Imperial Stout
Queen City Brewing Limited

12 oz. bottle with no freshness date and proclaims that eight specialty malts were used. I first tried it in March, but never completed the review, but I sampled a second bottle and now have a full review. It pours into the chalice almost black with ruby tinges and a high level of carbonation - like as if the bottom of the glass were etched - and it is topped with a finger of lightly-fizzy, khaki head. The aroma is sugary sweet with peach?, bubblegum, apple, tapioca?, mild roasted coffe, and various fruity esters. It tastes fruity with bubblegum, roasted, coffee, and chocolate malts, with green hops that leave a mild bitterness - overall too weak and almost Belgian for an RIS. The body is medium, smooth, and lightly creamy, but way too thin for what they were aiming for. On my first tasting I thought it resembled a quad, but the second sample seemed more like an Irish dry. Overall an interesting creation that is tasty enough, but this is definitely shy of an imperial stout.