Imperial Stout Appreciation Thread (2023)

Yes, it follows the Sierra Nevada High Gravity release schedule and will show up within a month of release. A local grocery chain must have a favored vendor contract with SNBC and gets solid pricing on all the high gravity stuff as well as BA Narwhal.
I find Old Rasputin is much more loved by my palate than Narwhal. With that said i will give Narwhal another shot.
Cheers!
Tom

 

That's good to hear. I could not imagine spending a day "outdoors" driving one of those trucks. Much respect for what you do sir!
Cheers!
Tom

 

Double Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Stout by Hoppin’ Frog. Strong cherry nose but good flavor once warmed up. Cheers.

 

@CarolinaCardinals talking about Old Rasputin made me want to grab one from the cellar. This one was 2020 and while it still has some hard edges it is mostly smooth and really good. Cellaring *does* help some beer. Well, it mellows some out, which I prefer, but I know some of you like the harsh.
Cheers all!

 

Hard edges are the bitterness in some of these when fresh. I know some people like them (and I do occasionally!) but by and large, I prefer less hop (or roast) bitter and more malt depth and smoothness. I may be in the minority and I'm fine with that. You enjoy them fresh, I enjoy them with a few years on them.

 

O'so Brewing's Narcissist...not bad, not great kinda O'so-so.

 

Guess they all can't be great! Thanks for the honest opinion.

 

This cellar pull never disappoints
Cheers from 2017

 

New Holland '22 Dragon's Milk Triple Mash. My first time trying this one and have heard great things; however, I had realistic expectations. I love me a Dragon's Milk from time to time, but I also know it's pretty mass produced and can be quite thin, not that mouthfeel and body are everything.
This one pours a cola color out of the bottle and rests black in the glass. Half finger of tan head that went away quickly. Aroma has some cocoa powder, caramel, and roasted malt from the base, but the barrel is the star, bringing plenty of vanillin, some oak, and bourbon. The taste follows, albeit a slightly bigger base stout presence. The base is cocoa powder, dark chocolate, roasted malt, and slight peat. The barrel provides a wonderful vanillin character, along with charred oak, and big bourbon spirit. As it warms, the abv really shows through, but is still quite drinkable. Medium body with a slick feel. Damn thin. Even thinner than I expected. The flavor is on point, but the other qualities could be better, especially the feel. Still a very enjoyable beer for what it is.

 

KBS Espresso. Apparently their first variant.
This one is from 2020 and it drank like a dream. Time will tell if the coffee content will keep me awake!