Imperial Stout
Nokomis Craft Ales

A- I don't think I've ever seen as beautiful a color in a head of beer as this....it honestly looks like a glistening golden firework going off....unfortunately, as fast as it comes, it disappears just as quickly, leaving only a sticky residue around the inside of the glass and literally no evidence that it was even there. Ok, now for the liquid itself, it is a dark cola color that is opaque, and has a rather flat, oily looking appearance...this is backed up by the lacing, or lack thereof.....I only get a brown hued film that adds another layer to what the head left behind. Aside from the beauty of the head, this one doesn't really have much to talk about!

S- Wow....this one smells of pure unadulterated raw cocoa powder, day old black coffee and is quite boozy. I am also picking up background scents of heavily charred bourbon or rye whisky barrel, vanilla, dark chocolate liqueur, prune concentrate, raisins and stale fig....as this warms the wood char and the liquor (rummy bourbon) becomes increasingly prominent. The finish is heavy of wet Earth, black/chocolate malt, and a dry leafy smokiness.

T- The flavors come off much sweeter than the aromas would let on! I am getting a pleasant mix of several things.....rum &butter, dark Muscovado sugar, dark toffee, black French Press coffee, caramel latte, vanilla creme, and dark chocolate fondue bring up the sweetness that I am detecting. Rounding this out are balancing notes of whisky barrel char, damp Earth, astringent blackstrap molasses, black tea, rummy booze and on the finish, a leafy, Earthy smokiness that lingers on the palate right up until the next sip is taken.

M/O- Full bodied and the carbonation is relatively soft, which is exactly what I was hoping for when I cracked this one....suits the boldness perfectly well. This is a masculine type of stout, that shows off the complexity of the barrel aging, along with the alcohol, without any inhibition. While I am enjoying this brute, I find that half a bottle is more than enough, however, I will enjoy another half 'if I must!'....its would bode better though as a brew to share with a good friend. I think it could add some robustness to a beef stew or chili, and while I think it is fine on its' own, pairing this with a bbq steak or an aforementioned stew or chili would be awesome! A quality product and I'm glad I gave this one a try!

 

Packaged on Nov 28/18.

Barrel-aged for 12 months.

Appearance - Pours a jet black with three fingers of frothy mocha tan head.

Smell - bourbon, oak, vanilla, earthy and leafy hops, cocoa, coffee bean, dark fruits, roasted malts, and earthy yeast.

Taste - bourbon, oak, and vanilla upfront. The earthy and leafy hops come through next. The cocoa, coffee bean, and dark fruits (raisin, plum, fig) follow suit. The roasted malts and earthy yeast round out the brew.

Mouthfeel - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes silky smooth with the oak, bourbon, and vanilla, cocoa, coffee bean lingering.

Overall - A pleasant and bold brew. A dangerous tipple to have on this Cowtown evening!

 

 

 

 

 

Some delicious complexity -- dark fruit cake, almonds, bourbon - but also some intense hits of alcohol that really takes it out of balance. I kept taking sip after sip to enjoy the great flavours but then would get hit by the booziness. When they get this one balanced out it's going to be awesome.

2015 vintage (which had already been barrel-aged for 12 months)

Pours a little head, no retention, but it shows some leg.

Aroma is modest but enticing. A little booze, roasted nuts, vanilla, brown sugar and coffee.

Lots of bourbon and oak in the flavour. Light roasted nut and molasses, restrained bitterness.

A nice body for its strength, with a slightly drying, alcohol finish.