MGB Imperial Stout
Back Street Brewery & Lamppost Pizza

On-tap at Back Street (Irvine)

A: The pour is almost black with a thin tan head that settles down to some scattered islands and a ring around the glass.

S: This is how I would imagine pruno smells. Booze, sugar, and prune juice sums up the initial few sniffs quite well. I get some licorice and chocolate covered cardboard to add depth and more terrible things to say about this beer. Maybe some dark fruit and chlorine for good measure.

T: Holy crap. Grass, burnt plastic, vinegar, cardboard, cork, and booze. The level of roast is impressive and there is an intense ash flavor. Terribly harsh and astringent. Just awful in every way.

M: The body is medium and the carbonation is low to medium. Sort of immaterial at this point.

D: This was atrocious. But at least I'll be prepared for my drinking option should I go to prison.

Was very excited to see this on tap today. Backstreet brewery is pretty hit or miss. Their milk stout (La Costa Rasta) was definitely one of the big winners, so I was happy to see another stout make an appearance.

Looks almost like a root beer float, as the beer is dark brown with a black core, and has a big mottled tan/white/milky looking top that's pretty huge considering the abv.

Smells like roasted malt, a bunch of chocolate, and perhaps a smidgen, just a smidgen, of vanilla/alcohol heat.

Taste is pretty good, though it actually smells better. Roasted malt is pretty forward and overwhelming, and there's an acrid, burnt almost vanilla extract aftertaste. Some nice chocolate, some malty sweetness ... I wouldn't say there's any fruit component, so it's definitely more of a double stout than an RIS.

Pretty solid entry. Enthused. Nice chewy mouthfeel.