Imperial Stout
Marzoni's Brick Oven & Brewing Company

Light bitter roasted malt with a touch of smoke and dark chocolate. Light coffee aroma and mild bitter hops. Overall, the aroma was a bit muted, but this may have resulted from sampling from a goblet. Dark black clear with thin tan lacing head. Medium bodied, closer to heavy bodied but not quite thick. Medium-high carbonation, with alcohol warming and some carbonic tang. Starts with bit of roasted malt sweetness. Mild chocolate-coffee sweetness and a big ol' hit of bitterness. Could taste the alcohol a bit, but that's not surprising for 8.3%. Some carbonic tang. The sweetness level is just right, not cloying or overpowering but the bitterness level is a bit too big and overcompensates. This will probably mellow out in a bit more aging. Aftertaste is nutty with bitter coffee notes, leaving the tongue dry and brushed. Pairs well with food.

Appearence: Pours a dark, heavy black with strong red and brown hints. The head is thin, creamy, beige, but dies quickly.

Smell: Chocolate and coffee dominate, but the subtleties are very nice. Floral and grassy hops, along with a hint of roasted malt, molasses, and maybe even some caramel. I'd give it higher scores, but the alcohol is a bit prominent.

Taste and Mouthfeel: Pardon my french, but this is fucking beautiful. Smooth, lucious and creamy as hell, complex, rich and powerful, interesting and thought provoking, mind numbing and chest warming, but most importantly... TASTY!! The coffee/chocolate notes are fabulous and rich. The use of some noble hops really lends a hand to this almighty brew, making it balanced, more complex, and unique. Very unique. I just cannot get past how rich but yet balanced this beer is. Brilliant. Mr. Kroft, once again, you've outdone yourself.

Drinkability and Overall: Hands down one of the best Imperial Stouts I've had in a long time. I just cannot say enough about this beer. It's going to be gone soon (according to the bartender), so if you get a chance, head to Marzoni's now and pick up a glass of this. It's worth every penny.

Draught @ Brew Pub: This one poured a inky, dark brown color. There were just a few tan bubbles for a head. This was served far too cold, and I had to let it warm up a bit to get the aroma and flavors to come out. Even after warming up, it was still not too aromatic. The taste was better. It was mainly chocolate malt, with a rich body, creaminess, and a touch of alcohol coming through. This was nice, but I think it was a bit young.