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Imperial Stout Trooper
New England Brewing Co.
- From:
- New England Brewing Co.
- Connecticut, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #162 - ABV:
- 8.5%
- Score:
- 94
Ranked #2,518 - Avg:
- 4.22 | pDev: 9%
- Reviews:
- 531
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Thursday at 02:20 AM
- Added:
- Dec 29, 2006
- Wants:
- 977
- Gots:
- 446
Nearly a dozen types of malts and grains go into this FORCE-full, American Imperial Stout. Hints of coffee, tastes of dark fruit, and a subtle chocolate background make this Stout the perfect brew to welcome the Winter months. Brewed solely during the onset of the colder months, this one-time-a-year release will make you come over to the dark side... of beer.
2006 - 12oz bottle
2007 - not released
2008 - 12oz bottle
2009 - 750mL bottle
2010 - 750mL bottle and Groucho glasses label change
2011 - bottle date added to label
2012 - 500mL bottle
2013 - 500mL bottle labeled 12/2013
2014 - 500mL bottle
2015 - 12oz can
2006 - 12oz bottle
2007 - not released
2008 - 12oz bottle
2009 - 750mL bottle
2010 - 750mL bottle and Groucho glasses label change
2011 - bottle date added to label
2012 - 500mL bottle
2013 - 500mL bottle labeled 12/2013
2014 - 500mL bottle
2015 - 12oz can
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MadScientist:
Reviewed by MadScientist from New York
4.49/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.49/5 rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
A: This is a fine looking beer with a thick expresso colored head mostly creamy, slightly rock bubbles. The head is very looking lasting and leaves a light touch of lacing on the glass. This impressive head sits atop a jet black beer showing a hint of deep garnet on the edges.
S: A nice rich malty nose with coffee, cocoa and some licorice notes. Some moderate dark fruit notes of prunes and figs. There is a medium-low citrus hops aroma and a low, floral alcohol aroma.
T: A creamy, coffee and unsweetened chocolate with rich dark malt flavors that just go on and on. The level of malt flavor is high on this but it's fairly smooth with just a touch of dark malt bitterness and a light charcoal flavor; dark caramel, brown sugar and more my tongue is getting lost. The hops bitterness is moderate as is the earthy hops flavor. It has medium to medium-low fruity esters of plums and figs. There is a fair amount of malt sweetness but the balance is still bitter with a medium finish. The aftertaste is of dark grains, unsweetened chocolate and a light hops bitterness.
M: A very creamy, full bodied beer with a moderate level of carbonation.
O: A rainbow of dark malt flavors, well executed and pleasantly balanced. Sometimes when you use too many grains the flavors end up muddied and muted like mixing to many paints it ends up dull and grey; that is so not the case here this beer is rich and flavorful.
Apr 27, 2013S: A nice rich malty nose with coffee, cocoa and some licorice notes. Some moderate dark fruit notes of prunes and figs. There is a medium-low citrus hops aroma and a low, floral alcohol aroma.
T: A creamy, coffee and unsweetened chocolate with rich dark malt flavors that just go on and on. The level of malt flavor is high on this but it's fairly smooth with just a touch of dark malt bitterness and a light charcoal flavor; dark caramel, brown sugar and more my tongue is getting lost. The hops bitterness is moderate as is the earthy hops flavor. It has medium to medium-low fruity esters of plums and figs. There is a fair amount of malt sweetness but the balance is still bitter with a medium finish. The aftertaste is of dark grains, unsweetened chocolate and a light hops bitterness.
M: A very creamy, full bodied beer with a moderate level of carbonation.
O: A rainbow of dark malt flavors, well executed and pleasantly balanced. Sometimes when you use too many grains the flavors end up muddied and muted like mixing to many paints it ends up dull and grey; that is so not the case here this beer is rich and flavorful.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Roy_Hobbs from Connecticut
3.45/5 rDev -18.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.45/5 rDev -18.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Canned December 14, 2017 with the bottom of the can stamped "Vulcans 4 Life"
Ok...let's see how this ~6 year old beer has held up. Appearance wise, the answer is, quite well. Stouts almost all look the same to me, but that's not a bad thing. Deepest brown / black, but what I was pleasantly surprised with was the thick, beige head that showed good retention before settling into a permanent ring and cap.
Aroma is a nice blend of roast and sweetness. Cocoa, roasted malts and vanilla-like aromas. Nice smelling beer.
Taste is where the age of the beer is showing up. I think time has likely stripped away what I imagine were a more congruous set of ingredients. What's left is a little bit like bitter cocoa mixed into a thin base beer.
Overall, this is not particularly enjoyable. I will have to try it fresh. Certainly can't blame the brewer for the fact that this languished in my cellar for way too long.
Aug 12, 2023Ok...let's see how this ~6 year old beer has held up. Appearance wise, the answer is, quite well. Stouts almost all look the same to me, but that's not a bad thing. Deepest brown / black, but what I was pleasantly surprised with was the thick, beige head that showed good retention before settling into a permanent ring and cap.
Aroma is a nice blend of roast and sweetness. Cocoa, roasted malts and vanilla-like aromas. Nice smelling beer.
Taste is where the age of the beer is showing up. I think time has likely stripped away what I imagine were a more congruous set of ingredients. What's left is a little bit like bitter cocoa mixed into a thin base beer.
Overall, this is not particularly enjoyable. I will have to try it fresh. Certainly can't blame the brewer for the fact that this languished in my cellar for way too long.
Reviewed by ovaltine from Indiana
4.27/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a dark cola color and settles as black in the glass with a dense dark tan head. The nose includes a nice amount of rich cocoa, along with roasty char notes and a bit of stone fruit.
The taste is amped up, with that rich cocoa and roasty char syncing nicely with the dark cherry flavor to present a really flavorful imperial stout that improves as it warms.
The mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I’d like to see with a beer of this magnitude. Still a very nice representation of the style that I’d gladly revisit again and again.
May 14, 2023The taste is amped up, with that rich cocoa and roasty char syncing nicely with the dark cherry flavor to present a really flavorful imperial stout that improves as it warms.
The mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I’d like to see with a beer of this magnitude. Still a very nice representation of the style that I’d gladly revisit again and again.
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado
4.34/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Jet black body, opaque; thick, frothy, light tan head. Rich, sweet aroma; dark roasted grains; cocoa and chocolate; dark roast coffee. The taste follows along with and amplifies the smell characteristics; milk chocolate and coffee; moderate bitterness throughout; mild booziness. Heavy body; smooth and glassy; silky; slight alcohol dryness offsetting the overall sweetness.
A wonderful imperial stout that delivers a lot of sensory goods.
Pouring temperature: 48 °F; canning data: LAUGH IT UP FUZZBALL 11/08/21
Apr 17, 2022A wonderful imperial stout that delivers a lot of sensory goods.
Pouring temperature: 48 °F; canning data: LAUGH IT UP FUZZBALL 11/08/21
Reviewed by GlenFarclas from Connecticut
4.8/5 rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.8/5 rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Great beer. World class to be honest. All malt does the job - roasted character, big malty body, bitter but sweet, that roast malt bitterness. A lot of espresso, some mild chocolatey character. It's a great beer, it harkens to the best of the all malt stuff out there and at a really good price point.
Jan 23, 2022Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan
4.61/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.61/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
This is one of the best ad-junk free stouts I have ever had the pleasure to drink.
Poured black as the Empire’s ill will with a medium brown, short and dense head that left regular lacing.
Smelled faint to my nose, but that’s normal, what I did get was malty goodness.
The taste was excellent, full and rich in depth of malts, very little bitterness at all. So good.
The feel, ideally weighted for the style, encourages a slow pace but begs for another sip.
OA, really enjoyed this one, if you can find it, try it!
Jan 22, 2022Poured black as the Empire’s ill will with a medium brown, short and dense head that left regular lacing.
Smelled faint to my nose, but that’s normal, what I did get was malty goodness.
The taste was excellent, full and rich in depth of malts, very little bitterness at all. So good.
The feel, ideally weighted for the style, encourages a slow pace but begs for another sip.
OA, really enjoyed this one, if you can find it, try it!
Reviewed by BBThunderbolt from Kiribati
3.58/5 rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.58/5 rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Thanks to Roguer for this one. 12 oz can (dated Laugh it up, fuzzball 11/8/21) Poured into 14oz teku. Poured a solid and dense black color with 3/4 inch of medium brown color that had very good retention and very light lacing.
Strong roast at the front of the nose, yet it didn't border on coffee. Solid malts, and a light bit of chocolate were behind the roast.
Similar on the tongue, with the roast coming across a bit stronger, and lingering on the finish.
The body was fairly typical for the style; smooth, even, and with a finish that started sweet, but dried out nicely.
Drinkability was good, especially on this wet, rainy, stormy, late autumn day here in the PNW.
Overall, a very well done example of the style. Would be in rotation if local to me. A must-try if you see it.
Dec 18, 2021Strong roast at the front of the nose, yet it didn't border on coffee. Solid malts, and a light bit of chocolate were behind the roast.
Similar on the tongue, with the roast coming across a bit stronger, and lingering on the finish.
The body was fairly typical for the style; smooth, even, and with a finish that started sweet, but dried out nicely.
Drinkability was good, especially on this wet, rainy, stormy, late autumn day here in the PNW.
Overall, a very well done example of the style. Would be in rotation if local to me. A must-try if you see it.
Rated by jbolger from Connecticut
4.17/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
11/29/21 canned 11/10. Liked much better than the taste @ NEB. Roasted malt. Espresso. Nicely balanced. Not sweet or bitter. Go to stout.
Nov 29, 2021Rated by Fieceheart from Connecticut
3.96/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev -6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
It’s a very good stout. Rich, dark, heavy. Potent.
Nov 27, 2021
Imperial Stout Trooper from New England Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
94 out of
100 with
1368 ratings
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