Holy Moly
Cathedral Square Brewery

12 oz bottle in SC.
Pours with a nearly opaque black-brown body and a weak tan head.
Nicely complex aroma with faint smoke, dates, raisins, dark bread and a hint of chocolate.
The flavor is also above average with good complexity, very good balance, and well hidden ABV.
Feel: light carbonation in a body that seems a touch too thin.
Overall: very good RIS, especially for the price ($10/6 pack).

Pitch black liquid.

Dark khaki head; a curtain of lace.

Rich milk chocolate smell, with a hint of coffee. Enticing.

Thick mouthfeel.

Nice roasts chocolate coffee flavor, but this has been hopped too aggressively, making it biting & overly bitter on the back end. Still good.

Appearance.
Body : Pours chestnut brown forming a nice black appearance.
Head : 3 fingers, mocha colored.
Retention : 1 finger, susained.

Smell.
Initial : Black strap molasses, black licorice, smoked meats
With Agitation : Add barnyard, burnt chocolate, figs.

Taste.
Palate : Roasted figs, plums, dark malts, faint smoked cured meats
Finish : Coffee grounds and toasted chocolates meet a roasty bitterness.

Feel.
Palate : Medium to thick bodied and slick on the tongue.
Finish : Delightfully roasty and the right amount of dryness.

Overall this stout was a pretty good experience. I'm glad I bought the store out at $1.99 a bomber. Will have again for sure, and I'd seek it out if need be.

Edit : adding another 6 months to this has really made this beer explode with flavor and appearance. Scores adjusted.

 

Had this one on tap, served in a short tulip, which was interesting. Black body, brown head. Nice looking stout. Smell was mostly roasted malt, some chocolate/coffee. Not too strong. Taste was the same. The alcohol was well hidden, and would have never guessed it was 10% by taste. Not a huge depth of flavor, but liked the taste a lot. I didn't experience any aftertaste, bitterness, hops, etc...maybe that was the difference with having it on tap. Tends to smooth everything out in a stout. Never had it from a bottle...yet...but interested to see if that will dilute my rating.

 

 

 

 

A: Pours an opaque yet still relatively clear jet black in color with moderate amounts of gentle visible carbonation along the edges of the glass and moderate dark cola brown highlights. The beer has a three finger tall pillowy foamy dark tan head that reduces to a thick layer covering the entire surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of roasted malts, dark fruits (plum/fig/raisin), and lighter aromas of dark chocolate.

T: Upfront there is a strong flavor of dark roasted malts with a light to moderate flavor of dark chocolate. That is followed by some moderate flavors of dark fruits (plum/fig/raisin) and a light to moderate amount of earthy hops. Moderate amounts of roasty bitterness in the finish.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Creamy and smooth though slightly thin in the finish.

O: Enjoyable but not outstanding which is tough in this style as there are a lot of outstanding examples. Easy to drink and the alcohol is well hidden. Worth grabbing, though I would be interested in trying the bourbon barrel aged version.

 

Black in color with a brownish head. The smell is of highly roasted grain...a touch of smoke, some alcohol, and a hint of rich malt. The flavor is strong...grain, some chocolate, highly roasted malt, and dark fruit. The beer hides its alcohol very well...it is hard to know that it has 9% abv. Full in body. This is a reasonably good imperial stout.

First of all, I figure this one was going to be play on a Mexican mole. I was wrong....
Black in color with a very large light tan colored head. Very good retention, but far more heady than I'd expect for a RIS. Aroma isn't bad. Roasted malts, coffee and a bit of citrusy hops. Taste is okay. Nothing too impressive. Roasted malts, sour coffee, cola, and pine. Chocolate on the back end. Heavy medium body, but rather thin for the style. Slightly acidic.
A fairly average RIS. Probably not worth the calories.

 

 

22oz bottle,
A 3.5 - black with a creamy tan head that fades rather quickly
S 4 - sweet nose with dark chocolate, roasted barley, anise, earthy hop
T 3.75 - lots of dark chocolate with caramel, roasted barley, french roast coffee, anise, earth, pine, oats perhaps, some dark fruit especially as it warms
M 3.75 - medium-full body but feels thin at times, creamy and smooth, moderate carbonation
O 3.75 - I liked the abundance of dark chocolate notes, but it all doesn't meld perfectly for me for some reason. Either way, it was still very enjoyable.