Samuel Adams Imperial Stout
Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company)

From notes 12/30/11: Pours a deep brownish black with 1+ inch lasting, mocha, fine bubbled, foamy head that leaves moderate lace. Aroma is roast, dry figs, prune, coffee, chocolate anise and pungent hops. Taste is similar but with more anise/licorice from mid-sip into the aftertaste. Notes of char in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation, mouth coating.

Copenhagen 7/8 2016. 33 cl bottle from Fakta. Old ship in hard sea on the label. Looks like it is firing a Cannon as well. Might be symbolic of the high ABV.

Pours opaque black with a beige creamy head. Settles as 0,5 cm thick layer of foam. Thick lacing.

Aroma is Intense and of licorice, dark roasted malts, bitter chocolate, pitch and warm asphalt.

Soft carbonation and thick sticky and oily palate.

Flavor is nicely balanced between heavy sweetness and a pronounced salty bitterness. Aftertaste is lingering and mostly sweet. ABV is present but not overly so.

A thick and fat stout which requires some time to digest. Could be bunker fuel.

Note: I am in the process of moving all of my ratings from other beer sites to here, so that all of my ratings are consolidated in one place. The review below is an exact copy of my original RateBeer review from 07/30/2012.


12 oz. bottle. Deep caramel aroma. Appearance is black, black, black, with a medium-body, mocha-colored head. Medium-sweet with a slight burnt-coffee flavor. Medium-body with a creamy, soft carbonation sensation.

The combination of creamy and sweet was just a little too much for me, as I prefer my stouts to have a little more bite to them. I would drink this again, just not on a regular basis.

I was looking at some other reviews and I could not help but notice that one man Nailed his review. I have to give props so i am going to quote him "From notes 12/30/11: Pours a deep brownish-black with 1+ inch lasting, mocha, fine-bubbled, foamy head that leaves moderate lace. The aroma is roast, dry figs, prune, coffee, chocolate anise, and pungent hops. Taste is similar but with more anise/licorice from mid-sip into the aftertaste. Notes of char in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with low carbonation, mouth-coating."

All I would add, is the Beer fog at the crack of the cap, was Tantalizing, Pop it close to your nose, if you love a good stout, this full-bodied guy will be your best friend for as long as you can go without downing it from over excitement. To enjoy the second one with more time.

 

Had it a few years back, just remember that it tasted of licorice and coffee. A very strong taste and very full bodied brew. I remember that after 4 or 5 of these monsters I was feeling pretty good, I guess attributed to the 9.2 abv.
I will have to revisit this one soon.

Drank 5/9/14 @ World of Beer Evanston.

Black color.

Minimal tan head; minimal lace.

Black licorice & fresh earth nose.

Thick mouthfeel.

Coffee grounds, fresh earth, molasses & mild black licorice flavors.

Dark & complex, yet drinkable.

 

 

 

 

Pours black, with soft, chocolate colored foam.

Smell is full of chocolate and licorice, with a hint of soy sauce.

Starts of slightly boozy, dark chocolate, licorice and a bit of coffee. Nice balance, and nice aftertaste.

Medium bodied, good level of carbonation.

Overall, a good Impy, a bit more muted and a bit too thin for me than the really excellent ones.

 

 

 

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of dark fruits, roasted malts. Taste is roasted malts, alcohol, light hops, some dark fruits. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer, but not a great example of this style.

 

 

Stiff black pour on this one. Tan colored head, 3/4". Impressive. Substantial roast and dark fruit notes, alcohol wafting.

Taste is more roast, more dark fruit, but the bitterness is lightly tamed. A bit of anise, chocolate malt, coffee and toffee malt notes.

These are good, the format is nice, better for sharing on a cold night.