Imperial Stout Appreciation Thread (2023)

I think most adjunct stouts do not age well. In my experience, maple syrup is one of the worst adjuncts to age. After a little while, the maple just fades away into a generic sweetness that unbalances the flavor profile.

Barrel aged ones can also go sideways even worse due to already being exposed to oxygen for an extended period of time. In general I don’t age stouts anymore except just straight up barrel aged ones like BCBS.

Also, maybe oatmeal stouts don’t age well? Not sure because I haven’t tried. I have a bottle of 2022 coconut cacao BA Dark Star. Might find a reason to open it sooner than later now

 

I was just thinking that the oatmeal stout aspect might be a factor, too. I have consumed older, barrel-aged, adjuncted, non-oatmeal stouts that held up better. I’ve had good luck with maple infused beers, like CBS, over years. The BS Dark Star coffee was almost terrible. This is still enjoyable, though the harmony among the adjuncts is shifted. Still actually quite sweet. Maybe I’ll pitch a little yeast in my last one to see what happens. LOL!

 

loved both those warlock flip flops! great BBA IS!!

 

Revisiting a Firestone-Walker and Highland Park. No Endings All Beginnigns.

I'm glad I got two of these and glad I didn't get anymore than that. It's really heavy on the dark, dried fruit. Tons of raisins, figs, prunes. A little bit of ashy tobacco. It's nice, but it's kind of one note, and I don't think it'll age well

 

Wow!!! This is wonderful!

 

A local treat that now seems to be year round
Think about a slightly less bitter Old Rasputin
Cheers all

 

For 10% this is hotttt. Feels more like 16

 

Stone Imperial Stout. So many breweries should be going back and taking notes from the classics like this. Imperial stouts that are not sweet are so much more drinkable.

 

To me its just all in on the prune/raisin note. I enjoy that flavor to an extent so I could get into this one a little, but it doesn't have any depth or complexity so it gets pretty boring. It's also usually a flavor I appreciate in stouts with some age, I love it when Parabola picks it up after a couple years, so to have it so heavy in the mix right now seems a bit weird to me.

 

To me its just all in on the prune/raisin note. I enjoy that flavor to an extent so I could get into this one a little, but it doesn't have any depth or complexity so it gets pretty boring. It's also usually a flavor I appreciate in stouts with some age, I love it when Parabola picks it up after a couple years, so to have it so heavy in the mix right now seems a bit weird to me.

 

I see you had a 2021 version and rated it as near perfect. I had the 2019 version and thought it very good. One of our co-Advocates had the 2022 version and thought it a disappointment.

It seems that there is justification to establish each Brewery's release of a high gravity beer as a separate "beer" given the apparent challenges in making and adjunct beer consistent from year to year due to changes in quality of the ingredients. I reckon the same is true for BA beers as i would imagine each barrel is unique and, in some cases, the brewing team chooses a longer barreling time.

 

On the shelf right next to the aforementioned Boujie County Brand Stout (coffee and biscotti flavors) for exactly half the price.

[insert image of Crux Brewing - Lost Love. Rye stout aged in rye whiskey barrels. Because we've been getting hammered by storms and i cant get a picture to load]

This one doesn't deliver the way I hoped it would, and when I return I will probably just grab the Bourbon barrel variant and maybe one more of these for another say another day and another palate.

The nose is excellent with a big hit of super dark chocolate. There's some sweet boozy heat present in the nose but it's very mild and it's mostly the roasted malts and sweet minerality of rye that really gives an impression of dark chocolate medicinal herbal truffles or 17th century rum raisin cake.

The taste has some really nice spicy Rye over chocolate raisin bread things going on but it's ultimately so thin and one dimensional. It has a watered down characteristic to it. I'm working hard to love this thing but if I had to rate it overall I would say 3.75 from a Rye biased fanboy.

 

This is right up there with Budweiser Brand Coffee Stout. More RIS bitterness here. So good

 

You know, I was supposed to try one of those. I’m pretty sure I was promised one or two, like, 6 or 8 months ago. Whenever it was before the coffee started fading.

I know, I know. But maybe they were fridge stored. Nope. Not from ‘my guy’.

Given the delay, I might have to retract that bastardized Motown moniker.