Creme Brulee

Beer Name: Crème Brûlée Stout
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 9.6%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: DOB was 5/10/12

I hope all the effort I put into throwing fancy accent marks on the name of this beer doesn't result in some kind of crazy internet formatting error where they are replaced with HTML code. That would be a terrible injustice. Plus it would mean that all of that effort was wasted, and having my effort wasted makes me very unhappy.

I've been looking for this beer for quite a while, since roughly December 2010. As it turns out, that was not a particularly good time to begin my search, as this beer is released in June. Unfortunately, June 2011 came and went with no bottles to be had, as they all sold out rather quickly. Today was a different story, and while picking up some other grownup juice, I spotted some Crème Brûlée bottles hanging out in the cooler, one of which quickly became mine.

Crème Brûlée is a very dark beer, practically solid black for most of the glass with some brownish-ruby highlights around the edges. It poured with a bit of head, although that faded away in a couple of minutes. It left a light lacing pattern behind, although it seemed like it was going to be heavier. This may be a reflection of my glassware, and as such I must be more careful to rinse these things out after they've finished their dishwasher experience. I am not exactly sure what the dessert crème brûlée smells like (since Kate usually orders it and I occasionally steal a bite from across the table), but this beer definitely smells like a dessert. There's a whole bunch of vanilla, caramel, and other sweet aromas, with something like a cream or custard as well. This should be an interesting drinking experience.

This beer is quite sweet. That's probably something to be expected going in based on the name alone, and it certainly does not disappoint in that regard. There's a creamy, custard flavor here at first, with the caramel maltiness also making an appearance. It also has just a hint of bitterness at the end of each sip to let you know that this is a beer and not some fancy French dessert. The alcohol is barely noticeable. There's a moderate amount of carbonation here, and the aftertaste is mildly sweet.

Final thought - After waiting such a long time to get my hands on a bottle of this beer, I was slightly worried that I might have built it up too much in my mind. Luckily that was not the case. This beer was delicious, and will be making an annual appearance on my list of beers to purchase. I've already added it to my newly produced Beer Availability spreadsheet, and will be eagerly anticipating its arrival next spring. Hell, if the dessert is as good as this beer, maybe I'll start ordering it instead of cheesecake. Although I do love cheesecake... Maybe someone should make a cheesecake beer! Souther Tier, get on that.

-Jon

Imperial Russian Stout

Beer Name: Imperial Russian Stout
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
ABV: 10.5%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: I'm not exactly sure, but it was released this year on April 16th

Happy 200th Post everyone! 

Spoiler alert - I already know that I like this beer quite a bit, so this review is probably going to be a bit anticlimactic. Especially now that I told you the ending. But I warned you that there was a spoiler ahead, so it's pretty much 100% your fault if you decided to read it anyway. Way to ruin the post for yourself.

Since there's not a whole lot of drama here, I'll tell you a story about beer. Beers that have a location in their title, such as imperial Russian stouts or India pale ales, originally were not allowed by the government to have words that suggested a place of origin as part of their name. Apparently the government felt that this would confuse consumers. Once the style became widespread enough (as India pale ale did way back in the first half of the 1900s), this was no longer an issue, but for Russian stouts, this was not the case until 2005. Before that, the government suggested calling them Russian-style, which is even worse since imperial Russian stouts were originally brewed in England and shipped off to Russia. Luckily, it all finally got worked out, mostly due to a whole lot of work by the folks at Stone, and now we can all drink imperial Russian stouts brewed anywhere in the United States. Thanks guys! And for both of my readers, hopefully you learned something today.

Stone's Imperial Russian Stout is a solidly dark beer. So dark, in fact, that there aren't even any highlights around the edges. Now that's dark. It seemed like it was going to have a thin layer of head as I poured it, but I couldn't get anything to last. Perhaps it was my lack of appropriate glassware. Whatever it was, there was just the faintest amount of head that faded away pretty quickly but in no way will be impacting my enjoyment of this beer. The aroma here is fantastic, with some coffee, dark and sweet chocolate, roasted malts and some lightly noticeable alcohol. Every sip should be proceeded by a deep inhalation to make sure you are appreciating the beer properly.

This beer definitely has some big roasted flavors, with some bitter coffee and chocolate as the main players. The alcohol isn't quite as strong as the aroma suggested, which I actually prefer as I don't want my beers tasting like my booze. The beer has a little bit of a creamy mouthfeel, and there is a decent amount of carbonation for a stout. It's a nice combination for easy drinkability. This beer also hits that sweet spot of being very flavorful straight from the fridge and also after warming up. You can't go wrong!

Final thought - You should pick up at least one of these every year. It's great. Mark your calendars for mid-April so that you won't miss it. As a matter of fact, I'm going to make a spreadsheet right now so that I don't miss it next year. I feel like I might have stated my intentions to create a spreadsheet in the past, but I probably kept drinking beers that night and forgot. Regardless, you need to go hit the packie and grab yourself a bottle of this. Then maybe invite me over and we'll quaff together.

-Jon

Mokah

Beer Name: Mokah
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company
ABV: 11.2%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: DOB was 4/12/12

Southern Tier likes to spell the names of their Blackwater beers in silly ways. They also like to ramp up the ABVs to extreme levels. Mokah is no exception to either of these rules.

Mokah is a very dark beer, pretty much solid black except for some dark red highlights around the edge of the glass when held up to a light. It had just a little bit of head, which surprised me. Maybe it has something to do with the extreme humidity or the way I poured it. Either way, there was only a minimal amount of head, although it lasted for a while. There is a very pleasant aroma of both chocolate and coffee, and no strong alcohol aromas despite the 11.2% this beer is packing.

It's over 80 degrees right now, so this beer warmed up in a hurry. Luckily, that was not an issue as the flavor remained pleasant throughout the entire glass. Most of each sip is a nice mix of lightly roasted chocolate and coffee flavors, with just a hint of bitterness at the finish. There is only a light carbonation to the beer, and there are no overpowering flavors, making it very easy to drink. The beer has a big mouthfeel, almost creamy, with some coffee flavors in the aftertaste that linger for a bit.

Final thought - This beer is quite delicious. It's also the strongest of the Blackwater beers, so keep that in mind if you're enjoying it. The chocolate and coffee combination works nicely, so it's actually like a dessert. Great stuff.

-Jon

Imperial Biscotti Break

Beer Name: Imperial Biscotti Break
Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing
ABV: 11.5%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

This beer was shamefully expensive, so it's probably a good thing that I had just returned a bunch of bottles and cans to help defray expenses. It had better be goddam delicious though.

Biscotti Break is a deep black beer with a caramel colored head that left a nice lacing pattern on my completely inappropriate glass. I've decided that if Kate lets me participate in our wedding registry, beer glassware is all I'm going to be looking for. There is a fantastic aroma of coffee, chocolate, a sweetness like caramel or something similar, and maybe some vanilla. It's quite nice.

There's a whole bunch of sweet flavors to this beer, with some very lightly bitter coffee to keep it from being too much. There's some dark chocolate and light chocolate, and some generally sweet malt as well. It was so flavorful that I had to slow myself down to keep from running out of beer too quickly. The beer has a nice roasted quality, but not too much as to seem burnt. It feels very thick and creamy, almost like a dessert, and there's just a hint of carbonation. The high alcohol is not really noticeable in the flavor in case you were worried.

Final thought - This beer was excellent! Sadly, it's also probably not going to be a frequent flier strictly due to the price. Otherwise I'd drink a bottle every week, and I would love each and every one of them.

-Jon

Speedway Stout

Beer Name: Speedway Stout
Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
ABV: 12%
Serving method: 750 mL bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

I feel pretty badly about drinking this beer out of a tumbler instead of its proper serving container, but I don't really have much of a choice. If you're thinking about getting me a gift for any reason, proper beer glassware is right at the top of the list. Also, I did not drink this entire bottle. That would have probably knocked me right on my butt, so I shared with Kate. She thinks it tastes like dessert if you're wondering.

Speedway Stout is an extremely dark beer, with some light ruby highlights around the edges. There's a bit of head, but it faded away pretty quickly. I think I could have poured it a little bit differently if I had wanted to foam this bad boy up, but I wasn't being as careful as I should have been at the time. It still left some lacing behind. There is a great aroma of chocolate here, but there isn't as much coffee as I was expecting after the bottle made a point of talking about using coffee beans. The aroma also has some roasted notes to it. It's very nice.

Each sip of this beer comes through packing a huge amount of flavor. The chocolate from the aroma is immediately noticeable, but it's not alone. There's some roasted malt, a bit of coffee, a faintly alcoholic taste, and something sweet like vanilla. The beer has a very thick, creamy feel to it, making it a definite beer for sipping slowly. At 12%, there's no reason to rush. Besides, the flavor is so nice as it warms, you don't want to finish too quickly. You'll miss out on lots of nice things. A light carbonation and sweet lingering finish round this one out.

Final thought - This beer is very tasty, but it's also a bit pricey. If you're looking for a good beer to celebrate . . . well, really anything. Birthdays, anniversaries, Flag Day, Cinco de Ocho, the Hobo Oscars, etc., they can all benefit from a little Speedway Stout. Good luck finding a bottle though, as apparently they are tough to come by.

-Jon

Double Stout

Beer Name: Double Stout Black Ale
Brewery: Green Flash Brewing Company
ABV: 8.8%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

I don't know why the bottle says black ale when this is a stout.  I think that black ale is a different classification.  This is very confusing to me.  Obviously I need to stop thinking about this and start drinking this beer.

Double Stout is a very dark beer, not quite black but pretty close.  It poured with almost a finger of head that was pretty dense but faded away quickly.  It did leave a bit of lacing behind though.  There is a little bit of thickness to the beer when it pours, making it seem like it's going to have a sort of creamy feel to it.  This beer has a very nice aroma, with a bunch of chocolate and coffee.  The aroma only improves as the beer warms in the glass, so it's worth it to let it hang out a bit.  It's also an 8.8% beer, so there isn't any rush.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

This beer has a little bit of variety to it.  At first, while it's fairly cold, there's a lot of coffee flavors and a hearty dose of bitterness, mostly coffee, not hops.  As it warms up, more of the roasted flavors start to show up, with some chocolate in there as well.  There is still a light bitterness, but it's much less pronounced.  There's a lightly noticeable carbonation here, and the beer finishes slightly bitter with an aftertaste that is malty.

Final thought - With a delightful aroma and a nice flavor, this is a very good beer.  I recently drank a different style from Green Flash that wasn't treated too well (there's a point where the draft lines are just too cold), so I couldn't get a good read on what they were all about.  This beer shows that they've got their act together, so I'll have to track down their other stuff and give it all a try.

-Jon

Dark Truth

Beer Name: Dark Truth Stout
Brewery: Boulevard Brewing Co.
ABV: 9.7%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a tumbler
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Best by 10/27/13

That is not a typo. The "best by" date on this 4-pack is more than 18 months away. Maybe I'll pick up another and cellar it until I turn 31. By then, I'll probably have forgotten about it, so it will be like a birthday present to myself.

Dark Truth is an imperial stout, and, as such, is a very dark beer. It's almost solid black, although there are very faint hints of light around the edges of the glass. It has about a finger of thin head that faded away after a bit, leaving some lacing that didn't survive the glass. The aroma has some sweet roasted malts, some deep fruitiness, and what seems like a little bit of spicy hops. It seems like there's a lot going on here.

This beer has a very big flavor. There's the roasted flavors from the malt along with some light sweet flavors that are a little bit fruity. It also has some bitterness to keep the malt from being too much. The alcohol is faintly noticeable, as you might expect for something this strong. At the end, there is a roasted aftertaste that hangs on for a bit, giving way to a sensation of sweetness.

Final thought - Under the right circumstances, this beer is delightful. That would be: while relaxing, after letting it warm up slightly, and when you have time to sit back and sip it slowly. This beer has a ton of flavors happening, and you don't want to rush through it. That, and it packs quite the punch. Drink with care.

-Jon

Santa's Little Helper

Beer Name: Santa's Little Helper Imperial Stout
Brewery: Port Brewing Company
ABV: 10%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Bottled 9/1/11

As usual, as soon as I say one thing, something completely different happens to make me look foolish. I end 2011 by saying I probably won't be trying as many new beers this year, and then I start off 2012 with a record-setting month. This puts me on an absurd pace for 176 new beers this year, which I am fairly certain neither my wallet nor my liver could handle. I think I'll have to slow things down for February.

Santa's Little Helper is a very dark beer, practically solid black. It poured with about a finger and a half of thick, fluffy, caramel-colored head that lasted for quite a while before finally fading away, leaving a heavy lacing behind. This beer has a very strong aroma of roasted coffee and some toasty malts. There's also a noticeable alcohol aroma, presumably due to the potentially ass-kicking 10% ABV.

Well, in spite of the alcohol present in the aroma, it's not as strong in the flavor as I was expecting. Instead, there's just a faint alcohol taste with a bunch of roasted coffee flavors, some dark chocolate, and some very roasted malts. The carbonation here is very light, and the beer has a big mouthfeel, making it very thick and smooth feeling with each sip. The finish has a bitter punch, but the aftertaste doesn't linger very long.

Final thought - This is a tasty brew, but it is strong. It's very smooth, and it can be easy-drinking if you want it to be, but I wouldn't recommend it because you will end up feeling it quickly. Sit back, sip this baby slowly, and relax.

-Jon

Fat Dog

Beer Name: Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout
Brewery: Stoudts Brewing Company
ABV: 9%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a lager glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

There were a whole lot of beers on the menu that I wanted to try, but I had to limit myself to two so that I didn't explode from a full stomach of beer, burger and chips. I think that would have ruined the day a bit. I believe the beer came in a lager glass, but I'm having a little trouble confirming this as Google doesn't really interpret verbal descriptions very well.

Fat Dog is a very dark beer that poured with little to no head. That fact along with the lack of much lacing doesn't really trouble me for this style of beer. It just makes me expect a thicker, creamier feeling stout, and there's nothing wrong with that. There's a somewhat strange aroma here, with the expected chocolatey notes (sweet chocolate to be a bit more specific) mixed with something I can't really put my finger on.

If I had tried this at a brewfest, I don't think I would have liked it. A couple of sips wouldn't really do it justice, as it needs some time to warm up and let the flavors mix together. Then it turns into a nice, smooth combination of chocolatey flavors with some coffee and just a light hint of hoppy bitterness in the background for some balance. It's very lightly carbonated, and seems quite thick in your mouth, making for a sort of velvety feel to each sip.

Final thought - A bit off-putting at first, this beer warms up nicely and turns quite delicious. The alcohol really sneaks up on you though. Many high ABV stouts have a noticeable alcohol taste to them, but I wasn't getting that here. You have to be careful with beers like this, as a few can quickly take their toll.

-Jon

Husky Imperial Stout

Beer Name: Husky Imperial Stout
Brewery: Big Time Brewery & Alehouse
ABV: 9% (maybe)
Serving method: 16-oz draft in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

It was very difficult to find any information about this beer or brewery other than the fact that it is out of Washington and has a website that is in desperate need of updating.

I chose the Husky Imperial Stout to go with my giant plate of barbecued food because I generally love stouts and also because it had a cool name. The beer arrived with a very thin layer of head that lasted for quite a while and left a good lacing pattern that only faded because I took quite a long time to finish this beer. There are big aromas of creamy coffee and chocolate with some roasted notes.

This beer feels so thick and rich that it's like drinking a beer milkshake. Every single sip was a giant taste explosion. There is a whole lot of flavor going on here, mostly some bitter coffee with a little bit of roasted chocolate. The beer has a very creamy mouthfeel, although the flavors really dominate your tastebuds. There is a light carbonation here, so the beer is fairly easy to drink other than it's giant ABV.

Final thought - This was a very tasty beer, but after a whole day of drinking beers and a plate of 4 kinds of barbecued meat I sadly could not finish it. I know, it's very sad. But don't take my inability to finish as a condemnation of the beer, which was actually very good. Just don't wait until the end of a long day to try it.

-Jon

B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher

Beer Name: B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher Oatmeal Imperial Stout
Brewery: Hoppin' Frog Brewery
ABV: 9.4%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Ok, first off, the bottle had a frog drinking on it. Second, the name was B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher. Finally, it was an oatmeal stout. There was no way I was going to be able to pass this beer up.

B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher is a solid black beer that poured with a very thin layer of head that was pretty much gone before the first sip. It looks like a glass of dark velvet, and will hopefully be super smooth. Not much lacing here. The aroma is deep roasted chocolate with a mixture of alcohol in there. I suppose that at 9.4%, this beer is going to pack a punch.

This beer has lots of nice flavors going on, with coffee and chocolate as the dominant ones. Both of them have a little bitterness, and there's also some sweet fruity flavors that balance it out. Also there's a touch of alcohol in there as well, although it's probably going to be too much for some people. I'm not really getting much in the way of oatmeal though. The beer has a very light carbonation, which I think works well for it. Anything too much more would probably contrast unfavorably with the other flavors.

Final thought - If you only kind of like stouts, pass on this one. This beer is strictly for the stout fans, as it is a heavy beer that hits you like a brick. Maybe two bricks. Not like a ton of bricks though, as I believe that may leave you in a state of being not-alive. If you are a stout person though, you'll probably enjoy this one. I'd give it a few minutes to mellow out. It lets a lot more flavor come through.

-Jon

Yeti

Beer Name: Yeti Imperial Stout
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company
ABV: 9.5%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Bottled 3/18/11

Yup, it's another stout. I have been drinking a lot of these this year, and there's a very good reason for that. Stouts just happen to be my current favorite beer style. After a day of doing all sorts of non-productive things, a good stout is a great way to kick back and relax.

The Yeti Imperial Stout is supposedly "untamed" and "imposing," or so the label would have me believe. This is another extremely dark beer. It's so dark, in fact, that there aren't even visible highlights at the edges of the glass when it's held up to a light. That is dark. It poured with a quickly fading head that still left a heavy lacing behind. There is a normal stout aroma (roasted malts and chocolate), but there's also a little bit of fruitiness in there.

This seems like a pretty complex beer. There's a sweetness at the beginning of each sip, mostly chocolatey, but then there's some bitterness and a strong roasted finish. Despite the high ABV, the alcohol does not have a strong presence, which is just the way I like it. At first, the beer seemed a bit strong for my liking, but with each sip, I like it a little more. I guess it was imposing after all. It's got a bit of carbonation, but not too much for the style. Aftertaste is a little bitter.

Final thought - This is a nice stout, but it has to be a sipper. It's a little deceptive, because the first sip is a somewhat intimidating, even though the beer is very enjoyable. Don't be frightened off; it's a good stout for a cool night.

-Jon

Coffee Stout

Beer Name: Coffee Stout (Brewmaster Series)
Brewery: Long Trail Brewing Company
ABV: 8%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Bottled 2/15/11

The Brewmaster Series is currently a group of 4 beers that are only available during a small window each year. Coffee Stout is only made for February and March, so I guess I got lucky when I found this bottle. Or possibly unlucky. That all depends on how good it is.

The Long Trail Coffee Stout is a very dark beer. Like solid black, just the way a stout should be. It poured with a nice thick stout head, caramel-colored and almost an inch thick. The head faded slowly, and left a somewhat heavy lacing pattern. That faded before the beer was done, since this beer is too good to rush through. There was a great coffee aroma here, but not really anything else.

First impression: wow, that's some intensely bitter coffee flavor. However, after letting it mellow out for a couple minutes, the taste becomes a bit less intense and a whole lot more enjoyable. Each sip is pretty much the same, with a little sweetness from the malt at the beginning, and then the coffee and a little bit of hoppy bitterness. This beer feels very thick and creamy as you drink it. There's a medium amount of carbonation (for a stout), and a slight aftertaste of coffee.

Final thought - If you pour this in a glass, give a few minutes, and then drink it nice and slowly, this beer is delightful. It's great for sitting back and relaxing. The coffee flavor is very noticeable, but it's not overwhelming.

-Jon

Imperial Stout

Beer Name: Smuttynose Imperial Stout
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company
ABV: 9.8%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Bottled-conditioned in 2011

Time for a beer lesson! Most beer that you get has a shelf-life on it, and if you don't drink it pretty close to that window of time, you are going to be drinking some pretty bad tasting beer. By bottle conditioning the beer, the brewer keeps the yeast alive, which fights against the normal breakdown that leads to skunky beer. When it's done correctly, the beer will keep much longer, often for several years. The moral of this story is that since this beer was bottle conditioned (and I assume done correctly since these are professionals), the date it was bottled is immaterial.

Smuttynose's Imperial Stout is a very dark beer, bordering on solid black. It pours with a thick head that fades very slowly and leaves a sporadic lacing pattern that is very heavy where it sticks. There's a whole lot going on in the aroma here, including a heavy dose of chocolate, some light hoppiness, and a whiff of alcohol. It also has some roasted scents, mostly coffee, along with a bit of malt. It's very complex for my poor nose.

Several of the scents that were apparent in the aroma are also present for the taste. There's a sweetness at the beginning of each sip, but there's also a little bit of bitterness from the hops. The aftertaste of the beer has a little bit of coffee in it. This beer feels very heavy as I drink it, so it's not one to drink quickly. It's got a little bit of carbonation, but I wouldn't want much more. Even though it's strong, there isn't really a noticeable alcohol taste. And that's a good thing.

Final thought - I had told Kate that I needed a good beer to relax with after I got drenched (again!) at today's track meet, and this beer fit the bill nicely. This beer is a sipper, and absolutely perfect for watching the Bruins attempt to give everyone in Boston a heart attack. It's also another good example of how to make a strong stout without having the alcohol dominate the flavor. Delicious.

-Jon

Jah*va

Beer Name: Jah*va Imperial Coffee Stout
Brewery: Southern Tier
ABV: 10.6%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Southern Tier continues their streak of ridiculously high ABV beverages. The bottle of this particular brew says that the ideal serving method is in a brandy snifter at 48ºF. Ok, I can probably handle letting the beer warm up a little, but do I really seem like the kind of guy who owns a brandy snifter? Yeah, I keep it in my study with my smoking jacket, fancy globe and encyclopædia collection. Get real.

The Jah*va is a very dark beer. It's pretty much solid black, even when held up to a light. Usually with a stout there are some highlights at the edges, but not this time. I read a few other reviews of this beer, and all of them said there was a good amount of head but no lacing. For some reason, even though I tried to pour it to generate head, mine did not have it. There is a strong aroma of roasted coffee with a hint of alcohol and sweetness, probably malt.

My initial sip of the beer generated a reaction that was partly "mmmm!" and partly "whoa, this is strong!" It was pretty good, but I don't think I let it warm quite enough. After a few more minutes, it was a little more mellow, which I believe is the brewers' intent. Once it warmed a bit more, it really stood out as a good beer. There is a good coffee flavor the whole way through each sip. It starts off with sweet coffee and a little bit of chocolate and finishes with a nice crisp bitterness. It's very lightly carbonated, but I think any more carbonation would be too much. The beer has a slight aftertaste of coffee.

Final thought - Alright, this is another good example of making a high ABV beer without overdoing the alcohol flavor. Don't get me wrong: I love taking shots. I just don't want to feel like I'm taking shots when I'm supposed to be enjoying a beer. Jah*va is definitely one of the better beers I've had in recent memory, and another strong showing from Southern Tier.

-Jon

Old Rasputin

Beer Name: Old Rasputin Imperial Stout
Brewery: North Coast Brewing Company
ABV: 9%
Serving method: 12-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

This beer was recommended to me by Nate. Hopefully it passes the test.

Old Rasputin is a solid black colored beer with deep ruby highlights at the edges when held up to a light. You can already tell that this is a serious stout. It pours with a light head that fades pretty quickly but still leaves a heavy lacing behind. There is a great aroma of roasted coffee and maybe chocolate and alcohol. If the taste matches up to its aroma, this is going to be a big-drinking beer.

First off, I would recommend pouring this beer and then giving it a couple minutes to mellow out. It comes off very strong at first, but after it warms a bit it gets much more flavorful. There is a strong roasted flavor here with both coffee and chocolate present. The sweetness of the chocolate and malt is in the front, and the bitterness of the coffee is in the back of each sip. Definitely a beer to sip slowly and enjoy. There's a medium (for a stout) amount of carbonation and a light aftertaste of coffee.

Final thought - Unlike some other imperial stouts as of late, Old Rasputin manages to pack a big alcoholic beer into an easily drinkable beverage that doesn't seem like someone spiked your drink. Even though it's very strong, it's quite enjoyable. Well done, Nate.

-Jon

Dragonslayer

Beer Name: Dragonslayer Imperial Stout
Brewery: Middle Ages Brewing Company
ABV: 9.5%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

This beer is called Dragonslayer. Was there really any doubt that it needed to be purchased? Unfortunately, there is almost no way that this beer can live up to the ridiculously high expectations I have for it. I am pretty sure that I'm expecting to be able to go out and kick a dragon's ass after I drink this, and there's really no way that's going to happen.

Dragonslayer is a solid black beer that pours with an incredibly thick head that sticks around for a while. At this point, it's been in the glass for about 3 minutes, and there is still a decent amount of foam there. There's also going to be a heavy amount of lacing. It looks like one of those fancy drinks you get at a coffee house. There is a coffee aroma along with a distinct scent of alcohol. This beer is going to be strong.

The flavor here is a little more bitter than I was expecting. There's a bitter coffee flavor along with the very-present alcohol. There also seems to be a little bit of chocolate in the background. And everything is sort of roasted. The beer is only lightly carbonated, which makes it very smooth to drink. The finish is bitter, but only has a slight aftertaste.

Final thought - Too much of an alcohol flavor here for me. Maybe it will mellow out if I let it sit a bit, but my first reaction is that this needs to be toned down a little. I feel like someone spiked my beer with a shot of vodka, and that's not a good thing.

-Jon

Storm King

Beer Name: Storm King
Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
ABV: 9.1%
Serving method: 12-oz draft in a mug
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Storm King is another imperial stout, which means it is strong. Apparently if you wanted to ship beer to the Russians, you had to jack up the alcohol so that it wouldn't freeze. There's definitely a vodka joke in here somewhere, but I don't feel like making it.

Storm King is a dark black beer that pours with about a half inch of head. This fades at a middle-of-the-road rate, but it doesn't leave much of a lacing pattern. That could also be a result of my drinking speed, but that can be addressed later. The beer's aroma is slightly sweet, like toffee, combined with a roasted scent.

This is an intense beer. There is a very noticeable alcohol flavor in it, which stands out along with the taste of roasted malts. It also has the hint of coffee in the background. All in all, the stout flavor of the beer is very strong. Even though there is a fairly bitter finish, the beer does not have much of an aftertaste. As it warms up, the beer maintains a good flavor.

Final thought - This is a beer for drinking slowly. It's just way too intense of a brew to rush through. Because of this, it's possible that the lacing just faded away as I moseyed my way through the glass. Aside from that weirdly distinct alcohol taste, the beer is delightful. Sadly, that minor issue does knock it off my top tier of brews. If I wanted to have a strong alcohol flavor, I'd drink hard liquor like whiskey or bourbon. Or scotch, like a boss.

-Jon

Dark Angel

Beer Name: Dark Angel Imperial Stout
Brewery: McNeill's Brewery
ABV: 10%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Best by Feb 2011

More imperial stout for me! I hope it's not as harsh as the last one.

Dark Angel is a very dark beer in the solid black category. It has a thin head that mostly disappears quickly but leaves a thin layer for the entire pint. It also leaves a fairly thick lacing behind. There is a light aroma of coffee, but it's not very strong. Actually, there isn't really anything strong for a smell.

Well now, this is surprising. The beer starts off with the roasted flavor of a stout, but it finishes with the hoppiness of a pale ale. I suppose that makes sense, as the bottle talks about dry-hopping during the brewing process. Besides that, there is a also the flavor of coffee at the beginning of each sip. The beer feels very thick while it's in your mouth, almost like it's coating your tongue. It has a mild to medium carbonation, and a lightly bitter aftertaste.

Final thought - This is a pretty good stout, although hop-haters will not enjoy it. It's a little bit strong, but it's got a nice flavor to it. I believe that I would drink it again.

-Jon

Left Hand Imperial Stout

Beer Name: Imperial Stout
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company
ABV: 10.4%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

Wow, this is a strong one. Let's see how it goes.

Left Hand's Imperial Stout is a slightly transparent beer with a dark coloring and ruby highlights. It has a fairly thick head that fades slowly, leaving a thick lacing. It has a nice aroma of roasted malt and some coffee.

The alcohol in this beer is very apparent in the taste. It's almost like taking a shot with every sip. I am not sure if that's an appealing characteristic. The stout flavor is in the background, but it's definitely dominated by alcohol. I think I was picking up some roasted toffee flavor in there, along with a general maltiness. The beer has a light carbonation and a mildly alcoholic aftertaste.

Final thought - This is definitely a sipping beer. The alcohol flavor is so strong that it overshadows everything else about the beer. I believe I will stick to Left Hand's milk stout in the future.

-Jon