Colossal One
Port City Brewing

 

 

An imperial stout, but with Belgian yeast, so rating considering that it isn't really an "American" imperial stout:
Pour yields a nice, sustaining beige head. This topping has that nice sheeting effect with each top of the glass, leaving a bent streamer or two as the vessel is righted.

The nose has a bit of a spiced cola edge to it, which I could see being the mix of a spicy Belgian yeast and roasted malt char. It's definitely out of shallow left field from what I expect from stouts in general, but it seems to fit into what I might expect from a stout with a spicy Belgian yeast. The roasted side of the nose actually reminds me a little bit of the relatively few foreign export stouts I've had, and the yeast oddly brings about a Baltic porter vibe.

The taste of the warming liquid brings a mix of unsweetened cola and dark raisins with a hint of booze-soaked dates. The back end continues to showcase the roasted malt bitterness. The char and yeast again mix here to produce something akin to a charred spicy wood, although seeing the company's descriptor of clove also works. There's a little bakers chocolate playing underneath these other flavors.

The feel is pretty full, but not thick and definitely not sticky, with a little more, yet well-constrained, carbonation than I expected. The finish is dry, with a decent level of charred bitterness.

 

 

 

 

 

Growler fill at brewery taproom.
Poured a lovely pitch black with fair amount of fine, light tan head and good lacing. Smells of cocoa, roasted malts, dark fruity notes suggestive of a Belgian strong ale. Tastes sweet malts forward, chocolate notes, fig, prune and some herbal quality to offset the sweetness and some notes of citrus/pine that complement the sweetness. Mouthfeel is medium to full, with a good amount of carbonation to provide astringency and prevent it from becoming syrupy – nice clean finish. As typical of the style, as it warms, it gains complexity.
Port City has produced another solid beer, a lovely take on an imperial stout – the use of the Belgian yeast provides it with some of the best qualities of a Belgian strong dark. Well balance, smooth, and quaffable with a well hidden ABV – I’ve found a new go to beer.

 

 

 

 

On tap at the Ginger Man in NYC. This is my first beer from Port City. A solid imperial stout that has some interesting flavor complexities, most likely from the Belgian yeast. Good, but not great.

 

Pours a dark noir black with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has cocoa hints
The taste follows the nose with a cocoa flavor
A medium decently carbonated beer
A good Stout

 

 

 

On tap at the brewery's tap room. A full 10oz pour served in a snifter.

I give this beer high marks for achieving the qualities of a great imperial stout while still keeping the ABV below 10%. Its a stout but its quite quaffable.

An imperial stout that has good body but does not come off as syrupy. Nice roasted malts. A medium body with a silky smooth finish.

I'll drink this one every time I can find it.