Imperial Stout Appreciation Thread (2023)

Brasserie De Blaugies - Blidegarian Imperial Stout

I was so excited to see a stout from Brasserie De Blaugies. I have no idea what Blidegarian means. A stout with the Blaugies yeast... sign me up! We don't seem to get the Dupont stout anymore. Took the first sip and thought... What the heck is this? Then I read the ingredients (not in English on the label) and saw that this beer has coffee in it (and oats). What a disappointment. The beer is thin, very dry, and dominated by an unpleasant coffee flavor. It's inspired by American stout, but the harshness makes it feel alien within that context too. I was hoping for a stout with a unique yeast expression, and I'm not getting a tremendous amount of yeast character either.

A few weeks ago, I had an old Buxton Rain Shadow pictured below from the UK. I can't remember exactly, but I think it was bottled back in 2015. When it comes to imported stout, this beer was WAY more enjoyable than the Blaugies beer. It was roasty and luxurious. What a huge difference.

 

Let me add to the above, generally speaking, an American beer with added ingredients will frequently name them front and center (and get penalized by consumers if the taste doesn’t clearly feature those flavors)… while a European beer will list things in small font on an ingredients list. The American way has its downsides, but this was one of those times where I would have appreciated “coffee stout” in big font.

 

2020 BCBS

after sampling 18, 19, 20 and 23 i went with 20. 18 and 19 were both giving off too much dark fruit flavors for my liking. 23 tasted pretty damn good though. cheers!!

 

District 96 + Odd Logic Thanksgiving Collaboration "Dark Meat" 12% abv with Vanilla and Espresso.

 

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/40927/134393/

 

The lovely bride had a follow up appointment for her hip replacement last nite, Onion Pub/Wild Onion Brewery was a mile away, why not. Much to my dismay Drago was not offered on tap. Asked the waitress, (I hate "server") if I could get some Drago to take home. She smiled, "2 for $10, 4 for $20 or a case for $100. Guess what I bought, love this beer.......

 

I have not seen Founders Imperial Stout in years, I had no idea it was still brewed. It seems the folks who distribute beer in McHenry Cnty don't believe Stouts, Barleywines will sell here.

 

I can only enjoy one of these tonight! Are you joining me @Resistance88 and @RaulMondesi ?

 

Sweet! Enjoy!

 

Forest & Main Brewery (Ambler, PA) - Double Barrel Gmork


Full review here: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/65170/680138/?ba=jmdrpi#lists

 

Alluvial Barrel-Aged Aurox with Maple

Appearance: Super black and viscous, small head fades out quickly.

Smell: Big maple syrup and strong chocolate, wood and vanilla side notes.

Taste: Really thick! Sweet, the maple hits first and sticks around, then nice chocolate with wood notes. Huge mouthfeel.

Overall: Wow! I'm extremely impressed with this beer from Alluvial in Ames, IA. I picked it up before the last home football game of 2023 along with some tailgating beer. I've had CBS and at least 1 or 2 other maple barrel stouts, but I can actually taste the maple in Aurox. Huge, impressive mouthfeel. Sweet but not cloying, nice blend of chocolate, maple, and barrel notes. Excellent stout!

 

Human Condition by Treehouse. 7.9% so right on the (fake) line of imperial but its flavor pushes it over for me. Cheers.