Imperial Stout Appreciation Thread (2023)

@Resistance88 hit you with a gem. Love the lush berries and chocolate on this one.

 

Yum!!!

 

my last can of Free Will Brewing - Crooked Trails

 

White Russian by Souther Pines.

Canned on date is smeared. Appears to be 04/--/23
Thanks to @CarolinaCardinals for this one. Sent in Barleywine/Stout Big #1

Damn near obsidian black. mocha color head quickly dissipates to a thin ring hints at gold in the light. Meek lacing. Low retention.
Nose is coffee and earthy roast that is perfectly suited for a more traditional Imperial Stout. A hint of creamy sweetness pokes in as well.
The flavor is definitely more complex and varied. A really pleasant interplay between the milky sweetness and blissfully deep and round coffee notes remind of a regular coffee Jersey style (but with slightly fancy coffee). As I sip, the more subtle Imperial Stout characteristics come in: some chocolate malt, char, the most subdued earthy peat, coffee, some date, molasses, and even some burnt brown sugar. But this baby really does come back around to a slick, creamy, mildly sweet, deeply roasted coffee.
Mouthfeel is medium to hefty, slick, low carbonation, and only slightly warm.
Overall, I feel they really hit what they were shooting for.
4.15/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

 

My Orchards Gourmet Society tasting group would gladly welcome you and THAT vertical! Good luck getting a group together!
Cheers!
Tom

 

I can the dust!

 

This one didn’t really jive with me. I tend to not like stouts with fruit in them, yet I still try them once in a while. ‘Comb the Desert’ (same stout but with peanut butter added) showed up on Tavour last week, so I grabbed one. Not sure I’ll like it, but Spaceballs is one of my all time favorite movies, so how can I pass?

 

half acre - benthic immortal vintage blend 2023

cheers!

 

Study Break, an Imperial Stout from Bottle Logic, with lactose, cacao nibs, and peanuts. My first Bottle Logic beer, and it does not disappoint. Smooth, creamy, chocolaty, nutty, goodness. Another excellent brew from @Beersnake1. This Barleywine/Stout BIF has been an absolute blast!

 

This is an excellent beer, but this year's vintage is not as incredible as many from the past. This beer has not been an exceptional annual experience without Todd Haug's involvement.

 

Double Barrel Temple of Minerva from Jackie O's is calling me...

This is the same batch as the regular BA Minerva I tried (and loved) recently that was aged 23 months and rested it for 6 months in rum barrels.



It seemed to me that 23 months in bourbon barrels was the exact right treatment for this batch of Minerva, it was pretty close to perfect. Well this is pretty damn good too. Lots of brown sugar, molasses, caramel, and brown liquor at work here in near perfect harmony. I also get hints of cocoa, coconut, raisin, and leather. The carbonation is light while the body full and lightly sticky. This is smooth and refined, an absolute gem.

 

Fuuuuuuuuuck. Mod help?

 

Double Barrel Temple of Minerva
13.5 % blend of stouts aged in bourbon barrels for 17 months then aged in rum barrels for 6 months by Jackie O's.

Poured from a 12.7 ounce bottle, the body is an opaque black. No head to speak about, but a small mocha colored ring formed at the glass edges. Occasional light lacing.

Aroma is a mix of barrel goodness from the bourbon and rum along with a background malt. The ABV is in the nose, and it's delightful. My fears of competing flavors were abated upon taking in the first waft.

Taste features the deep chocolate flavor found in the base stout blend. The chocolate flavor is sweet but not overly so as the malts carry the heavy lifting. Flavors of raisin and caramel arise as the beer warms. The barrels add their magic but the beer isn't too hot. Finish is boozy but things dry up quickly.

Mouthfeel is thick and chewy. Liquid brownie batter. Carbonation is light but present. A joy to sip.

Big stout blend double barreled somehow is easily imbibed. Super beer.

 

Shoulda grabbed the 2,317 month one. Heard it was money

 

193 year old stouts are out of my beer budget