Knight Slayer Imperial Stout
Trout River Brewing Company

I believe this is also known as "Knight Slayer" (unlike the Knight Slayer already in the database).

Pours a color that can only be described as "blacker than night" with a thin brown head into my glass.

Aroma is chock full of roasted coffee with just a hint of cocoa essence and dark fruit.

Roasted coffee greets the tongue and dominates the tongue. It "slays" the tongue in other words. It's a bit creamy and a whole lot of delicious.

Mouthfeel is full of roasted coffee/chocolate notes that cling to the taste buds.

I think this is one of the better ales available from Trout River. They clearly have potential that they need to exploit more. Pick this up while it's still available on shelves.

A- pours an opaque black body with a thin but appropriate tan head.

S- scents of chocolate, dark dried fruits, sweet coffee, and caramel malt.

T- same as nose just more easier to detect.

M- rich syrupy body and light carbonation.

D- I like this quite a bit. A nice standout in the trout river lineup of mainly mediocre offerings. I would likely only have a full glass on tap or bomber at home due to the sweetness and abv.

Ok, so I tried this beer a few months back and wasn't very impressed. At the time I picked up a lot of acidic off flavors, so I didn't feel like jotting down notes to review it. When I went back to the brewery on a trip home (10 minutes away in St. Johnsbury) I decided to get something else because I didn't like it before. Luckily my good friend raefunkhouser decided to get some and I stole a sip from him. Long story short, we walked out with a growler apiece. This review is from the growler I picked up:

A- a hard pour reveals a very dark and viscous liquid with about a finger and half of light, damn near straight up brown head. Lacing is limited, but I remember my friend's pint glass having more.

S- some very dark and ripe fruits mixed with chocolate and coffee.

T- I was surprised with the first sip that I was hit with a wall of dark and overipened fruit (as I didn't initially get this in the smell). That was followed by a mud slide's worth of chocolate and then finished with a slight coffee-like bitterness. Taste gets better as it warms.

M- Initially the carbonation provides for a somewhat "prickly" mouthfeel, but as the beer warms closer to room temperature it starts taking on a feel that I would compare to more of a 2% chocolate milk-like feel (rather than the whole). I guess what this means is it could be a little thicker, but that is not to say that this is not well-rounded. Moderately smooth. As it warms more alcohol content is noted.

D/Conclusion- This is by far my favorite beer from this brewery thus far. Drinkability is good given the high alcohol content and thickness. Thanks Trout River for making a Big Stout without trying to cover up the malty goodnesss with an overabundance of hop bitterness. This is just the way I like them.

I first sampled this Russian Imperial Stout at their brewery in the Northeast Kingdom, of nowhere Vermont. I was so blown away by it (and frustrated by it's unavailability elsewhere, hint, hint Trout River) I bought a growler and sampled it again the next night to be sure it was what I thought it was. Poured out of the growler as black as sin and completely opaque with a two finger brown head. Very good retention and moderate broken lacing. Aromas of roasted malt, caramel malt, coffee and toffee. Flavors were outrageous, challenging and rich. Chocolate, espresso, caramel malt, liquid smoke, molasses and roasted malt with a sweetness in the middle and a bitter finish at the end. As the beer warms some hops became more apparent that help to 'cut' this brew down to size. Silky smooth, rich and lightly carbonated giving the beer a chocolate milk-like mouthfeel. Well balanced and surprisingly easy to drink for a high ALC %. In fact, that alcohol flavors are almost impossible to detect until it approaches room temp and the esters show up. A fantastic and delicious example of the style as well as being one of the best beers Trout River has ever produced. I am happy to report it was as amazing on all three tastings as I thought it was.