Imperial Porter (Brewmaster Reserve)
Full Sail Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22oz bottle, 2011 release, poured into a New Belgium globe.

A: Deep, dark brown pour yields an opaque body with tan head lacing. Nice look.

S: Initially there is some dark fruit which almost immediately melts into creamy chocolate, some darker caramel and brown sugar, smoke, char and espresso. Some faint, sweet alcohol notes in there as well.

T: More chocolate, char, and espresso here, joined by some licorice and earthy hops. Hops aren't very strong but I'm still surprised by them in this older bottle. Suggestions of fainter caramel and the sweetness of mellowed alcohol. Licorice and coffee notes are the two mainstays here, to me. Substantial char and bitterness, but pleasant.

MF: Medium bodied with a dry finish.

O: Overall there is nothing wrong with this beer, and I drank down the bottle pretty easily. Its pleasant, though the smoky licorice, herbal hops, and faint heat don't blend perfectly for my palate.

 

I got a whole case of this at the brewery in Hood River.
This is part of the “Brewmaster Reserve Series;” Deep black pour, with big tan head and good lacing .Nose is roasted malts with chocolate and hint of coffee. Bold in body and very creamy in mouthfeel. Flavor is very rich and tasty, and the finish is dry and lightly bitter. Really good. he folks out on the Hood River in Oregon - and now, happily available to us beer geeks in the East.

 

 

 

March 2011 batch, so almost 2 years old.

A: Pours a very dark brown with a reddish tint when held up to the light. Good sized dense light/medium brown head. Fades slowly with excellent head retention. Nice thick waves of lacing on the glass.

S: Lots of creamy milk chocolate. Touch of smoke and char (even charred meat). Bits of dark fruit here and there, especially when swirled.

T: Dark fruits up front with some char and smoke. A bit of chocolate too. Then the sweetness falls away, leaving an odd acrid char and smoke in the middle and into the finish. Finish is more super bitter char with more smoke, like licking an ashtray. Long lingering charcoal between sips. Blegh.

M: Medium bodied. Pretty standard fare.

O: Smell had a bit of promise, and so did the initial flavor, after that it was like eating ash and chasing it with BBQ pit runoff. Rough to drink and I poured it out.

 

22oz bottle purchased as a single from somewhere localish.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a skim of a dark brown head over the opaque dark brown/black brew. What head there was is quickly gone, with leggy sticky lacing. Aroma is deep rich sweetness.

Taste with same maltiness seen in the nose, then powdered chocolate in the middle, and comes on with a slight bitter to close. Mouthfeel is slickery smooth, and drinkability is good as well. Nice brew.