Imperial Stout Appreciation Thread (2023)

Meant to give this a cellar review, but the bottle fell out of the refrigerator late last night. Didn't crack, but all the carbonation still in the bottle after 6 years died out yesterday after a ******* attack pushing out about 1/2 an ounce out of the bottle. Probably should have poured it late last night but couldn't handle a third beer at the time. Pepper coffee doing well since the December 2017 bottling.

Prairie Artisan Ales Birthday Bomb

 

High praise Tom! Glad but not surprised to hear you enjoyed that, looking forward to reading your thoughts on the cognac version.

 

Enjoying a 2021 “Only Void “ Single Origin Coffee Imperial Stout from Tired Hands on this lovely Wednesday evening in SEPA! This has aged quite nicely!

 

And I said, what about, Breakfast Epiphanies?



Tiny 8.4oz can from Free Will, aged in Maple syrup bourbon barrels with coffee. So much dark, roasty goodness here, intensely dark coffee plus some good old fashioned borderline charred malts. The maple syrup is thankfully relegated to the background along with a little vanilla. Gentle, oaky bourbon blankets everything. This is a wonderful treat that needs to come in a larger format.

 

I agree with you on the little cans. But I like how they've now spread out the adjuncted versions of their stouts over the whole year, even though I think it's obvious they use the Ralphius base (or something very similar).

 

Agreed, and the pricing on the little cans is better than Ralphius bottles too.

 

Didn’t grab a pic but a fresh Du De Ciel Peche Mortel regular. The old bottles age well, but after a three-day no-beer break I can really tell the freshness difference. It’s like a fresh cup of strong coffee that gives you a buzz. The aroma is amazing. The coffee is amazing. Doing this essential spend only experiment the wife wanted made me think maybe a weekends only beer schedule is viable if these beers are going to taste so much better after a few days away.

 

Flying Dog Willett Bourbon Barrel-aged Operation Breakfast Stout. Bottle dated 11/09/23 - I assume a "best by" date, although that's odd for an Imperial Stout - into pint glass. Pours a very dark brown, with a surprisingly fizzy head that quickly resolves to a cap. Initial impression is coffee, vanilla, and bourbon. Alcohol is not terribly well hidden. Mouthfeel is fairly smooth, but over-carbonated and a little thin for my preference. Finish fades to a lingering roasted coffee sweetness. Overall, not bad but I've had better.

 

Komes Baltic Porter - 9% abv, why let the yeast difference get in the way?

Lots of bittersweet cocoa flavor, fairly dry, a little dark fruit flavor in there too

 

That’s Flying Dog’s motto: Not bad, but you’ve had better.

 

Wild Turkey. Outstanding.

 

Really, really good. Bourbon barrel aged Oro Negro. Stout conditioned on vanilla beans, habanero peppers, cinnamon & cacao nibs.

 

Even 5 months old and kept at room temp in the store, this has tons of coffee. I really wish they aged it for more than 3 months or whatever NH does, because this would be amazing with some more barrel/bourbon presence and a little fuller mouth feel. Still a really good stout

 

Other half #9 9 th anniversary imperial BA stout


4.24/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25


Brewery notes: Tommy and Nick run HOMES Brewing in Ann Arbor and are making some of the funnest and best beer in Michigan. This bourbon barrel aged imperial stout is a blend of 17-22 month old barrels that Nick helped us select, which have then been conditioned on hefty amounts of cacao nibs and vanilla.

Quoting mrs wunderllama on the opening pour, “My god, that is motor oil. Black gold”

Chilled 500 ml bottle poured into a stemmed snifter, thick black viscous motor oil , no head, no lacings, thick, syrupy, sludge on the pour, obsidian

Aroma is bourbon, vanilla, chocolate

Taste is sweet bourbon, vanilla, slight char, cocoa, hint of spice,

Mouthfeel is boozy without the heat , thick, syrupy, heavy oil

Good beer

 

Criss posted with WBAYDN but this one is tasty AF. Hoppin’ Frog BORIS Rye barrel aged. The hit of milk chocolate in the back is really surprising and balancing. Thanks to @Blogjackets!

 

If you’re goto criss crossing the website, maybe hit-up the Great Lakes Beer Appreciation tread too? Yeah, I’m being that guy. LOL

 

I got da “treads” side by each, so I cannah tell wherea ima postin stuff. I gotsta go jazzband dancing now.