Imperial Stout Appreciation Thread (2023)

Discussion in 'The Bar' started by Resistance88, Jan 1, 2023.

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  1. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    #2481 Beersnake, Oct 12, 2023
    MartianSupremeCommander, keithmurray, Luscious_Malfoy and 8 others like this.
  2. Resistance88

    Resistance88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,462) Apr 9, 2015 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    What's the difference between this and BA Expedition ?



    Edit: " One of the most sought-after stouts in Bell’s history, Black Note Stout blends the complex aromatics of Expedition Stout with the velvety smooth texture of Double Cream Stout, each aged in freshly retired oak bourbon barrels for months. Aimed squarely at the stout and bourbon aficionados, Black Note makes a grand statement about the art of the dark."


    Milk stouts are terrible:confounded:


    I'll take 2 please
     
    #2482 Resistance88, Oct 12, 2023
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  3. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    haha - me too!
     
    #2483 Beersnake, Oct 12, 2023
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  4. puck1225

    puck1225 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,585) Dec 22, 2013 Texas
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Prairie Artisan Ales Espresso Marty Imperial Stout - wonderfully booze stout with dark coffee and dark chocolate flavors. Another great after Wednesday night hockey beer!
     
    #2484 puck1225, Oct 12, 2023
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  5. Resistance88

    Resistance88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,462) Apr 9, 2015 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    32oz of 2013 Stone Imperial Russian Stout
    Arguably one of the greatest Imperial Stouts ever made. No barrel needed ( but i have one of those , too:beers:)
    Haven't been this excited to drink something in a while
    [​IMG]
     
    #2485 Resistance88, Oct 12, 2023
    Luscious_Malfoy, SLeffler27, brewskis and 12 others like this.
  6. Resistance88

    Resistance88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,462) Apr 9, 2015 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    On my second glass of it and it's great.

    What i consider a Perfect amount of cacao and espresso like bitterness . Almost zero sweetness on this one , wish it would never end
     
    #2486 Resistance88, Oct 12, 2023
    MasCervezas, Luscious_Malfoy, SLeffler27 and 9 others like this.
  7. ChicagoJ

    ChicagoJ Grand Pooh-Bah (5,247) Feb 2, 2015 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    That was one of my favorite offerings last Winter visiting LA/OC counties. Not sure whether this made it to Chicago.

    We don’t get the wide range of options from Stone, Bell’s and a few other breweries here that I’ve enjoyed in the past. Everything seems to be shrunk in terms of skus from the large regional and National breweries, at least the places I shop.
     
    #2487 ChicagoJ, Oct 13, 2023
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  8. Resistance88

    Resistance88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,462) Apr 9, 2015 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    The last 12oz or so
    DTLA Life
    [​IMG]
     
    #2488 Resistance88, Oct 13, 2023
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  9. Resistance88

    Resistance88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,462) Apr 9, 2015 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    If you don't reach out next time you're here consider our friendship over

    :poop:
     
    #2489 Resistance88, Oct 13, 2023
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  10. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Bourbon County for me tonight. This is a beer that grows on me as I make my way down the glass. Top notch stuff, and perfect in this small format.

    [​IMG]
     
    #2490 Beersnake, Oct 13, 2023
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  11. HorseheadsHophead

    HorseheadsHophead Grand Pooh-Bah (3,732) Sep 15, 2014 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I don't believe I've ever participated in this thread, (that I can recall lol) but there's a first time for everything. But I plan on enjoying a lot of stouts this cold season, so here goes:

    Sierra Nevada - Narwal

    [​IMG]

    First time having it in a few years, as I couldn't find it the past few years during Covid's times of uncertainty.

    Pitch black with a creamy tan head. Good retention and lacing. 10.2% abv. Bottled on 9/11/23.

    The aroma is soy sauce, dark chocolate, brown sugar, and licorice.

    The taste hits upfront of bittersweet, rich dark chocolate, closely followed by burnt toast and burnt sugar, which then leads into soy sauce, subtle smokiness, licorice and star anise. An earthy and spicy bitterness builds on the finish as the dark chocolate sweetness and soy sauce savoriness/umami linger long after the swallow for a very long time. Tastes very smooth for its abv initially, but as it warms, so too does the beer's alcohol content.

    I'm pretty sure I've reviewed this beer multiple times over the years--and while I will say it's not my absolute top favorite imperial stout--this is still really damn great. Better than I remember, to be honest. Might actually be a top five for non-barrel-aged imperial stouts. It's delicious. World-class. I'd say it should be a 96/100 or 97/100 on BA's aggregate rating scale system.
     
    #2491 HorseheadsHophead, Oct 13, 2023
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  12. sulldaddy

    sulldaddy Grand Pooh-Bah (5,716) Apr 6, 2003 Connecticut
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Looking at this photo is either super artistic or tweaks out your brain.

    To me, The can label art makes it look like you glass has a small handle like a coffee cup. AND part of you can is missing and I can see straight through to your wall
    :crazy_face::crazy_face::crazy_face:
     
    #2492 sulldaddy, Oct 13, 2023
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  13. beergoot

    beergoot Grand High Pooh-Bah (9,310) Oct 11, 2010 Colorado
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    ...in training for the upcoming first BA barleywine and stout BIF...

    Lakewood Brewing Co. -- Bourbon Barrel Temptress (2020)
    Imperial milk stout
    ABV: 11.8%; pouring temperature: 45 °F; bottling info: VTG 2020 LTD; ABV: 11.8%; IBU: 56; SRM: 34; OG: 1.091; recommended pouring temperature: 56 °F

    [​IMG]

    4.38/5 rDev +0.2%
    look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

    Pours a dark, opaque color; thick head, light tan colored; dense, full sheets of foam paint a fine curtain inside the glass. Sublime aroma; dark chocolate and cocoa; muted, earthy spiciness; vanilla and cherry; for subtle note of bourbon. Milk chocolate taste with a fine undercurrent of whiskey; vanilla. Heavy body; smooth with a delicate velvet-like texture; rich; gently coats the palate with dark residual sugars.

    A pleasantly refined yet rich and flavorful bourbon barrel milk stout.

    Vintage 2020 specific notes: For this year's release, we hand-picked a variety of Colorado and Kentucky bourbon barrels and let the blend rest for a year. You'll find a refined expression of rich vanilla and oak undertones, combined with deep, dark chocolate aromas. We look forward to sharing this unique blend with you. After all, it's been a truly unique year.
     
    #2493 beergoot, Oct 13, 2023
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  14. beergoot

    beergoot Grand High Pooh-Bah (9,310) Oct 11, 2010 Colorado
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    #2494 beergoot, Oct 13, 2023
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  15. CarolinaCardinals

    CarolinaCardinals Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,231) Jun 11, 2003 North Carolina
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I want what you're having LOL!
     
    #2495 CarolinaCardinals, Oct 13, 2023
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  16. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    #2496 Beersnake, Oct 14, 2023
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  17. Braunmeister_1943

    Braunmeister_1943 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,965) Nov 22, 2020 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    [​IMG] One of my 12oz can favorites: Fat Head’s, “Hippy Sippy “!
     
    #2497 Braunmeister_1943, Oct 14, 2023
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  18. Beersnake

    Beersnake Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,884) Aug 17, 2013 California
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    One of the best right here.

    [​IMG]
     
    #2498 Beersnake, Oct 14, 2023
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  19. sulldaddy

    sulldaddy Grand Pooh-Bah (5,716) Apr 6, 2003 Connecticut
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Similar to @beergoot Ive decided I need to train (a la create space) in my cellar for the upcoming Big Stouts and Barleywine BIF. That thing is gonna be epic! But I do want to drink some of the bigger beers in my cellar to one, have an updated list of reviews, two, create space for incoming porch bombs, and three keep my liver in tip top shape!
    Tonight is Barreled Souls out of Saco, Maine and their world famous Stay Puft Imperial Stout. Well seems famous to me anyway. This variant was aged in Sagamore Rye barrels for 12 months and 4 days and clocks in at 15.2% ABV. All Stay Pufts are brewed with marshmallow fluff as an additive.

    Also this turns out to be a great beer for my 2900th review on BA!! WOOT WOOT!

    onto my review:
    [​IMG]
    Sampling a cellar temp 500 ml bottle poured into my snifter. Bottled on 5/18/2022 after 12 months and 4 days in barrels. Picked up at the brewery in October 2022, and in my cellar since then.
    The beer pours a black coffee color with a dense creamy tan head of 2 cm. This foam fades to a sturdy surface covering and makes some clingy lattice on sips from my glass. No light passes through when I rise my glass up.
    Aroma is awesome! the Stay puft chocolate and cocoa powder nose always amazes me. very rich chocolate almost fudgy notes mixing with a bit of toasted marshmallow and only hints of the rye mixed in. No hops here to be found. Not really boozy or fusol heat either. so far Im excited for this one.
    First sip reveals a medium body with creamy texture and fine lightly tingly carbonation. the beer does give a bit of a sticky coating to my palate.
    Flavor is chocolate, cocoa powder, some toffee and a good bit of rye on the mid through finish. Sweet marshmallow is also in there. Again hops absent and the ABV is fairly hidden with no warming.
    This is another winner from the team in Saco, Maine. really enjoying this one quite a bit!
    4.69 in the BA DB
     
    #2499 sulldaddy, Oct 14, 2023
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  20. beergoot

    beergoot Grand High Pooh-Bah (9,310) Oct 11, 2010 Colorado
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    ...I've had two beers from Barreled Souls (courtesy of @Roguer if I recall correctly)...great beers...
     
    #2500 beergoot, Oct 14, 2023
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