Rye Aged Imperial Stout
KelSo Beer Company

A: The beer is essentially jet black in color—only traces of amber are visible near the bottom of the glass when it is held up to the light. It poured with a finger high beige head that slowly died down and left a ring of bubbles on the surface around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to medium aromas of roasted malts in the nose.
T: The initial taste is of roasted malts but this is quickly followed by spicy flavors from the rye, which continues through the finish.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied and smooth on the palate and has a light amount of carbonation. There is some dryness in the finish.
O: The addition of rye to this beer makes it a bit easier to drink compared to other imperial stouts because it isn’t quite as heavy. The alcohol is also well masked considering its strength.

On tap at Stag's Head in Manhattan. 6oz sampler glass, then later a 9oz flute. Apparently a 1-off beer that Kelso brought to a recent event at the Stag's Head. Tap handle says "Rye Aged Imperial Stout" with the Kelso logo.

Appearance: Pours black with red highlights. Minimal foam or lacing.

Smell: Coffee, chocolate, with some whole grain breadiness. Sugary. Starts out "not bad," but develops some of those nice coffee liqueur notes from the taste as it warms, ending up at "inviting."

Taste: Creamy mix of roasted malt and sweetness, with some mild oak and bourbon notes. Small coffee flavor. Whiskey seems to manifest through the middle of each sip as liqueur-esque flavors, like amaretto and coffee liqueur... nice blend with the underlying (somewhat dry and roasty) imperial stout. Grainy finish, which would be nicer if the flavors from the middle stuck around. For 10% ABV it's notably light on the solvent flavors or discernible heat.

The flavor is good, though it could stand to be bolder. Also lacking in hop bitterness--not that stouts need giant IBUs, but this swings into dessert territory with its sweetness, which clashes a bit with the roasted character and dryness. The overall picture doesn't make complete sense, but there's no bad-on-their-own flavors.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied. Moderate carbonation. Perhaps from the barrel aging, it approaches the creaminess of a good oatmeal stout. High dryness clashes with the flavor a bit.

Overall: Very nice. I think this beer seems to have a lot of problems in terms of being a great imperial stout, but the flavors the brewer has coaxed out of it are really beautiful. Glad to have had a chance to try it.