Imperial Hodad
Fiddlehead Brewing Company

 

 

Bottled on:
Picked up at the brewery.

A - Dark pour with some dense, thick caramel lacing and not much viscosity on the sides of the glass.

S - Beautifully blended nose of Bourbon, oak, cacao, and coconut.

T - Cacao, light chocolate char, toasted coconut, vanilla, Bourbon, and light traces of caramel and brownie.

M - Big silky body with light warming on the way down. Leaves a sticky, sugary residue on the lips,

O - Pretty rock solid.

 

 

 

 

L - Mostly black sitting in the glass but had ruby red and brown edges when held up to the light. Got three fingers of almond-colored head

S - Lots of marshmallow and maybe some graham cracker. It's very s'mores-like. The toasted graham cracker may be from the coconut, but it doesn't have a shredded or sugary coconut aroma like candy. It smells like a big imperial porter but I am not picking up any bourbon or barrel character. Even without the barrel this has the makings of a delicious dessert beer. Chocolate and vanilla dominate.

T - The bourbon shows up on the taste. It is overly sweet and doesn't have touches of alcohol warmth that I'd like in a BA beer. There's no booze to cut into the sweetness and it is very cloying. There's faint coconut here. It's almost like the ghost of coconut past. As it warms there are moments where the vanilla really pops in a glorious way. Chocolate is also kinda faded but is there.

F - As an imperial porter it is spot-on. Thinner than an imperial stout but it is staying to-spec for the style. The flavors can be cloying at times and again I wish there was more warmth and booze to help combat the sweetness. Though as it warms it gets more pleasant.

O - It's not bad but it doesn't deliver on its promise. Granted as it warms it gets more complex, but it fell short of expectations.

 

This one pours a fairly dark black color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like creamy milk chocolate, toasted coconut, and some light coffee tones.

This is maybe a little bit more bitter than regular Hodad, but that’s really the only thing that could be possibly from coming an oaky barrel rest. There’s just not really any noticeable barrel character, and it’s just not as good as regular old Hodad. It’s still a decent beer, it’s just disappointing based on what it could be.

This is medium bodied, pretty creamy, with a very drinkable smooth finish.

I wanted to like this more – it was still good, but didn’t live up to its sky high potential, ultimately.

 

 

 

 

Bought a 4-pack of 8ozcans. Nowdays you can only buy an overpriced bomber - $20

Pours a dark black with a thick tan head.
Smells of bourbon, coconut, vanilla.
Very balanced taste. Bourbon is present, but not too strong. Strong coconut, but still nice.

Wish they offered this regularly in some reasonable format.