Blue Point Brewing Sour Cherry Imperial Stout

I picked up a bottle of Blue Point Brewing Sour Cherry Imperial Stout while at the Warren General Store in Vermont. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that fizzles somewhat quickly and leaves a thin lacing on the glass when it subsides. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, a little bit of cardboard, and a hint of cherry. The taste starts with strong chocolate and toasted malts before transitioning into a light sour cherry flavor. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. The beer started off very nicely and I liked the idea behind the sour cherry, but I thought it fell a little short of expectations. A light sour twist was nice, but it could have been a bit more sour.

Liquid Hero Imperial Stout

At Imminent Liquidation, I won a growler of Liquid Hero Imperial Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that leaves a lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, vanilla, pine, lemon, and pepper. The taste is bold with rich, dark chocolate and a robust toasted malt profile. It hits really hard with fresh hops that give it some citrus flavors including lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, and orange. A light pepper spice comes out before vanilla and caramel sweetness in the aftertaste. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. This was a bold and very robust stout with an aggressive and forward hop profile that keeps the drinking experience extremely enjoyable.

Smuttynose Imperial Stout

(I apologize about the lack of picture, but it was on my previous cell phone and I have since lost it) I ordered a glass of Smuttynose Imperial Stout while out to dinner at Brewhouse Grille in Camp Hill. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, caramel, toasted malts, coffee, and vanilla. The taste is smooth with dark chocolate, vanilla, toasted malts, and caramel. The finish has a slight spice with pepper and spruce, and the after taste is reminiscent of toast. The alcohol content is 9.8% ABV. Overall, this was a solid performer in the Imperial Stout category, as the flavors were bold and robust. I would absolutely come back to this one.

Adroit Theory Brewing Company B/A/Y/S Imperial Stout

Another bottle I was given by the brewer from Mud Hound was Adroit Theory Brewing Company B/A/Y/S Imperial Stout, his other brewing project. The beer pours a black color with a lofty and frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of strong toasted malts and plenty of caramel. There are also hints of vanilla, milk, and dark chocolate. The taste is bold and very strong with plenty of toasted malts and dark chocolate. A milky finish with a caramel sweetness and a touch of vanilla really balance the toasted flavor and make it quite a tasty beer. The alcohol content is 9.1% ABV. This was a wonderful Imperial Stout with a great bitter toasted malt flavor that was well balanced with chocolate, milk, and a cornucopia of caramel.

Duclaw Retribution

Another beer I picked up from State Line Liquors in Elkton Maryland to share with friends was Duclaw Retribution, a Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout. The beer pours a black color with a thin filmy beige head. The aroma consists of chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, cherry, alcohol, and toasted malts. The taste is very balanced with chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, oak, and cherry. There is a light alcohol bite in the background on the finish. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. Retribution had a wonderful blend and mix of flavors that danced on the tongue and made this beer drinker very happy. I would absolutely buy this beer again and again.

Sierra Nevada Knock on Wood Bourbon Imperial Stout

While at Varga Bar in Philadelphia, I ordered a glass of Sierra Nevada Knock on Wood Bourbon Imperial Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that leaves a thin bubble lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, lots of vanilla, oak, chili peppers, and toasted malts. The taste is full of dark chocolate and a large amount of vanilla. This beer isn’t sweet, but nice, smooth, and lightly bitter. On the finish, a light bit of heat comes from the chili peppers, but it doesn’t linger very long. The alcohol content is 9.2% ABV. This was an excellent beer with a bold chocolate flavor that was nicely balanced with chili peppers, all while hiding the alcohol content rather well.

Cellar Rats Brewery Black Rat Imperial Stout

I received a bottle of Cellar Rats Brewery Black Rat Imperial Stout from Cleveland Food and Brews in a beer trade. The beer pours a black color with an extremely lofty and frothy tan colored head that leaps out of the glass and leaves a bit of a lacing as it subsides. The aroma consists of toasted malts, milk, chocolate, and vanilla. The taste is bitter at first with dark chocolate with toasted malts before a large caramel and milk sweetness take over the mouth. The finish is also pretty sweet with a bit of a vanilla flavor. The alcohol content is 9.2% ABV. This wasn’t a bad imperial stout, but I would say it is a little too sweet for my liking. It could have been balanced a little better with toasted malts and a few bittering hops.

Arcadia Ales Imperial Stout

I ordered a glass of Arcadia Ales Imperial Stout while at Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, milk, toasted malts, and caramel. The taste has dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, and vanilla with hints of toasted malts on the finish. The remaining mouth feel has a light dryness and a faint cherry taste. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. This was a solid imperial stout with all of the right flavors that were balanced pretty well.

Epic Brewing (USA) Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout

My buddy Josh brought over a bottle of Epic Brewing (USA) Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout. The bottles was marked as Release #2. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of strong cocoa flavor, vanilla, whiskey, toasted malts, and caramel. The taste is smooth and chocolaty at first with lots of roasted malts. A large coffee profile comes out to play, and vanilla and caramel have a solid presence before whisky and oak take over the mouth. It is a warming finish, as the whiskey takes over the beer. The alcohol content is 11.3% ABV. For the large whiskey presence in this beer, it was very well balanced with coffee and cocoa. It went down pretty smooth, but was also very warming.

Harviestoun Ola Dubh 18 Year Special Reserve

My buddy Matt brought over a bottle of Harviestoun Ola Dubh 18 Year Special Reserve to share with me. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of whisky, chocolate, vanilla, toasted malts, oak, and bacon. The taste is surprisingly smooth with a dark chocolate flavor up front, but that quickly gives the spotlight away to the whisky flavors. Hints of vanilla and oak shine through, and a bacon flavor comes out in the finish. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. The smoothness of this beer was more than impressive, and the hints of bacon flavor were quite the treat. I’d say that this is how a beer should be aged in whisky barrels.

St. Boniface Hegemony Imperial Stout

I ordered a glass of St. Boniface Hegemony Imperial Stout while out to dinner at Brass Rail in Campbelltown. The beer pours a black color with a thin filmy brown head. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, toasted malts, caramel, and vanilla. The taste is smooth and chocolaty with a great roasted malt flavor. A smooth caramel finish makes the beer, and it leaves behind hints of pepper from the hops. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 10.0% ABV. This was a solid Imperial Stout and it impressed me, being the first beer I tried from St. Boniface Brewing Company out of Ephrata, PA.

Founders Imperial Stout

On a recent visit to Al’s of Hampden, I ordered a glass of Founders Imperial Stout. The beer pours a black color with a foamy brown head with bits of lacing on the glass. The aroma is big on chocolate with generous helpings of toasted malts, nuts, cream, and coffee. The taste is dry with rich dark chocolate, a good roasted malt flavor, and a dry pine finish with a nice bitterness. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. This was a very rich beer with dark chocolate flavors and a great bitterness to offset the sweetness. Overall, it was very excellent and a top notch beer, one I think is a perfect example of the style.

Philadelphia Brewing Shackamaximum Imperial Stout

I received a bottle of Philadelphia Brewing Shackamaximum Imperial Stout from my friend Mark. The beer pours a black color with a frothy beige-colored head that leaves specs of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, plenty of toasted malts, hints of smoke, and vanilla. The taste is dry and has plenty of dark Belgian-like chocolates, toasted malts, vanilla, and caramel. The finish has an oakiness to it that is nice and dry. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. This was a rather tasty Imperial Stout with a great roasted flavor and a light vanilla flavor, all built upon a great dark chocolate base.

Schlafly Reserve Imperial Stout (2010)

I picked up a bottle of Schlafly Reserve Imperial Stout (2010) from Discount Wine and Liquors in Boonton, NJ. . The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin bubbly beige colored head. The aroma consists of sweet bourbon, vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, and toasted malts. The taste is smooth with plenty of dark chocolate and toasted malts on the front end. Then a sharp bourbon bite comes in, but isn’t too intense, with a wonderful vanilla addition to the beer. On the finish, a dry oak flavor comes out and balances the beer very well. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. The bourbon aging in this beer adds a wonderful accent to the beer without being too intense or dry. The vanilla accents are over-the-top excellent and really provide a touch of sweetness that is delectable.

Cigar City Marshal Zhukov’s Imperial Stout

I picked up a bottle of Cigar City Marshal Zhukov’s Imperial Stout from Al’s of Hampden after seeing Al post on Twitter that he received some bottles. The beers pours a black color with a viscous consistency similar to motor oil and a frothy brown head. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, light toasted malts, oak, vanilla, and milk chocolate. The taste is big on chocolate with a creamy and rounded mouth feel. There is plenty of toasted malts in this beer and a bit of a coffee flavor, as well as some vanilla and oak flavors. The finish dries out the mouth with a bit of an alcohol warmth. The alcohol content is 11.0% ABV. Simply put, this beer was amazing. The mouth feel was creamy and made it easy to drink, yet it was very thick and rich with chocolate flavors.

Full Sail Black Gold Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged

I ordered a bottle of Full Sail Black Gold Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged from Northwest Liquid Gold. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma has lots of sweet and dark chocolate, toasted malts, caramel, vanilla, and a great bourbon accent. The taste is smooth and chocolaty before a warming bourbon flavor comes out. It has a silky mouth feel with an alcohol tinge that pricks at the tongue. Vanilla and caramel sweeten on the finish, and the beer leaves a dry toasted malt after tastes. The alcohol content is 11.4% ABV. I thought the Black Gold was well blended with no low points in the drinking experience, all while maintaining an excellent bourbon accent.

Jester King Black Metal Imperial Stout

One of the bottles I brought to a small bottle share event was the Jester King Black Metal Imperial Stout, a beer I received in a beer trade with Lee from Hoptopia. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of coffee, vanilla, and chocolate. The taste is big on coffee and lots of toasted malts. The finish brings out a wonderful vanilla flavor with some oak accents. The alcohol content is 10.4% ABV. This Imperial Stout was smooth and excellent, and I really would like to acquire another bottle to have again. Being that it was a bottle share, I only got a small sample, and this beer was too good not to have again.

Samuel Adams Imperial Stout

My buddy Brad picked up a four pack of the Samuel Adams Imperial Stout when I visited him in Blairsville, and I gladly accepted a bottle to try. The beer pours a black color with a frothy team head. The aroma consists of lots of chocolate malts, oak, vanilla, alcohol, and molasses. The taste is filled with dark chocolate and plenty of malts, some oak and vanilla flavors, and molasses. The finish is dry with with lots of oak and coffee. The alcohol content is 9.2% ABV. This beer has a surprising smooth and milky chocolate flavor with a good alcohol bite, drying out on the finish.

Weyerbacher Old Heathen Imperial Stout

I ordered a glass of Weyerbacher Old Heathen Imperial Stout at Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma is big on chocolate with some coffee and toasted malts mixed in as well. The taste is silky smooth with toasted malts, chocolate, and coffee. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. The Old Heathen had an impressive smoothness for the amount of toasted malt flavor that came with the beer. The sweetness kept the impacts of the alcohol from being detectable on the tongue, so be careful as to how many of these you drink.

Central Waters Satin Solstice Imperial Stout

Another of the Central Waters beers I tried at Al's of Hampden was the Satin Solstice Imperial Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, licorice, coffee, and toasted malts. The taste is bitey with dark chocolate with plenty of toasted malts and a creamy profile. There is a nice alcohol bite and a dry finish. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. The Satin Solstice has a great chocolate profile. Overall, the beer is smooth yet bitey and extremely enjoyable.