Shot In The Dark
Elland Brewery

Purchased while on a trip to London. Thanks to WL0307 who took me on a London by pub tour which ended with a visit to a fantastic beer store.

Dark brown almost completely black in the glass. No light is able to pass through the glass at all. Absolutely no head when poured. Light aromas of coffee, fruit and burnt oak. Flavours are similar to the aroma, but more prevalent with an assertive sourness in the finish. Alcohol is also slightly noticeable in the finish. A nice beer to relax and savour at the end of the evening.

Thanks to RobBeer for bringing this bottle all the way to Japan.

Drank: 10 Aug. 06
Best B4 Date: Sept. 06

A - Absolutely no head. Almost black brown body.
S - Wood. Leather. Tar.
T - Char, mud-thick coffee. Quite sharp.
M - Heavy without carbonation. Hot and oily.
D - I am sticking this in the freezer for 10 minutes and if its not better, I am not drinking it.

Purchased at the Nelson Wines, South Wimbledon--it was the very last bottle on the shelves~~ lucky me. This bottle-conditioned beer is at only 7.7%abv. now. BB Sept. 06, served cool in a broad-rimmed goblet.

A: pours an ebony hue with brown glows against light; absolutely no beer head at all, suggesting static carbonation.
S: quite sour-fruity and vinous upfront, with suggestions of prunes, blackcurrants, old barrels, tar, fruit esters, Balsamic vinegar(!), with a touch of nutmeg at the back; a good swirl reveals an underlying note of chocolatey-woody edge of oak-aged Syrah wines, and a bitter-sweet aroma roasted malts without the burned edge~~ It reminds me a lot of Harvey's Imperial Stout with its tart and winey notes, albeit not as complex.
T: the initial syrupy-oily smooth prune-ish and tar-ish palate is quickly followed by an intense spicy-bitter edge of espresso crema and the sour-bitter edge of darkest chocolates; gradually giving way to a pleasant sour-sweet aftertone of prune-tea, with faint hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, leaving behind an undercurrent of soothing, Sichuan-pepper-like spicy bitterness which goes deep down the sides of the tongue and results in a rather dryish aftertone. A touch of warming alc. is revealed in the very end, rounding off the palate skilfully. On the balance the palate is understated and rather "quiet" even by English standards, but it's full of depth and a sound, evolving structure. Very nice indeed.
M&D: extremely smooth and rounded throughout the drink, yet the down side is a lack of soft fizzy support. But for this type of beer, which is perhaps aged in wood barrels, I reckon the low carbonation is part of its nature? Not at all sour on the palate as the nose suggests, and a surprisingly evolving flavour profile adds to the overall complexity. Don't expect big, roasted/coffeeish elements in this beer. This is a fine example of English RIS, and a little brother of Harvey's RIS as there're plenty of similarities to pick up. A nice beer to savour quietly, so that the subtle elements could flow freely.

330ml Bottle bought from the Vineyard, Belfast..

Poured a thick black colour with the slightest hint of red when held up to the light... Head was dirty white / brown and only formed a small layer on top. This disappeared almost instantly...

Aroma - Dark fruits, ginger notes, roast malt, coffee. Slight hint of dried cumin...

Taste – Quite sweet for an Imperial Stout, roast malt, dark chocolate notes, strong black coffee...

Feel - Quite syrupy and smooth with the slightest hint of sharpness underneath. Very little carbonation...

Overall - A slightly underwhelming Imperial Stout. Worth a try once but there are better ones out there...