Imperial Stout
Mount St. Helena Brewing Company

On tap at Mount St. Helena Brewing Co. on 7/16/09. Served in a Ball mason jar!

A - Pure onyx black body with one-finger creamy burnt tan cap that settled into a patchy ring of retention but yielded some pretty substantial lacing around the jar. Head flared up with each swirl.

S - Lots of dark roast and coffee with hints of chocolate and licorice. Pretty hefty waft of alcohol is also present. Some leafy, earthy and herbal hops emerge out of the background.

T - Roasted malt with requisite coffee and chocolate notes as well as a pronounced earthy character suggesting herbal and tea-like hops. There's also a hint of wood and smoke in the mix. Finishes with quite a bit of bitter chocolate and earthy hops.

M- Medium to full bodied with a pretty smooth, oily texture and moderate carbonation. Lots of earthy, chalky bitterness on the palate with a very dry finish.

D - Not a bad Imperial stout at all. Actually, I was surprised (even a bit impressed) that this little brewpub had one. They even had a barleywine on tap.

1999 Vintage

Poured lightly carbonated, blackish with mud brown edging.
Large bubbles sat atop fine bubbles before subsiding in a few minutes.
Balanced, underwhelming nose.
Bitter dark chocolate laced coffee grounds and a husky charrish nod. A hint of nutty vanilla.
Light/medium bodied, filled with a mild bitterness, roasted malts and cocoa.
Quite smooth and creamy, with a nice, drying mouthfeel.
Finishes shortish and non climactic.
Not a huge or intriguing Imperial, but clean and tasty enough nonetheless.
Seems closer to an Export Stout.

As the foam shot down the sides of teh bottle from underneath the cap which was not yet fully removed, I though, "yep, this one is shot." Quick reflexes managed to get the the bottle to the other side of my narrow kitchen and into the sink with only minor splash damage to the counter and dishwasher near the sink. Still highly carbonated, it took forever to pour what remained of the 12oz bottle into my .75 liter glass. As I waited for the head to subside between pours, I drank the Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout. I was actually afraid to go back to this, fearing that it would be badly infected. Instead, it comes out very nice. The aroma is nice, melon, a hint of fresh grapes, bananas over the mellow warmth of the malt. The flavor is milky, more of the banana esters, chocolate, caramel and just enough coffee and char to be noticed. The beer is quite attractive with it's large, lasting head and dark body, but I have to count off 1 point since you have to wait for it. I'm also counting off for the overcarbonation in the mouthfeel, although after it had been sitting in the glass for an hour it was just creamy instead of overcarbonated.

This beer poured into the glass a dark, dark brown/black color. Very little to no light penetration. The head was thick and full, color of medium tan was visible. I had to pour this beer in stages d/t the head build-up. Approx. 5 minutes till I could pour again, there was that much head. There was lace, clumpy and it lasted to the end of the glass. The aromas were of malt, chocolate, dark fruits, some hops, earth and tad bit alcohol. The tastes were of dark rosted malt, dark cherries, some oats, bitter chocolate, hops, nuts (hazelnut), slate near the end and ended dry and chocolatey. This is a farily creamy beer and rather enjoyable. I noticed as it warmed the fruit came out more as well as some citrus too.