Dominion Imperial Stout
Fordham & Dominion Brewing Company

 

Intense chocolate, roasted and burnt malt notes, coffee and chocolate liquor aroma. Fantastic aroma. Pours a slightly brown tinged black with a creamy tan head that last. Fore is very chocolatey (both dark and milk varities) with bready pumpernickel notes, creamed espresso, dark fruit notes, firm, but not strong alcohol and the finish is burnt and roasty with smooth dark chocolate and vanilla lingering into the far aftertaste. The middle of the flavor profile is like iced chocolate liquor cake..delicious. I guess I just like lower abv Imperial Stouts because I thinkt his is fantastic. It is pretty thin for the style, but the flavor is amazing. Wish i had more of this.

Pretty good Imperial Stout, but not the best I've had. Extremely dark in color. I could see a small glimmer light through the blackness when held up to the light. Poured with a fairly small, yet decent head that receded to a full thin lace that never disappeared. Definite roasted and chocolate notes on the nose, but overall is a bit subdued. Mouthfeel was a bit on the light side for what I'd expect, but it did tend to get a little fuller as the beer warmed. Pretty smooth dark malt start with a good bit of prickly carbonation comming in towards the middle. Lots of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and coffee notes scattered throughout. Slight warming nature to the finish with some light alcohol esters noticable. All in all, a pretty good imperial stout. I like it much better then last year's baltic porter winter brew, but I don't think it stands out among some of the other more complex Imperial stouts out there.

This is the Dominion Winter Brew 2004. It says "Seasonal LAGER Speciality" on the label and on the back describes the beer as "Old Dominion's Imperial Stout" I don't think both can be true? This is a mystery beer.

In any case, the beer pours a dark mahogany that you can barely see through. There is very little tan/brown head that quickly dissipated to a small lace around the glass.

The aroma is very clean for what I think of as an Imperial Stout. There is noticable chocolate along with sweet malt, some nutty aroma and some alcohol esters as well.

The taste is the most surprising. Again, none of the overpowering maltiness of a RIS. Some sweetness along with chocolate malt, nuttiness, and obvious alcohol presence. There is a soothing strength to this beer. The warming makes this a great winter brew.

I think this is a lager -- making it, I guess, an "Imperial Dark Lager"? It must define the style! Worth trying. I most definitely have to try another.

On of the best beers on cask at the Real Ale festival. It was malty enough to cut the hoppy/bitter beers I had had just prior to tasting.
Pours a deep dark black with just a touch of brown. Darkish tan head with nice lacing.
The usual bitter malts on the nose.
A very creamy and enjoyable brew. Light to medium mouthfeel with no mention of the higher ABV. Much better drinking than some other imperials I've had lately. Bitter chocolate and roasted flavors are very well balanced with a diminished hop background.
Well worth a few.