Tag Archives: imperial stout

4 - Good (buy), AleSmith Brewing Company, Beer Reviews, Stout - Imperial, USA

AleSmith Speedway Stout – Hammerhead

Monday, 5 September 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: AleSmith Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Coffee Imperial Stout with Espresso

Brewer Description: (from website) Mirroring the coffee-house espresso-drink of the same name, Hammerhead Speedway Stout is a version of AleSmith’s world-renowned coffee imperial stout dosed with even more select java plus a heaping helping of espresso. This highly caffeinated one-off was first brewed on an experimental basis as part of AleSmith’s popular Speedway Grand Prix event during the 2013 edition of San Diego Beer Week. Introduced along with 11 other special versions of Speedway Stout, it was an instant classic and the all-around favorite of AleSmith fans. As such, we are immensely proud to bottle it for the very first time as the first in a family of future releases that will eventually tackle the beer’s much beloved offspring, Double Hammerhead Speedway Stout and, for the most insatiable Joe enthusiasts, Triple Hammerhead Speedway Stout.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.39
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.3

Intro: On tap at Mikkeller & Friends (Stefansgade), Copenhagen, into a Mikkeller tasting glass.
Appearance: It was a nice dark black colour with a one finger beige head with moderate retention and great lacing.
Aroma: Dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, coffee and a touch of alcohol.
Taste: Espresso, chocolate, vanilla, oak and dark fruit.
Mouthfeel: Rich, full bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: A very nice Imperial Stout and a great variant of the Speedway Stout.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Brouwerij De Molen, Netherlands, Stout - Imperial

De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis Port Charlotte (peated) BA

Wednesday, 31 August 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brouwerij De Molen
Country: Netherlands
ABV: 11%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Smoked Imperial Stout-ish. Malts – Pils, Caramel, Chocolate, Roasted and Brown. Hops – Saaz and Columbus.

Brewer Description: (from website) We were looking forward to this beer… and it turned out we were right to. With 11% ABV it’s a strong beer for beer lovers that enjoy their peated flavors. The original bitter coffee and chocolate flavors of Hel & Verdoemenis (translates as Hell & Damnation) are enriched with the peat, woody, roasty tastes of the exceptional Port Charlotte barrels. The beer aged in these barrels for over 6 months.

About Port Charlotte – Two miles south of Bruichladdich (Scotland), lies the village of Port Charlotte and ruins of Lochindaal Distillery, that ran spirit for 100 years between 1829 and 1929. The heavily peated Port Charlotte single malts of Bruichladdich are a tribute to the men who once worked this great, now silent, distillery. The spirit is matured in wooden barrels of the original old stone warehouses in Port Charlotte.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.59
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: On tap at Brouwcafe de Molen, into a De Molen snifter glass.
Appearance: It was black in colour with a two finger beige head that had good retention and nice lacing.
Aroma: Whisky, chocolate, coffee, wood and liquorice.
Taste: Peat, whisky, coffee, chocolate and oak.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Brilliant! The base H&V was already very good. I thought that barrel aging it in peaty Port Charlotte barrels was even better as the nice peat and whisky notes make for a great sipper.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Buxton Brewery, England, Stout - Imperial

Buxton The Living End (Bourbon Barrel Aged)

Tuesday, 31 May 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Buxton Brewery
Country: England
ABV: 11%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Bourbon barrel aged Stout

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Months spent in wood have imparted characteristic sweet, vanilla and oak flavours and aromas into this rich Imperial Stout.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.31
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.2

Intro: A 330ml bottle, 11% ABV version, bottled on 30th October 2015 and best before 30th October 2020. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: It poured a pitch black with an extremely thin brown head that disappeared almost immediately and left nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Dark chocolate and bourbon with hints of mocha coffee and sweet vanilla.
Taste: Sweet mocha, dark chocolate, bourbon notes, vanilla and molasses with light caramel and a lasting light nutty ashy finish.
Mouthfeel: Oily, full bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: A nice Imperial Stout that was not overly sweet and with light bourbon notes.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Estonia, Põhjala x To Øl, Stout - Imperial

Põhjala x To Øl Cellar Series Taanilinn Cognac BA

Monday, 18 April 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Põhjala x To Øl
Country: Estonia
ABV: 14%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Cognac barrel aged spiced Imperial Stout. 70 IBUs. Malts – Pilsner, Oats, Cara 150, Melanoid, Chocolate, Cara Amber, Special B, Chocolate Rye and Demerara Sugar. Hops – Magnum and Goldings. Other – cinnamon, aniseed and orange zest.

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Põhjala and To Øl created this beer together to honour the old Danish heritage of Tallinn. Deep complex oatmeal stout aged for months on cognac barrels. Spiced with all the best from the liquors of Estonia.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.72
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.6

Intro: A 330ml waxed bottle with a best before date of 4th November 2018, poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: It poured a pitch black colour with a thin beige head that dissipated quickly but left nice spotty lacing.
Aroma: Caramel, toffee, chocolate, vanilla, cognac, wood with a hint of dark fruit, plum and cherries.
Taste: Sweet. Its so sweet, but so good. Brown sugar, cherry, vanilla, oak and cognac with hints of bittersweet chocolate and espresso coffee.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth, mid to full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: I usually do not enjoy sweet beers, but there are a few exceptions and this is definitely one of them. It starts very sweet, but the combination of oakiness and cognac helps to balance out this sweetness and keep it in check. It’s also surprisingly not full bodied. It’s almost there, but lacks just that little bit that you usually expect from a 14% ABV Imperial Stout. But, despite all that, in my opinion, this is right up there with the best Imperial Stouts, and is easily a must buy beer for me.

5 - Excellent (must buy), Beer Reviews, Brasserie Dieu du Ciel, Canada, Stout - Imperial

Dieu du Ciel Péché Mortel

Thursday, 31 March 2016 kitch Leave a comment

Brewery: Brasserie Dieu du Ciel
Country: Canada
ABV: 9.5%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Extra strong Stout brewed with coffee.

Brewer Description: (from website) A deep, dark and profound stout. Espresso coffee is infused during the brewing of Péché Mortel, resulting in an intense dark beer with roasted malt flavours enhanced by bitter coffee. The dry finish is long and persistent. Intended as a tasting experience, we invite you to enjoy this brew in moderation.

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.71
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A 341ml bottle with a bottled on date of 13th August 2015 and poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: It poured a deep dark brown, near black colour with a less than one finger tanned head that disappears fairly quickly but leaves nice small spotty lacing.
Aroma: Strong coffee, espresso, sweet black cherry and vanilla, roasty malts and a hint of dark chocolate.
Taste: Very nice coffee, roastiness, lightly charred with a finish that is a lingering dark chocolate bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Smooth velvety, full bodied with low carbonation.
Overall: Very nice coffee stout that I could drink again and again. Will definitely age a few bottles since it does suggest that on the back label. Would also love to try a barrel-aged version of this bad boy.

words of another dreamy traveller