Katya Imperial Stout
MT Brewery

Massive caramel and burnt toffee aroma. Not much else going on.

Deep burnished brown colour with a small, tan head. Not bad.

Where is the roast? It is hard to call this a RIS when all I can taste is burnt caramel and a touch of earth. It's missing something here.

Medium body and moderately-high carbonation. It's okay but it isn't a RIS.

I don't know what to say. It doesn't taste like RIS, it doesn't small like a RIS, it doesn't feel like a RIS. It can't be a RIS. It's quite disappointing really as apart from the colour, nothing really says RIS to me.

Enjoyed on tap but reviewing a take-away bottle. Yet again MT beers seem to be one of the only breweries that nails the beer's description on their labels. Chocolate liquer type notes blended with some bitter coffe and rich fruits. As others have noted it's a pretty friendly RIS, not too hard to handle at all. The palate is flavourful and assertive, dragging you back to keep drinking after each sip. One of the most persistent finishes I've come across. A really cool beer.

On-tap @ Bearded Dragon...October 08. Only just found my notes....

I think this is served a bit too cold, but it is Queensland afterall....
A rich & complex & chocolatey offering. I think it's a bit light-on for RIS.. more like a strong export... nevertheless, it's a drop I enjoyed, and would also enjoy with a charred steak, or on it's own around a fire....

On-tap at the Bearded Dragon, and again a bit later at the Brewery itself.

Seems a little light for a Russian Imperial Stout, both in alcohol content (7%) and mouthfeel. Regardless, it's good stuff.

Poured into a standard pint glass, it's a deep brown, not quite opaque, with 2-fingers or so of tan head.

The brewery hands out little cards with tasting notes which are mostly spot-on, and their description of "aroma of deep chocolate liquor with hints of overripe fruit and is followed by a beer of similar flavours" is accurate, particularly the former.

I had the first one at about 10 in the morning having driven down from Brisbane, and it made an ideal breakfast in and of itself - coffee fairly up front and a little Vegemite on toast in the finish, along with the aforementioned. Great way to start the day. No overt bitterness from the hops or twang from the roasted malts, but very flavorful and very welcoming, soothing even.

Mouthfeel is barely medium, but perhaps this is what makes it so drinkable - it's a lighter interpretation of an RIS and I feel like I could live on it, if I had to. Great stuff.

I was also pretty fond of their English IPA, Dubbel and super secret members-only rum barrel-aged Porter, but by that time I wasn't really disposed to scribbling impressions on the back of a coaster.

Great beer from a great brewery. Cheers!

On tap at The Bearded Dragon, 9/8/08.
A - Pours a very dark brown with a 1.5cm dark beige head that falls away fairly quickly.
S - Roasted malt & chocolate aromas hit first, followed by some dark fruit notes and some vauge floral hop notes that become a bit more evident as the beer warms and a hefty swirl is given.
T - Like then smell, roasted malt and chocolate is also at the forefront of the taste, a bit of burnt bitterness, some strong dark fruit & caramel notes.
M - Medium to full bodied, a bit syrupy sticky & a fairly low carbonation. The roasty flavour lingers.
D - A decent Imperial Stout for this pretty new microbrewery. Not something you'd have lots of but 2 or 3 would be OK.
Next time I'm up that way I'll be sure to try it again.