ItaloBänger | Põhjala Brewery

3.82/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

4.18/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Best by 21/03/21

A: Jet-black pour with a good-sized black head. Head sticks around pretty well but shows no sign of lacing on the glass.

S: What an interesting aroma. Clearly a big roasty stout but grapes and a little orange stand out. Quite a bit of char in there too.

T: Damn, what a unique beer. It's roasty and charry up front with lots of dark fruit sweetness (grapes and figs clearly). Not really getting that blood orange in there. The anise shows up just fine though, it's not powerful but you mainly get it in the aftertaste.

M: Heavy, thick, sweet and syrupy. Lower carbonation.k

O: Very nice dessert beer, just like that last one I had. Who knew Estonia had great beer?

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4.91/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

3.64/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

4.5/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.36/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Deep dark brown color. No light passes. The head is a dark tan. Not much lace -- just some spots on the wine glass.

Dry, dark chocolate smell. Powerful alcohol nose.

If comes across as a carbonated brownie. The body, while it leans rich, is cut by the higher carbonation. The flavor has a berry sweetness that is cut by the bittering burnt malt. Lots of alcohol. Very complex. The swallow has a good dollop of fresh sweet cream. The aftertaste is similar to a milkshake although not as sweet. This is a special beer.

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4.3/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

This is my first Estonian Imperial Stout and I thought it was quite good, different, unique, a lot of taste, and delicious, a bit sweet. I think the chocolate and blood orange blend was a success.

Look: Black with a quarter inch mocca colored head (in tulip)

Aroma: roasted malts, chocolate, orange

Taste: The flavor is roasted malts, sweet chocolate, lots of chocolate, blood orange, some of the figs and grapes and a hint of anise, a bit vinous, but mostly blood orange and chocolate.

Feel: full body, thick, viscous.

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4.98/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Best by 3/21/21 12.5% abv

Super dark brown pour with a mocha colored head and slight reddish hue around the edge. Aroma of dark fruit and molasses. The flavors are mind bending!! Grape, tobacco, orange, dark fruit, cocoa and licorice meld together beautifully. The feel is smooth and thick with some oily viscosity. Sweet, sticky and amazing! Well done! Enjoy!

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4.58/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 11.2 oz bottle into snifter. Best before 21 03 21. Batch 626
A: Pours an extremely dark and dense black-brown with 1/2 inch super dark mocha head with decent retention.
S: Dark chocolate, leather, tobacco, charred wood, dark dried fruit (fig), and hints of orange and anise.
T: Blood orange and dark chocolate hit first, quickly followed by white grape, leather, fig, and a hint of anise.
M: Moderately heavy body. The citrus and grape notes seem to lighten it a bit. Velvety smooth. Fruit and chocolate sweetness. Not very bitter at all.
D: What an interesting brew! Very well constructed. Layered complexity. Really enjoyed the orange and grape additions...gives it a vinous feel underneath the core imperial stout. Well done again, Pohjala!

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4.66/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Pours thick and jet black with some chocolate colored foam.

Smell s sweet and fruity with hints of coffee, licorice and some soy sauce. Becomes more vinous as it warms.

Smell is just a punch to the tastebuds. Sweet and vinous to start, it then proceeds to absolutely fuck with your expectations. Coffee, licorice and fudge is mixed in with fruit and some hints of sweet white wine and port. The flavors mingle and intertwine into a spectacular end result, whih is unlike anything I've had. Just amazing.

Mouthfeel is thick and oily, well carbonated.

Overall, this is one of the best and most unique stouts I've ever had. I loved the spectrum of flavors coming together and the fact that it's totally bonkers, but still works.

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4.32/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.24/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.28/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

4.15/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from fridge temp into a snifter. Pours jet black with quickly dissipating head. The nose immediately reminds me of those chocolate orange balls that you break into slices. Really nice and decadent. Picking some really nice black licorice and some nice roasted malts. Sweet red grapes are there as well. Very inviting. Taste is really sweet up front, and musty on the back end. Definitely getting some bitter chocolate in the middle. Oranges are very prominent, along with smooth black licorice. A smoky taste is laced throughout. The flavors are complex, and at times seem like an odd combination. Curious what some age would do to this. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy, and the alcohol is detectable. Overall, a great stout with some interesting flavors. Not sure if I would buy this again though.

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4.25/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

4/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Mother Kelly's Vauxhall. Pours near black with a think thin head that tells you this is a big beer. Nose is not as big as expected, but the beer was served quite cold and it expanded nicely as it warmed. Some spiced hot chocolate coming through along with the expected roasty notes. Flavor brings some liquorice and some medium roasted and cocoa notes. Aside from maybe some anise, I'm not getting much of the figs, orange, grape, etc that was supposedly thrown in this beer. Just a solid imperial stout (a big one at that).

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4.23/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

3.8/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75