Imperial Blud
18th Street Brewery - Gary Taproom

750ml capped and waxed bottle into a Brooklyn Brewery snifter.

Pours flat as a pancake. Nose is cinnamon, dried plum, sweet soy sauce, molasses, tobacco, and anise. Sweet with almost a distinct saltiness. Nicely aromatic with a very distinct, classic nose. Beer opens chewy. I get notes of molasses, dried plum and prunes, raisin, and sweet soy sauce. Baker's chocolate in the middle with some tobacco, roasted malt, and cocoa powder. Ends more dried dark fruit and a touch of cardboard. Body is full with no carbonation. Oily on the palate and flat going down. No carbonation. Filmy, lingering aftertaste.

This one's a bit over-the-hill at this point. Oxidized and could do with some carbonation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got this one from claaark13 a while back. Thanks for the long-time want!

From a 750 into a snifter
Imperial stout with cocoa nibs, cinnamon and Metropolis Redline Espresso

APPEARANCE: Clear black pour yields a 2+ finger, medium looking, slightly crackly dark tan head with very good retention. Black body with touches of carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a full, creamy cap. A slight ring remains until the end leaving some falling dots down the glass as it empties.

SMELL: Creamy coffee, sweet vanilla cream, some milk chocolate, light cinnamon and a hint of hazelnuts somehow. A touch of roasted malt too but the sweet cream, coffee and cinnamon are more prevalent. Medium strength but very nice.

TASTE: Milk chocolate, cinnamon and coffee up front. Notes of sweet cream and vanilla as well. Quite nice. A medium but lingering finish of cinnamon, milk chocolate, sweet cream, coffee and a slightly bitter, roasted malt character as well. It’s not overly bold but it’s nice and well put together.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Creamy on the palate, smooth as well, goes down smooth and finishes slightly mouth-coating. A hint of alcohol and some bitterness lingers.

OVERALL: This was quality stuff. The coffee addition was great and the base stout was well worthwhile as well. It’s not the boldest, most challenging beer of all time, but it’s certainly well made and enjoyable. Thanks again, claaark!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stark black with a thin but substantial dark tan blanket.

This is almost like the Biggleswade I'd had a few pours before--maybe there was some aftertaste stuck in my mouth?--but I'm getting hints of floral cardamom or pink peppercorn, with plenty of chocolate and roasted malt. Why? Ohhhhhhh there it is, the cinnamon. I didn't realize that was in this beer. It's cinnamon, but it's mellow--this must have been an older bottle, as it's not too spicy, more rounded and almost brown sugared.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haven't written a review in over a year. This is worth mentioning - Black Wax

Overall this hits on all the levels of the other top imperial stouts. Depth of flavor, richness of the bass enhanced by spices, viscous mouth feel and soft carbonation, strong finish, menacing appearance. Cinnamon takes center stage among the spices hiding the coffee more than it should, but other than that perfectly in balance.