Shut Up Imperial Stout
Center of the Universe Brewing Company

 

 

The beer pours a good looking light brown creamy foam that looks pretty good. The beer itself is a good looking dark chocolate brown such that it looks black. It isn't overly fancy but it looks really good.

The smell is good. It isn't anything overly unique but the notes are pretty good. There's a good mix of bourbon and imperial stout notes. The bourbon is slightly stronger than the roasted malt and dark chocolate notes from the beer.

The taste is pretty good. It has similar notes with the smell. The bourbon comes out ahead and followed but moderate roasted malt note and dark chocolate note as well.

The feel is good. It has a nice smooth feel to it with some very light carbonation.

Overall, a pretty good beer even though it isn't anything unique or crazy.

 

Poured from a can into a snifter glass moderately hard, but little head formed before quickly fading. Fairly dark brown coffee color. Smells lightly of bourbon, good but not too strong. Solid bourbon barrel taste, simple but not quite as tasty as Guiness stock ale. Moderate body with light carbonation. Good, but not the best bourbon barrel stout out there.

A: dark black with a very small dark brown head.

S: vanilla, oak and bourbon right of the bat. Since very sweet malt bringing up the rear.

T: sweet with dark chocolate, and toasted coconut. Vanilla and wood follow and the finish is bourbon and a hint of black licorice.

M: tuck and creamy, with low carbonation, and a slickness to the finish.

O: overall pretty good, I could do with a touch more oak and carbonation.

Not for me! It reminds me of a wee heavy beer and I don’t like those either. Thin feel with booze, but it does get you warm inside if you drink it fast. Can dated 11/21/18

 

 

A: This poured a clear black cherry with a little tan head.
S: It smelled like dark chocolate and tart cherry, with oak and roasted coffee and balsamic.
T: It tasted like rich dark chocolate and tart cherry, with some toffee and oak and a little coffee. It had a clean and bittersweet aftertaste.
M: It was thick with smooth natural carbonation. Nice slick body.
D: This was an enjoyable complex beer with well balanced and unique scent and taste. The body was great, and the finish was smooth with well hidden alcohol. So it was easy to drink but worth sipping. It could age but doesn't need it. Recommended.

L: pours medum thickness and light black with a finger of dark head on hat fades fairly fast
A: big port barrel, some sweetness. I get all barrel! not much chocolate, but dark fruit nites from the port barrel.
T: starts with port barrel and sweetness finishes a little bitter and dry.
F: highly carbonated which I'm not a big fan of. Rather thin and tingly feel, a bit dry on the back end, likely from the wine barrel.

Not there. Too boozy, too thin for a stout, no balance. Maybe aging would help; I'm not convinced.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a 5 month aged 750ml bottle into a brandy snifter. Pours a deep dark purple chocolate brown that is near midnight black until you hold it up to the light and see the chocolate color. Little one finger of head that dissipated quickly. Oily surface. Aromas of dark roasted malts, coffee and chocolate with some sort of dark fruit like prunes, plumbs or raisins. I do detect port. Smells heavenly. Taste is very interesting. A lot like Resolute, Enlightened Despot or even Surly Darkness at the initial sip. Little hops and subtle bourbon. Drinking it slowly. Full of booze but not overly boozy or hidden extremely well. Very complex beer. You can taste the port. Little thinner than I would like. Beer improves as it warms. The bourbon is very subtle and hardly noticeable. This a big time beer. I'll put it up against any top imperial stout. Delicious! Only 1,000 bottles made.

 

Think this was strong but if you let it age (which I'm doing with a bottle) it should calm down