Tag Archives: imperial stout

FiftyFifty Imperial Eclipse Stout BKR (Bookers Barrel)

Brewery: FiftyFifty Brewing Company
Country: USA
ABV: 12.2%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: 2019 vintage, yellow wax – Bookers Barrel

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Now in it’s 12th vintage, 2019 Eclipse is our rich Imperial Stout aged to perfection in whiskey and spirit barrels. All Eclipse start with the same base beer bringing hints of dark chocolate, espresso, and a smooth complexity, with each barrel treatment delivering its own unique character after a minimum of 180 days of aging. BKR is aged in select bourbon barrels. DSP-KY-230.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.12
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 500ml dark yellow waxed bottle, 2019 vintage. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown to black in colour, with a thin tanned head that dissipated quickly, while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Bakers chocolate, molasses, bourbon, and a touch of almonds.
Taste: Light roast, chocolate, coffee, bourbon, molasses, raisin, with light notes of toasted nuts.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A fuller body would help this Imperial Stout, but there are some enjoyable flavours with this sipper.

Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon 5th Edition

Brewery: Nøgne Ø
Country: Norway
ABV: 16%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: 100 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Dark Horizon 5th edition is the culmination of all of our years of producing strong, dark ales. It is a symbol of our uncompromising attitude here at Nøgne Ø. We use only the finest malt and carefully ferment this beer by slowly feeding it more fermentables throughout the process. The result is brazen and brash, but after some maturation it evolves into a beer of balance and distinction. Rich, robust and dangerously smooth, this beer is certain to conquer the world. Enjoy this beer now or store in a cool, dark place.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.24
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 500ml bottle in a nice circular case, bottled on 3rd March 2015, and poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark brown in colour with a thin brown head that dissipated quickly while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, liquorice, chocolate, coffee, molasses, dark fruit, prunes, booze.
Taste: Moderately sweet, light to moderately bitter, roasty, dark chocolate, coffee, liquorice, molasses, caramel, dark fruit, prunes, booze.
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: A nice sipper. Good sweet and bitter balance, but perhaps, although not unexpected given the ABV, it was a touch boozy. Not overly so, but not hidden either.

Clown Shoes Undead Party Crasher

Brewery: Clown Shoes Beer
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: Stout – Imperial

Brewer Description: (from bottle) In a world full of uncertainty, hardship, and people trying to hold us back, do we need the undead and trademark attorneys too? Clown Shoes says, “No, die, monsters, die!” Forces of darkness brought about a change in the name of this beer, which was released to celebrate our second anniversary, but it still sports signature dark malts, holy water, and malt smoked locally with hickory and ash.

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

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber, bottled on 12th February 2015. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated quickly while leaving some sparse lacing.
Aroma: Light roast, dark chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, prunes.
Taste: Chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, prunes, brown sugar, molasses, with a hint of char.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.
Overall: Admittedly, held on to this much longer than expected, and it was slightly thinner than I’d hoped, but it was still a nice sipper.

Lervig Rackhouse Blue Plate Special

Brewery: Lervig Aktiebryggeri
Country: Norway
ABV: 13.5%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Rackhouse. 2020 vintage. Bourbon barrel aged imperial stout with vanilla

Brewer Description: (from bottle) This beer is nostalgic. Growing up in 80s America I used to go to the local diners for their “blue plate special”. Pancakes, 2 bacon strips, toast and coffee. Nothing beats that bacon when it mixed with the maple syrup on the plate… This Maple Bourbon barrel aged Breakfast stout reminds me of the great diners of yesterday; may they reemerge in our world again!

My rating: 5
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.64
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.5

Intro: A gold waxed 375ml bottle, 2020 vintage, with a best before date of 29th July 2026. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a half finger brown head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass, while leaving sparse lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, maple syrup, and bourbon.
Taste: Light to moderately sweet, maple syrup, vanilla, caramel, light roast, coffee, chocolate, bourbon, with a light lasting bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Rich, smooth, creamy, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: A very enjoyable sipper, with very good sweet and bitter balance, and great aroma and flavours to top it off.

Lervig Rackhouse Canadian Lunch

Brewery: Lervig Aktiebryggeri
Country: Norway
ABV: 14.1%
Style: Stout – Imperial
Other Notes: Rackhouse. Bourbon barrel aged stout

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Canadian Lunch uses all the top notes from additions of cocoa nibs, peanut flour & maple syrup, and layers them in harmoniously with the vanilla, coconut and tawny accents of our silky rich, toasty imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels for 12 months.

My rating: 4+
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.53
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A gold waxed 375ml bottle, with a best before date of 29th June 2026. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a thin tanned head that dissipated quickly to nothing, while leaving only sparse to no lacing.
Aroma: Roasty, chocolate, peanuts, vanilla, maple syrup, with notes of bourbon.
Taste: Light to moderate sweetness, vanilla, maple syrup, bourbon, light roast, chocolate, cocoa, brown sugar, with hints of nuttiness.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, full bodied, with soft carbonation.
Overall: An excellent enjoyable sipper, with balanced aroma and flavours that work well together.