Souther Tier
Imperial Stout brewed w/ chocolate
10% ABV
2011 bottle poured into a New Belgium balloon glass. Pours in a moderately thick looking dark brown stream, quintessential Imperial Stout looks. Medium dark tan head w/ average retention and lacing.
Aroma is decadent, massive chocolate and ample malty sweetness. Reminds of a barrel aged stout, almost, in its dessert character. Southern Tier's blackwater series beers are infamous for their sweetness but to me sweetness is not enough in this one. Bitter, at times excruciatingly so, with robust dark chocolate and roast. This beer is stout first and I like that part.
They haven't gone easy on the hops for sure, but hops take a back seat in flavor that is certainly for the best. However, it's not the hops but the roast that is getting tiring slowly. Roast tiring in an Imperial Stout you say? Well, I think that the body is struggling to stand up to the astringency.
Overall, it's nearly not as bad as it is sometimes made out to be. First few sips are actually great. But this beer is riddled with its flaws:
- Overly charred with lacking body (for its taste)
- Hint of booziness
- Some off flavors that bring cardboard to mind (I don't think it's the oxidation though, this is a young bottle)
4, 4, 3.5, 3.5, 4
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