Love Shadow
Brewery Vivant

Love ShadowLove Shadow
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From:
Brewery Vivant
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #852
ABV:
11.7%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,447
Avg:
4.25 | pDev: 7.29%
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
109
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 24, 2022
Added:
Oct 26, 2013
Wants:
  11
Gots:
  23
Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Monsta-beer-drinker:
Photo of Monsta-beer-drinker
Rated by Monsta-beer-drinker from Michigan

4.44/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sep 06, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

4.06/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured at fridge temp. Pours a nice black with a bit of tan head. Nose is fudge, bourbon, black licorice, roasted malts, figs, raisins, and oak.

The taste nicely follows the nose. Sweet chocolate, black licorice, chocolate, a bit of coffee, brown sugar, raisins, burnt wood, and a bit of burnt toffee. Really nice. The bourbon is there but fairly light.

Mouthfeel is nice and thick. This is easy drinking, and the ABV is surprisingly absent. Great stout!
Apr 24, 2022
Photo of Whyteboar
Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan

3.56/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
I first tried this fresh with our SAN group and wasn’t impressed, don’t recall why. Maybe we tried it the same time as their BA Quad. Mox nix.
Poured pitch black with a medium brown head, the aroma was surprisingly sweet. I wasn’t expecting that. Some coffee and cocoa were detected, with some dark fruits maybe. The taste followed the aroma and while tasty, it lost any complexity it had. Malts definitely dominated with no bitterness found.
The feel was spot on, near ideal for the genre, at 12.4% abv you want to sip this.
So I think cellaring this for 2 years is too long. I’ll get some more next release and try it again.
Mar 28, 2021
Photo of stortore
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois

4.27/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
16 ounce can into a snifter. Canned 2/1/18, had 5/14/18. One of three reviews I missed adding earlier.

Pours a dark brown, opaque, with a half inch quickly dissipating head of darker foam and some slick, soapy lacing. Aromas of bourbon, chocolate, cocoa, malt, vanilla, molasses, raisins, caramel, toffee, some char, a little smoke as it warms. Similar flavors- bourbon, chocolate, malt, vanilla, caramel, oak, some cocoa, light molasses. Has a definite smoky taste. Smooth, a good but lighter full body, well carbonated.

Strong barrels, great aroma, very good flavor. Lighter body does not take away from the overall enjoyment. Solid effort.

R 110913 0425 @BV
Aug 28, 2020
Photo of TooManyGlasses
Reviewed by TooManyGlasses from Canada (AB)

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Single can returned from. Grand Rapids. Picked up in a little gift shop next to the very cool Brewery Vivant, after a flight and duck nachos. 2019 version 12.4%ABV.
Very dark brown - black pour with short lived mocha head.
Aroma initially struck me as boozy, bourbon, vanilla, dark fruit and dark chocolate.
Taste follows - dark fruit almost cherry note, but as warmed more vanilla, char, boozy bourbon and dark chocolate with coffee. Improved as warmed. Hint of licorice.
Medium full mouthfeel, thinner than expected at 12+% ABV - lingering notes of wood, char and a distinct boozy heat.
Really a good beer - certainly better as warmed.
Jun 20, 2020
Photo of 2beerdogs
Reviewed by 2beerdogs from California

3.01/5  rDev -29.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75
Profoundly dark. Mocha colored head asserts 2 fingers, tapers off to a thin, filmy cap.
Smell is bourbon dominated. Searching, I find hints of cocoa and roast. But definitely bourbon is the star of the show.
Really finding this one dimensional, all bourbon barrel.
Mouthfeel is full, and thick. A tad hot.
Overall, Im just writing my experience with one can. Seeing that this is rated pretty highly, take this with a grain of salt.
Apr 11, 2020
 
Rated: 4.07 by jmbeerdude91 from Arizona

Mar 05, 2020
 
Rated: 4.06 by travisvb from New York

Dec 16, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by rare_bird from Michigan

Dec 02, 2019
 
Rated: 4.1 by CraftFan5 from New Jersey

Oct 13, 2019
Photo of AZBeerDude72
Reviewed by AZBeerDude72 from Arizona

4.18/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A: Jet black with 1" tan head and decent lacing.
N: Boozy notes with some malt, chocolate, and smokey tones.
T: A nice barrel hit with some chocolate, minor malt. smoke, burnt sugar, and minor coffee.
M: Boozy with minor bite, very nice barrel.
O: Solid BA beer, very good Barrel and flavors.
Aug 25, 2019
Photo of wheatyweiss
Reviewed by wheatyweiss from Wisconsin

3.87/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 16 oz can into a tulip.

Pours a dark, murky black opaque and no light permeates. Sorry lived one finger head dies immediately.

Aroma is of coffee and smoke, slight molasses and cocoa. Mostly bitter coffee and smokey goodness.

Straight up dark fruit and booze. Coffee and booze. This is straight fusel alcohol and chewy grain.

Mouthfeel is thick, viscous and oily.

Overall, a nicer warmer, too boozy for the style to me.
Aug 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.02 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Jul 23, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by Griffith from Connecticut

Jul 13, 2019
Photo of EMH73
Reviewed by EMH73 from New York

4.24/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a very dark brown with a thin ring of tan head that lasted forever and left no lacing. Smells and tastes of bourbon, dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, oak, roasted malts, caramel, char and toffee. Medium bodied for the style, minimal carbonation, mildly dry finish.
Apr 18, 2019
Photo of sjdevel
Reviewed by sjdevel from Utah

4.31/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look - Deep dark brown/nearly black - low on carbonation and very little foam after pour (typical of barrel aged brews). The foam that did make an appearance was a dark tan in color.

Smell - Strong booze and charred wood. Some caramel undertones. Some earthiness along with some coffee and tobacco

Taste - Sharp bite of alcohol upfront just before rushing into sweet chocolate and caramel. Next comes in the chocolate and toffee flavors. Quickly dries out after this and then trails off with some coffee and charred oak and bourbon from the barrel aging.

Feel - Decent mouthfeel - not quite the full bodied you would expect from a stout, but understandable with a barrel aged beer

Overall - This is a very good beer. A lot of complexity and pretty well balanced. This one may improve a bit after another year (the heat and powerful booziness would probably tone down a bit). Would grab this one again (picked up from Tavour)
Apr 14, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by NickThePyro from Washington

Apr 01, 2019
Photo of beersampler6
Reviewed by beersampler6 from Michigan

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very nice imperial stout from a well-known local brewery. Looks nice, darker thick rich dark brown-black color with some creamy tan head and a little spotty lingering lacing. Smells of medium roast coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, oak, raisin, brown sugar, toffee and some roasted nuttiness. Taste follows the nose, very well balanced and the high ABV was fairly well hidden. A little warming alcohol was more forward once the beer warmed. Smooth, mild, slightly creamy mouthfeel and decent carbonation. Very pleasurable and tasty, not too rich and filling.
Mar 29, 2019
 
Rated: 3.74 by cmukid87 from Michigan

Feb 25, 2019
 
Rated: 3.86 by Scotty_Karate from Michigan

Feb 23, 2019
Love Shadow from Brewery Vivant
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 109 ratings