, and I give this beer high praise for its restraint.  When chilled, the beer initially makes the sweet creaminess easy to detect.  Eventually a bit more balance appears and a bitterness begins to grow on the palate.  The final stage is a glorious one as chocolate and heat step forward a bit, and the coffee + chocolate blend begins a perfect harmony.  I mean perfect.  I can hardly tell which one is more present.  Is there one that's 51/49?  55/45?  Couldn't tell you.  They are wondrously blended.

Yeah.  Pretty sure even the head could be SRM rated.

Appearance 3/3

I should just be able to write, "This looks like one of the best stouts you've ever had" and you would know.  However, in the interest of maintaining a high level of detail I shall elaborate.  It pours black and thick and raises a generous, two fingers of chocolate mousse-colored head.  The head nearly has the appearance of cake it is so thick.  Look at the below photo!  I had to take one, it was that striking.  I mean, c'mon, it even could have its own SRM rating!  Its longevity was also impressive as was its lacing.  There is nothing to complain about here and if I could give it more points I would.  Maybe I can just send money to Denver and tell them to buy themselves something pretty.  They deserve it.

Look at that head!  It makes you wanna slice it up and
serve it with ice cream!

Flavor 19/20

So maybe now is when I'll be overwhelmed with coffee, right?  Right?  Well, perhaps not as this particular bottle was born on December 19, 2011.  Maybe I should just drink it and find out.  The first sips are absolutely saturated with flavor and only once the tongue begins to acclimate to this tsunami of goodness can one begin to pick apart the flavors.  A burst of dark roast comes first, but is instantly washed away, almost literally, by the foaming action of the beer and an intense dollop of extremely dark chocolate.   The chocolate sits heavily in the mouth and refuses to be moved, but instead is paired with a salty flavor and bits of char from the malt.  I must commend the chocolate/salt blend.  Wow. This is absolutely delicious!  The coffee flavor has faded with age, but it still provides a general bitter to help darken the beer as a whole.  The bitter is, of course, more present in the finish as the beer flows over those 'bitter' taste buds on the back of the tongue.  The mouth remains coated with chocolate and coffee flavors and only much later in the aftertaste are we treated to any hint of warmth in this beer.  It comes with a lingering chocolate java and ties things together nicely.

Mouthfeel 5/5

After swallowing, I found myself wanting to chew this beer.  Some part of me needed to get every last savory bit of flavor out of this brew.  I even chewed the sides of my mouth a little bit just so my teeth could scrape off any lingering dark, smoky goodness.  This is unquestionably a full-bodied, big ol' beer and packs an absolute flavor bomb.  It offers a carbonation a smidgen higher than I might expect, but it also might be necessary as this beer is extremely sticky in the mouth after swallowing.  When the beer is still chilled, that carbonation offers an neat foaming action, but later on is there to simply provide texture for a very large beer.  Warmth is invisible save for its brief cameo in the aftertaste.

Overall Impression 10/10

I'll try not to gush, but.... WOW!  What a beer!  The flavors are massive and the chocolate espresso blend is a home run.  The coffee flavor itself had faded (I'll never know how much), but even in its current state adds a solid bitter that lends itself well to portraying a darker chocolate than perhaps was intended.  Please keep in mind that even though there are many mentions of chocolate, this beer is not what one would call sweet.  Just as a 90% cacao chocolate bar isn't exactly something you offer to the kiddies.  Superior appearance, amazing aroma blend, massive flavor, and it absolutely slides across the bottom of your mouth.

Total 49/50

If you see this, buy it.  Even if it's $20, buy it.  It would be a bargain and one of the few beers at that price point that actually deserves to be there.  I'm pouring the second half of this bomber bottle and loving it even more.  When it's more chilled, the beer foams up in the mouth nicely, but really smooths out as it warms.  i know I've mentioned that before, but it's a really cool effect and I can't tell which mouthfeel I appreciate more.  It is simply excellent on every level.  I'm glad the coffee wasn't immense, but that the flavor was definitely Sasquatch-sized.  My wife likened the brew as a whole to Cuban Coffee.  For those that don't know Cuban Coffee is essentially espresso that is brewed over several table spoons of sugar.  Any sugar that is not immediately dissolved is taken care of in the next step as the steam wand of the espresso machine is placed deep in the brewing vessel to almost super-saturate the espresso with the sugar.  This results in a a delicious, sweet, thick concoction that is the equivalent of nitrous oxide for pretty much anything that is alive and brave enough to not fear its heart exploding.  If a cardiologist sees a cup of it, it spontaneously bursts into flame.  Heart issues aside, I also really appreciate the fact that they make no qualms about wanting you to drink this for breakfast (see below picture).  If I could I wouldn't even wait til breakfast in my morning routine to enjoy this brew; I'd bathe in it.

A wise man once said, "Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things."  I hope that I can make an addendum to this sage wisdom with, "but always drink the Yeti things."

Word at both top and bottom indicate that this is a "breakfast beer."
Whatever that is, I love it.

Brooklyn - Black Chocolate Stout (2007)

This is another beer that I would not have been able to get my hands on were it not for my east coast trading partner who wishes to remain anonymous.  So first, big thanks to him (or her?).  Second, I loooves me a big ol' stout.  The bigger and darker, the better.  In fact, I'd even venture to say that stouts can have just as many flavors as the venerated IPA.  This stout looks especially promising as the ABV is 10.6%, a percentage not seen frequently, let alone crammed into a 12 oz. bottle.  Oh, and did I mention that this particular bottle is from  the "limited bottling" that occurred in the winter of 2007-2008.  "So I've got that going for me.  Which is nice."  Let's pour!

Sweet, fancy Moses that looks amazing!

Aroma 12/12

Even the initial aromas of this beer were enough to earn it a higher score: dark roast, dark chocolates, and alcohol warmth that wrapped the two of them up into a comforting, cohesive bundle.  After pouring the beer and allowing it to warm a tad more, the dark fruits emerge and evoke the Dark Lord (um, that's Three Floyds, not Harry Potter).  The dark fruits, which offer cherries & raisins among others, are also complemented by the warmth and again make me think of Port wine, but without as much smokiness.  This is phenomenal!  Let things warm even further and the chocolate turns into a darker cocoa nib with some anise/black licorice notes.

Appearance 3/3

This beer, true to its namesake, practically pours like melted chocolate especially in the color.  In the glass however, it is as black as night and only lets through a coffee brown around the top edge when held to light.  The head was low, which is to be expected in a bottled beer approaching 5 years of age.  It was a wondrous dark brown and left some nice, sticky lacing even in its humble quantity.

Flavor 20/20

This is everything that I hoped it would be.  The first taste sensations are confusing.  It seems like a sharp sour and a little salty, but once your tongue can comprehend all the wonderfullness that is happening to it things begin to take shape - a glorious, tasty, amazing shape. And yes, "wonderfullness" is a word.  Bill Cosby says so.  The malts take over and show your taste buds hints of coffee, an abundance of deeply roasted/nearly charred malts, tart cherries, plenty of alcohol warmth, port, a pronounced bitter, insanely dark chocolate, and the anise from the aroma.  These flavors are all quite intense, but have the good fortune remain detectable on their own, yet still form a wonderful cohesive harmony.  Wow!  The finish is one of the most complex I seen in quite some time, but that is undoubtedly due to the complex beer that begat it.  Its alcohol heat is unashamed and bold, and forces a less balanced composition though it still remains remarkably tasty; incorporating the tartness, dark roast, and dark chocolate from the backbone.  The aftertaste is curious.  It is mostly an alcohol-induced tingle along the sides of the tongue and a sticky roasted malt in the back of the throat accompanied by a lighter bitter.  The warmth provides a cleaner aftertaste than I ever would've thought possible after such an flavor intense brew.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Warmth is obviously the first mouthfeel characteristic that leaps to mind, but it is used well and never overwhelms all the other amazing flavors and aromas.  It threatens to, but never actually follows through on its threats of coup d'état.  The carbonation is initially stronger than anticipated, but eventually dulls down to a level that sits just barely on the right side of being too aggressive.  Were it not for the fuller body, age, and simple lack of quantity this carbonation might be too much.  As it stands, the carbonation is fine, especially after realizing that most of the prickly/tingly feeling on the tongue is due to alcohol and not the carbonation.

Overall Impression 10/10

What else can I say?  Amazing aroma, good lookin', complex, robust flavor, and a permeating alcohol are the fundamentals, but the wonderful blend, well-used warmth, and the rich malts truly set this apart.

Total 50/50

If you can't your hands on Dark Lord, I'd say that this is a fine substitute.  In fact, I ranked this higher than Dark Lord!  This brew has more of the dark roasts, making it feel more like a stout.  Some people may read that as "it's less unique that DL."  That may be true, DL truly stands on its own and I've never had another stout like it.  However, this Brooklyn Brewery creation is much more like a true stout and since I like stouts that's a very good thing.  I feel bad talking so much about DL in a review for another beer, but hopefully that shows people that other, more available, beers are out there that are just as capable of knocking off your socks.  Obviously, this beer ages extremely well and I can't wait to find a "fresh" package so I can try it at all its stages of development.  In case you're counting this beer is now only the fourth beer to which I've issued a perfect score and it is most deserving.  Cheers Brooklyn!!  I'll be buying this beer whenever I see it.

Three Floyds - Dark Lord (2012)

I can't take it anymore.  The Dark Lord has been chillin' in my fridge for half a month now and I must taste it.  The Bard, Billy Shakespeare, words it more eloquently that myself when he says,

"As is the night before some festival
To an impatient child that hath new robes
And may not wear them."

For those unfamiliar with Dark Lord and why it is so sought after, click here.

Enough people have asked how it is, or how it compares to Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout (Wes), or how it compares to other years, etc, etc... and now I have to know.  Confession time: this is the first time I will ever have sampled Dark Lord.  Needless to say, I'm pumped after hearing so much about it, but also wary.  It seems like whenever you hear about Dark Lord (or ANY über-popular beer) you primarily hear two sentiments.  1.  Oh my gosh, it's SO good! and 2.  It's OK, but it's overrated.  In this case, I'm still very excited to finally be tasting this, but I also have the bullshit meter on so that I can review this beer as accurately as possible.  Since we've already established that patience is not my strongest suit... Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12

This is a beautiful smelling beer, even if the stout characteristics aren't exactly its strongest.  It smells very sweet and is an insanely pleasant mixture between a molasses malt and a strong fruit aroma.  The aroma could be considered port-like or like a dark cherry pie, though having just purchased some port I would lean toward that.  (Note:  For those that don't know, Port is liquid sex in a bottle.  Buy a bottle that's over $10, make sure your significant other is going to be around, and don't plan on going anywhere.)  It does have some very dark notes, as a stout should, but they are placed much further back in relation to the fruits and the nearly-burnt molasses.  A light charring in the malt at times give a hint or two of smoke and is a very neat nuance to find behind the port.  As the beer warms the Intelligensia coffee is undeniable, but it is a timid spectator and has no interest in a starring role.  This gives it more characteristics of a stout in my mind, and it forces me to bump it up a point from 11 to 12.

Appearance 3/3

This is black and holding it up to the light only reveals the darkest of stained wood tones around the edges.  The head was small, half a finger, and would seem to indicate a very low carbonation.  This pours like oil!  Or blood.  Given the name of this beer, it's probably a mixture of both.  The head is dark brown, creamy, and slides lethargically down the side of the glass after a swirl.  Enjoy it while you can because after 15 seconds, it will only remain as a ring around the surface and disappear soon after that.  Normally, I swear, I would be docking points for a paltry head, but with an ABV of 15% you have to have some sort of allowance for style.  After all, would one dock Samuel Adams' Utopias for "low carbonation"?  Methinks not.

Flavor 19/20

Port.  I swear there is port in this beer!  The initial flavors are of black cherry juice and a slight booziness, but they ever so gradually bring in the roasted, slightly smokey malt notes and soon enough you'd swear you were holding port in your mouth.  The backbone is still boozy, yet not hot, and brings in tons of fruits.  However, they are not the typical dark fruits that one would normally associate with a stout: plums, figs, raisins, etc.  These fruits instead lean heavily on dark cherries and sweet, red, vinous grapes.  I could even understand it if someone said they tasted a red raspberry or two.  The fruit aside, there is a darkness lying behind it: the deeply roasted, lightly charred malts.  However, they are so subtle and nuanced that they lend more of a dark tone to the existing fruits than actually coming forward as their own flavor.  It's a tremendous example of brewing prowess and understanding how flavors can compliment each other.  The finish finally shows us an insanely smooth glimpse of the coffee we saw in the aroma.  This time around it appears to have more mocha sweetness to it and less of a typical coffee's bite and bitter.  The aftertaste is the smoldering remains of the port, much as if the Viking-esque character from the label had just pillaged a town (or my taste buds).  The port is there, albeit greatly reduced, and the smokey, charred notes become a little stronger as the beer runs over the back, bitter-sensing part of the tongue.  Despite the permeating sweetness of this beer, it does not leave the mouth slick or slimy.  In fact, after an initial salivation, the tongue is left feeling quite dry and one can feel the alcohol being exhaled and as a warmth in the chest.

Mouthfeel 5/5

As mentioned in the previous sentence, the warmth that this beer spreads throughout the chest is fantastic.  That 15% ABV is remarkably well presented in this beer.  It isn't camouflaged completely, but what is present is used to enhance the already spectacular blend of flavors.  The body is as heavy as I've seen in a beer and insanely smooth.  This, of course, comes at the risk of extremely low carbonation.  For me personally, this is something I don't entirely mind in an imperial stout, especially when a quick swish in the mouth gives that little bit of texture that only carbonation can add.  However upon first sips, just sitting in the mouth, this beer can come across as almost completely flat.

Label art

Overall Impression 9/10

Long story short?  I love port.  I love its warmth, its unusual, elusive smokiness, its sweetness, its body, and its unique flavor.  For all these reasons I love Dark Lord.  The only possible things holding it back are an absent head and the fact that I might not know this was a stout if it weren't on the label.

Total 48/50

This was tremendously tasty in every sense of the word "tremendous."  I barely could've imagined that a beer could so closely resemble a port.  Do I usually look for something a little more "stout-like" in an RIS?  Yes.  That was my only issue with this beer other than the head (which has been excused earlier in this review).  I should like a bit more of that stout "darkness."  However, the amount of dark flavors that currently exist in this beer are a flawless compliment to the other flavors.  Would more dark flavors ruin that harmony?  Probably, but a mix of two great flavors is not a bad thing, it just might not be as good as the single perfect harmony they've already established.  

Cheers to Three Floyds and what they've got here.  I'll definitely be trying for DLD tickets next year as well!

Oh... and for those wondering the Russian text of "тёмный лорд русское имперское пиво" on the Dark Lord bottle translates as, "Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout,"  or "beer" instead of stout.  You're welcome!

Stone - Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout

I was way overdue for a beer from Stone.  The fact that I can't remember the last one I had is not a good indicator.  Today I resolve this dilemma by cracking open a bottle of their 2011 "Odd Year" Belgo Anise Imperial Russian Stout.  As the name suggests it's a big ol' imperial stout to which Stone has added a Belgian yeast strain and, according to the bottle, "liberal amounts of star anise."  If that doesn't sound delicious enough, they then "oak" the beer using oak chips!  It sounds like a whole heap of delicious, but when it was released there were some mixed reviews.  Shall we find out for ourselves?  Let's pour!

Aroma 11/12

Dark, almost burnt roast and loads of oak are abundant as soon as the cap is pried off the bottle.  It's so darkly roasted and woody that one can easily imagine a campfire.  To drink this around a campfire on a fall evening would be a true prefect pairing.  The anise is also there - a fruit with which I am not completely familiar.  It does have a "black licorice" scent to it, but more in a more slightly saltier"Good N Plenty" type way and not like a rope of black licorice. It is also less intense in the same way a shallot is more subtle than an onion.  Dark fruits remain behind it as does a well camouflaged warmth.

Appearance 3/3

This pours dark!  The only time I was able to get any light through this nearly opaque beer was when holding it up to a ceiling light.  Only then could I see a dark, deep brown from underneath the surface.  The head is dark tan, dense with tiny bubbles and appears almost solid from the top.  It takes its time to form (I love that), and its longevity is most pleasing.

Flavor 19/20

This is a unique and tasty beer!  Initial flavors waste no time in bull-rushing the palate with plenty of the wondrous, dark roasted malts, the woody oak, and bits of bitter.  After holding the beer in the mouth, the anise and dark fruits take on more of the heavy lifting.  Belgian yeasts add a sweetness, but not any of the banana flavors for which they are typically known.  The flavors are widely varied, but not contrasting.  It takes a lot of brewing prowess to blend so many different flavors together so well and to be able to taste each one.  The anise and a very nice warmth are apparently holding hands as the beer slides down the throat... and what a nice partnership it is!  Oddly, it's pretty much only those two flavors in the finish (a moderate bitter pops in to say good-bye), but the warmth isn't just the flavor of alcohol.  It actually seems to warm the way fine liquor/spirit would, as it were spreading across the chest.  Also, an exhale after the finish can bring the anise right back into the nose!  Very neat!  The aftertaste is still warm, and leaves a quiet, round bitter to remember this beer.

Mouthfeel 5/5

Carbonation is spread thin, but not buried.  The few bubbles one does come across add the vivacious quality expected of them, but they are spaced well apart from one another.  The abundance of malts give the full body expected of them, but are balanced appropriately and never become syrupy or slick.  The carbonation even foams up ever so slightly to make this beer more drinkable than perhaps its ABV (10.5%) and full body would otherwise allow. 

Overall Impression 10/10

Big aroma, big, complex flavor that remains nuanced, fantastic warming quality, and a very appropriate body are all details that make this beer a uniquely flavored winner.  When this beer was fresh, reviews would claim a lot of strong flavors, especially from the anise, but currently I find them wonderfully participatory while not becoming overbearing.  Good heavens the roast in this is tasty!  It's a big beer, but I could easily do with another bottle.

Total 48/50

This beer is insanely tasty!  I appreciated it more an more throughout the bottle and it did everything short of make me use expletives whenever I drank it.  The dark roast, oak, and dark fruit are a trifecta that is not to be trifled with.  Add warmth to the mix and you've got a beer that I'll be talking about when people bring up unusual and interesting stouts!  Dammit Stone, you do good work!  My only complaint is that I wish I had enough foresight to buy an additional bottle for cellaring purposes.  If the beer has changed this much already (according and contrasting to reviews from when it was fresh), I'd love to see it in a year or so!  If you can find this, buy a case.  Drink some now and save some for later.  You will not be disappointed!

Oskar Blues - Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

This beer was given to me by my good buddy Keith in Tampa, FL.  We had first sampled it at World of Beer (Carrollwood location) and were very impressed.  It is definitely a beer a that deserves a more in-depth evaluation.  Please note, that this blog will include more pictures than usual because there are several cool visual features to this beer.

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 12/12

Wow, there are some amazing things going on here!  There is definitely dark chocolate present and I'm not talking milk chocolate.  I'm talking bitter, dark, 90% cacao beans type of chocolate.  Please do NOT read that as the beer smells like 90% chocolate; that is not the case.  The aroma is based in a dark fruit/black licorice smell, but is not so overpowering that you cannot also detect the other contributing members: dark roasted malt, woody hops, and a dark toffee note.  What more could you ask for?!  While it smells like coffee and dark sweetness, it still maintains a balance with its hop and malt friends.  Perfection.

Appearance 3/3

This beer is exactly what they style demands.  It pours like used motor oil into the glass and produces a good-sized brown head.  Awesome.  In an imperial stout everything about the beer should be dark and Ten Fidy does not disappoint.  The head is dark-khaki brown and the beer is black.  I mean tar-pitch black.  Outer space black.  Keith (the giver of this beer) would say its "blacker than the blackest black times infinity."  Even the head retention was decent and it stuck around long enough for me to get a sip.

Picture is my own.

OK, so one last note on the appearance.  I know the EPC scale apparently goes down to 138, but can we give this beer a ranking of "infinity."  It is completely opaque!  In fact, to demonstrate how opaque this beer truly is, I held it up to the sun.  You still cannot see through it.  There are no ruby hints around the edges or dark brown variances toward the border of the glass; it is simply black.  Or as I like to quote, "darker than a black steer's tookus on a moonless prairie night."  Check the picture and judge for yourself!  Do you see how washed out everything in the background is?  That is how bright it is behind the beer.  This is the black hole of beer.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 19/20

This flavor is just short of what its aroma offers, but that is hardly a criticism.  Things initially come as one would expect - an assault of bitterness.  However, this wave gives way quickly to the sweet notes present in the aroma.  The dark fruits are here with the coffee and toffee, and accompanied a puff of smokiness.  The sweetness is the primary theme, but it is far from lonely.  There are so many "chords" of flavor, with each note making the others better, that when one holds it in the mouth, you can keep coming around and "re-noticing" each flavor.  Its finish and afters continue the dark fruit flavors and give hints at Ten Fidy's warmth.

Mouthfeel 4/5

With how thickly this beer seemed to pour, I was surprised how light it felt in the mouth.  Not to say that this is a "light" beer by any means, but appearances can be deceiving.  One could safely classify it as a medium bodied beer with low carbonation.  The warmth of this beer is very deceptive, hiding itself away and only making it occasionally known that this is a 10.5% ABV beer.  It is a bit easier to detect during exhale.  The lighter-than-style body of this beer and its camouflaged  warmth make this beer much easier to drink than it should be.

Overall Impression 10/10

If you are going to do something, do it 100%.  The people at Oskar Blues have obviously taken this to heart. The beer meets nearly all of the style guidelines, adds interpretations, and comes out a winner.  It is flawless in aroma and appearance.  Other categories, while not flawless, are still excellent and result in a superior beer.

Total 48/50 (Outstanding)

This beer rightly earns the description of "world-class example of style."  Stylistically on the money with complimentary creative license, this beer was fantastic.  It is big, bold, and black.  Hard to believe that beer like this comes in a can, but in the future I believe that this trend will not be as surprising as cans continue to grow in popularity.  Not only is the beer amazing, but the people at Oskar Blues do some pretty cool things.  They include a "shotgun target" on the can so you know where to puncture the can (not that I would EVER shotgun this 12 oz. of nectar), they have musical events in their facilities, encourage recycling on their packaging, and they distribute their beer in cans.  Not only does Oskar Blues make beer to be unashamed of, they also unabashedly do what they love.  Kudos to you Oskar Blues!  This is one of my top beers.  Ever.

Things that make this can awesome: "this dog'll hunt," "Pack it in.  Pack it out."  Shotgun target.

Left Hand Brewing Co. - Wake Up Dead Imperial Stout

Very excited to sample this brew!  A friend of mine had recommended Left Hand's "Fade to Black," and since I was not able to find it, I figured that this would be a close second.  I have had it in my fridge for a few weeks now and it has been taunting me while waiting for its own entry.  Here it goes.

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 6/12

The first aroma after pouring a nice 3-4oz. sample was the hops.  In fact, it was almost dominated by the hops, oddly enough.  It was a sweet smell, not unlike fresh alfalfa in the field or the sweetness that corn can attain.  Now I realize that those are grains and usually attributed to the malt, but I am allowing myself some leeway on this one.  In an Imperial Stout one would expect to the aroma dominated by the dark, roasted malt.  However, the smell does not come until much later - once the head had reduced by 1-2 cm.  Only after I had finished taking the photos was I able to smell the toasty scent of the malt really come through (and even then, only lightly).

Appearance 2/3

To steal a Sam Elliot line, an Imperial Stout should be "darker'n a black steer's tookus on a moonless prairie night."  This is not.  It is also where the diversion from the imperial stout style becomes grossly apparent.  This does have a great opaque color, but there are hints of dark copper toward the edges and especially if held to light.  Red?!  In an imperial stout!??!  Unheard of!!  Looking into this glass should be like staring into a cave; no hints of light and seemingly bottomless.  It fails in this respect and, unfortunately, is not the last time it will be accused of not being dark enough.

     Its head was a dark cream color (not the dark brown I had hoped for) and stayed present til about half way down my pint.  Very little lace, but it did cover the surface of the beer.  The head was thin and bubbly, not creamy.  On a side note, I would love to give this beer some extra credit points for its bottle art!  Really nice imagery.  I should have taken the red graphics on the outside of the bottle as a foreshadowing of things to come.  Note to self: next time look for imperial stouts that only have labels in monochrome.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 10/20

Please, let me first clarify by saying that this rating is not to indicate that this beer does not have any flavor!  It has a rich, dark flavor that I would rather drink that many more popular stouts.  That said, this is FAR from an imperial stout and is being deducted points for its vast differentiation of the style.  In opposition to the aroma, the malt made its appearance known first in the flavor.  Again, this brew is just not dark enough!  First impression?  Sweet like brown sugar or dark toffee or über-dark vanilla.  I even had to ask my wife to take a sample.  Was I missing the forest for the trees?  Was I paying too close attention to the minutia that I was missing the big picture?  No.  My wife is by no means a beer drinker and her (paraphrased) first words were, "Its really dark, but its sweet."  Trust me, if this beer was dark and bitter, her face would have let me know poste haste. In addition to the sweet "sugary" taste, there was also that of some darker fruits like figs or dates or dark cherries.  Something like that.  There were not fruit esters in the aroma, but a few were present (though complimentary) in the flavor.

     But where is the bitter?  Where is the toastyness?  Where is the coffee?  The hops are present (and earthy when they arrive), but this is an imperial stout and its bitterness should make me want to sit down with a slight grimace.  I expect to be knocked back by a bold(er) flavor and a high alcohol content.  This beer hints at those, yet gives me neither.  The hops are most present while exhaling during the "aftertaste."  This would be a ridiculously good brown ale and that thought keeps returning as I descend down the bottle.

Mouthfeel 3/5

Extremely light creamy texture - medium body overall.  I almost feel guilty calling it creamy at all.  It is a little too bubbly for stout.  There is a hint of warmth initially, but it gives way almost immediately.  The finish is cloying (along with the rest of the of the beer) and very sweet.  Insert disappointed sigh.

Overall Impression 8/10

This is by no means a bad beer.  In fact, I rather enjoyed the whole bottle, but it is far from what the style demands.  It is too sweet!  I want an imperial stout to dry my mouth and impress me with its big, bold, bitter, bad-boy flavor.  I want it to make me question if I should have ordered it when I look at its opacity/viscosity. I want it to suplex my tongue and put it in a choke hold until I tap for mercy.  I should probably feel the strange need to listen to Rolling Stones' "Paint it Black," while drinking it.

Look!  See!  Imperial Stout is supposed to be the blackest of black beers!!!

 Total: 29/50 Good

                                           

This score (the top "good" score given before being rated "very good") states that this beer "misses the mark on style and/pr minor flaws."  While I was worried about not seeing the forest for the trees, I found that my impressions were correct (a satisfying moment for a budding beer taster).  This beer, with modifications to the type of sweetness (nuts instead of fruit), would be a TREMENDOUS brown ale, given the characteristics in its flavor, mouthfeel, and appearance.  As it stands currently, it is an imperial stout with a lot of flavor, just not the right ones, nor were they strong enough.

     I would really like to see some darker malts involved and lots of them.  Of course, once you add all that malt, you are going to need a lot of good hops not only to balance the malt, but to give this beer the bitter kick that is, not only essential to its history, but true to its style.