Bring Out The Imp!!
Alechemy Brewing

 

330 mL purchased at the LCBO last winter; best before Jan 2020 and served barely chilled. Aged in Côtes du Rhône casks according to the back label.

Pours a deep mahogany brown-black colour with burgundy red highlights, generating half a finger of frothy, khaki-tinged head that falls apart in less than ninety seconds. A bubbly collar and a smattering of lace are all that remains; looks a bit mediocre, but looks are frequently deceiving. Loads of dark chocolate, molasses and coffee on the nose, with hints of oak and vanilla, as well as faint suggestions of grape and fig. It only gets better as the glass warms, too, with the alcohol fuming up just a tad; smells strong and enticing.

Its flavour profile is robust and varied. Molasses, caramelized sweetness and cocoa are major facets at the forefront, with notes of licorice root, red wine, vanilla, oak, fig and grape also developing by mid-sip. Just a touch of tannin astringency comes through towards the finish; boozy-sweet, woody aftertaste that dissipates within a second or two, leaving the palate feeling slightly dry. Unbelievably smooth for 10.5%. On the heftier side of medium-bodied, with low carbonation levels that brush against the palate weakly; slick, smooth, and deceptively drinkable.

Final Grade: 4.05, an A-. Bring Out The Imp!! was a delightful quaff, with the wine casks incorporating an interesting dimension to this brew's flavour - one that helped differentiate it from the other imperial stouts I've been reviewing as of late. The serving size is ideal for an individual, and the price was also quite reasonable based on the quality of the product you're getting. Worth trying, and I sincerely hope to see more Alechemy stuff sent here to Ontario in the future, even if it's just more Imp.

 

 

 

Motor oil black, not much of a head. Partial ring gives up a surprising amount of lace. Black licoricon and sweet dark treacle on the nose. Sweet to drink offering up licorice, treacle, ash. Slightly dry and metallic finish. Drinkable, not as muscular or harsh as a lot of imperials. Booziness well concealed. Like an after dinner thing.

Pours nearly pure black with a smallish head that musters up tons of lace. The aroma is of roasted malts, dark chocolate and leather. The taste is of plum, berries and rum cake with some raspy tobacco notes in the back. Roasty malts and herbal, floral hops provide some balance to the sweetness. Alcohol heat is present but not overbearing. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with sparse carbonation. Light bitterness in the malty, roasty finish.

A nice, malty and fruity Imperial Stout. Restrained in the hop and roastyness departments. Still worth a try.

 

 

 

 

330 ml bottle served cool into a tulip. LCBO purchase for $3.95 CDN.

Appearance - Pours a chestnut brown colour, appears near black in the glass. A finger of light tan or mocha coloured head rests on top and burns off pretty quickly leaving behind a small soapy lacing pattern.

Smell - Earthy and roasty with some peat, definitely some bourbon and wood with a molasses and licorice undercurrent. A faint marshmallow and butterscotch combo shows up briefly while cold.

Taste - Surprisingly sweet initially, with caramel, marshmallow and treacle shining through with a touch of bourbon. The roasty dark chocolate and coffee shows up later and never becomes too bitter. Molasses and oak really make itself at home after the initial sips.

Mouthfeel - Relatively full but more syrupy than chewy, carbonation is moderate and some burning at the back of the throat. Dry finish.

Overall - A very nice albeit marginally sweeter take on an unflavored imperial stout. The wood shows off in just the right quantities. Worth a try and a very reasonable price tag.

 

 

Straight up stout always reminds me of tar or at least what tar may tastes like. It's just too brutal most of the time. It's also the most unhealthy type of brew one can have. At least with coffee, perhaps vanilla and gentle bourbon, it can be a bit more tolerable, a la Péche Mortel, Dragon's Milk or Founders KBS. This one has neither of those entities or quality.
No head and not a hint of retention, while the nose at least is pleasant. The taste is overwhelmingly bitter wood.
I will not have it again.
On the upside, the bottle looks fantastic.

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color ale with a large dark brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of roasted malt with some vinous notes also perceptible. Taste is a good mix of roasted malt with some light dry bitter notes, some vinous notes with some fruity red wine notes. Body is about average with some silky creamy notes and good carbonation with no real apparent alcohol notes. Enjoyable but fruity wine notes do become overwhelming after a while.

Bottle, Waitrose. Kept in fridge for six months.

A very accomplished imperial stout. Hides the alcohol well too, its a bit noticeable on the finish but not there on the nose or taste.

 

Pours a deep umber brown with smallish head that leaves medium lace. The nose has some burnt marshmellow, toffee, licorice, vanilla, and barbecue/smoke actually. With that said, it isn't a particularly big nose for this type of beer. Flavor is fairly sweet which brings out the licorice, toffee, and vanilla more than the roasty character. What I think I'm getting from the barrel would probably have paired with roasted notes better than these sweet notes. Slightly boozy, but fine for this ABV. Rich mouthfeel. Overall, pretty good, but maybe a bit of a mosh pit with too much of everything thrown in to the same beer. More barrel character and more roasted notes would have help this one.

From a 330ml bottle.
L: Dark brown colour. Slightly thin looking. Ring of mocha head.
S: Intense aromas of liquorice and prunes. Alcohol fumes.
T: Lots more liquorice. Plus a boozy finish.
F: Rich, dense, mouth coating is surprisingly short-lived. The alcohol seems to strip it out.
O: Lovely, rich, liquorice and molasses stout marred a little by very dominant boozy alcohol.