Imperial Stout Appreciation Thread (2023)

My imperial stout for tonight. Original Sin from Lervig. A bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout with vanilla and cacao nibs. From Norway. Comes in at 12.5% ABV.

Poured at fridge temp. Pours motor oil black with a thin layer of light brown head. The nose is really interesting and not similar to other bourbon barrel-aged stouts. Vanilla, chocolate, marshmallow, wood, cherries, blackberries, and toffee.

The taste is fantastic. Vanilla, burnt toffee, toasted coconut, milk chocolate, roasted malts, molasses, maple, raisins, blackberries, and slight hops.

Mouthfeel is thick and creamy. Aftertaste is bitter roasted malts and sweet toffee.

 

Salted Caramel Quadruple Shot from Tree House. Huge thanks to @DIM for sending this one!

Poured from a can at fridge temp. Pours thick like syrup! Holy crap. Black as night with almost no head. The nose is salted caramel, chocolate fudge, vanilla, a slight oak note, and a bit of dark fruit.

The taste is fantastic. Coffee grounds, roasted malts, salted caramel, dark chocolate, bitter wood, vanilla, maple, and raisins. Sweet, but this is nicely balanced by the roasted malts and coffee notes. Lovely beer overall.

4.28/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

 

Yeah, this size of can is perfect for this beer. I think I would get some palate fatigue with anything larger.

 

IM BACK with an imperial stout! Ive been getting some west coast boxes in trades and a lot of em werent imperial stouts. But here we are! This one is from the box for NBS BIF #17 and courtesy of @snaotheus Thank you! Cross posted with New Beer Weekend thread.

This is Rooftop Brewing in Seattle and their Barrel Ride BBA Imperial Stout of 10%.

onto my review:


Pouring a cellar temp 19.2 oz can into my snifter. No date stamping on the can anywhere.
The beer pours a dark coffee color with no light passing through my glass. A creamy tan head foams up about 1.5 cm and fades to a sturdy edge layering soon after I finish pouring. I do get tight lattice when I swirl my glass.
Aroma on this is hugely bourbon, definitely dominated by bourbon notes with hints of vanilla and some brown sugar too. I also get a little dark chocolate behind the bourbon. No hop character, and while bourbon is heavy, booze and fusol notes are absent.
First sip reveals a medium body and fine spacious carbonation, actually leans towards feeling cask -esque with carbonation gentleness. the beer drinks easier than I expected for a big imperial stout.
Flavor is some dark and milk chocolate mixing together. then I get some brown sugar and molasses and the finish is rich bourbon notes. A little bit of barrel woodiness and char buried in the bourbon. No warmth or general peppery bite from the ABV. Also no hops to be found.
The beer is a little lighter and easier to drink than I anticipated, and the flavor is richer than the nose, but this is an enjoyable, non-adjuncted barrel aged imperial stout. Id drink this one again!
4.12 in the BA DB

 

Kuhnhenn Solstice Stout. 2022 vintage, poured at fridge temp. Pours jet black with basically no head. The nose is crazy. Huge roasted malts, black licorice, sticky toffee, vanilla, maple, and loads of dark fruit. Lovely.

The taste is really nice. Maple syrup, roasted malts, vanilla, licorice, toffee, bitter oak, cherries, blackberries, prunes, and some coffee grounds. Super intense.

Mouthfeel is pretty thick and viscous. The aftertaste is bitter malts and sticky toffee.