Anniversary 8
River North Brewery

L:. Pours a thick pitch black oil color with a very small tan head and no lacing on the glass.

S:. Sweet caramel and toffee, charred wood, bittersweet chocolate, hints of molasses and cherry, notes of oak. Lots going but nothing stands out, it kinda all melds together.

T:. Lots of charred wood and ash, sweet molasses and caramel, oak, and a hint of cherry.

F:. Thick smooth body with a bit of cola like carbonation.

O:. I love the look and feel of this beer, it's overall a pretty solid beer.

Type: 12-oz. can
Reviewed as: American Double/Imperial Stout
Glass: Pure Project 16-oz. brandy snifter glass
Price: n/a
From: Beer Advocate’s ucsbmullet
Purchased: n/a; received July 17, 2020
Consumed: Aug. 25, 2020
Misc.: Canned on Feb. 21, 2020

Thanks, Nick!

Got this and a host of other good stuff from Nick. This one was labeled online as, “Set it and forget it, right? We boiled this deep, dark, roasty monstrosity for 480 minutes straight. Ill-advised? Probably. Undeniably delicious? My sources say yes.” Nice.

Poured a pitch black color with 1-to-2 fingers of frothy tan head. Pretty calm underneath with just a few bubbles coming up along the sides of the glass. Excellent spotty lacing. Excellent foamy retention. (Sight - 4.50)

Nice smell from the jump. Got wood, oak, charcoal (not sure I’ve ever used that before), crayon, roasted nuts, burned toast, semi-char wood, bitter dark chocolate, earthy toasted grain, roasted espresso, light molasses and hints of toffee. Much of the same from the can. (Smell - 4.00)

Tasted a little better than the nose with a little more balance. In order got semi-char wood, oak, bitter crayon, charcoal, earthy toasted grain, sticky molasses, bitter dark chocolate, roasted espresso, burnt marshmallow top, and hints of caramel and toffee. Does not taste 11 pct. ABV. (Taste - 4.00)

Full body. Sticky texture. Average carbonation. Long, bitter, slightly warming finish. (Feel - 4.25)

This beer really grew on me. Not your typical stout, but still excellent. (Overall - 4.25)

4.11 | 92 | A-

Tar black body; thin yet fairly robust head initially, fades to a thin and fizzy wisp around the circumference of the glass; some globular patches of foam cascade down the glass after each sip. Deep, dark roasted grain scent; roasted / charred nuts; faint suggestion of cocoa nibs. Big roasted grain taste; darkened and charred grain husks; a modicum of sweetness offsetting the sooty hop bitterness. Heavy body; oily with a partially dry quality lurking in the background.

The massive boil time, I'm sure, really imparts the overall charred nature of this beer. It's not obnoxiously overpowering, and adds kind of a dry quality to counterpoint the heavy (yet subdued) sweetness. It's pretty enjoyable overall. It's definitely unique, too. A very fine strong stout with heavy and bold flavors all done without barrel aging. Yes, indeedy...

Procured from the Argonaut in Denver at $20 for a four pack of 12-oz cans. Yikes! Drinking local and craft deliciousness can be pricey.

One of the darkest beers I've ever seen. Without any coffee at all, this matches the opacity and color of the KBS Espresso I had a couple months ago. A beautiful inch of soft mulatto brown froth rises up from the pour. No lacing, surprisingly.

The aroma is incredible. Oak wood reduced to charcoal, oat milk, french bread, hints of dark roast coffee and ash gracefully sooth the nose. Easily one of the best smelling stouts I've ever had.

Unfortunately upon sipping, the spell is broken and you are immediately assaulted by too much coffee-like acidity and tannin bitterness to forgive despite the smooth milky notes and the almost-burnt-French-bread-with-real-unsalted-French-butter flavor which gradually take over. The finish lingers for well over a minute, and by the end, it's actually a lovely finish.

The feel is actually quite nice as well. Lots of clingy bitterness, but that's a natural consequence of sipping such a rich, roasty brew. The texture is smooth and it could use a touch more carbonation, but pretty damn decent.

Gotta hand it to the guys in RiNo. A unique and excellent Imperial Stout, without any doubt. Cheers!