Louis Quatorze 14th Anniversary Imperial Stout
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company & Taproom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great name and great label, but the beer... meh...

The beer pours a blackish brown color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is pretty nice, as I pick up considerable licorice, dark chocolate and a hint of leather. The flavor profile replicates the nose, but the mouthfeel was a bit thin, and I thought there was a bit too much hoppy bitterness and licorice on the finish (in combination, it was just a bit much). The finish is ultimately quite dry in this beer, with the bitterness and licorise mroe than countering the modest upfront sweetness.

An interesting beer and a bit atypical for an RIS. Not sure it's something I'd want to revisit.

 

Poured into 10oz goblet. Poured a nearly solid black color (there was just a bit of translucence around the edges) with about an inch of medium brown head that had pretty good retention and lacing.

The aroma had just the right amount of roastiness, enough to notice, but not so much as to dominate the other aspects or smell burnt. The was also a nice earthy grain scent and just a touch of lightly funky yeast. The grain and yeast were still present on the tongue, but a bit disappointingly, the roast had a stronger presence and seemed to push the other flavors to the side. It was almost coffee like.

While the body was good, I thought it was on the thin side of average. Drinkability was very good, the rare Imp Stout that I wanted some more of, it went down so easily. Overall, a very nice example. Worth having a couple if you see it on tap and probably worth setting up a trade for.

thanks to johnmichaelsen for sharing this at my birthday tasting, enjoyed chilled from a bomber.

The color is black with opaque clarity and thin cap of pale tan that settles to a ring. The smell is slightly woody and roasty with prune and slight spice with fruity yeast ester that combines with a slight roasted malt odor. The feel has a spicy texture with dry toasted graininess and lots of dark grain tannin and astringency with light alcohol and mild sweetness with moderate carbonation.

The flavor is good with dry body that leads to tastes of anise and a good roasted tast with slight raisin and prune-like dried fruit tanginess with mild anise back in follow up tastes with some tannin which is tea-like with a very dry finish that is mostly astringent. Overall I don't find much wrong with this it isn't off really, it just isn't that drinkable for the style, it lacks the body you expect in a big stout and seems to dry. I liked having the chance to try this more than the beer itself, Thanks John!

 

 

 

Big-ass bomber purchased about a week ago at Jim’s Homebrew in Spokane for $6.85.

Poured a dark brown that seemed black once in the glass, with a big, creamy tan head. Said head took a few minutes to drop, leaving some spotty lace behind.

Some coffee notes in the nose, but there’s not a whole lot going on at first. After letting it warm up a bit, chocolatey notes emerge to give off a sweet scent, along with some roasty malts. Still, there’s not enough oomph. It just doesn’t smell like an Imperial stout.

The taste starts off with some molassesy sweet notes and some milk chocolate flavors, but then there’s a mild coffeeish bitterness. The taste then sort of just subsides. There’s no hoppy zap at the finish, no real dryness at the swallow – and no sign of a high abv.

Between medium and full in the body, with a coating mouthfeel.

A decent beer, but by no means representative of the style. Not really worth seeking out, unless it’s on sale. And wtf does Louis Quatorze have to do with Snoqualmie?!

 

A: Poured black with good carbonation presenting a brown cap and some lacing

S: Big roasted malt, chocolate, light booziness on the nose with perhaps a bit of licorice

T: Moderate amounts of cocoa with some roasted and black malt presenting a big roastiness and a little bit of char like tastiness. A little booze sting with some sugary sweetness, dry with a lightly bitter finish from some bitter cocoa and bittering hops. Some coffee notes about mid palate also hang in there until the finish.

M: Big body, hearty and tasty. Well carbonated with no major flaws

O: A pretty good RIS and probably the best beer Snoqualmie has produced to date

Pours dark with a nice tan head. Smell is dark, roasted malts and some coffee notes. Taste is roasted malt, dark chocolate, mild hoppiness and a little bitterness in the finish. This was also quite dry, which I like. Mouthfeel was smooth with a good amount of carbonation. Overall a nice beer though a little less heavy than what I've come to expect from Russian imperial stouts.