Pothole Filler Imperial Stout - Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Company

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance -- Pours a deep, dark brown with slim chestnut higlights and a voluminous tuft of stiff cooca brown head.

Smell -- Bakers chocolate, molasses, patent malt, black leather, and a little bit of woodsmoke. Rich and roasty, but not as saccharine as a black strap molasses stout would have you believe.

Taste -- Molasses and dark cocoa sweetness, as well as leather, smoke, and anise. Earthy hops in the finish keep things from getting too saccharine. The alcohol is not well-hidden, but it's not a terrible distraction, either.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-light in body with moderate carbonation. Feels thin, especially compared to the robust and boozy flavor.

Overall -- Overall, pretty good. It didn't wow me with it's complexity, and the mouthfeel needs a boost, but it works. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 02:12:18 | More by yeahnatenelson

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Howe Sound Brewing tap house:

A: Black liquid with a 1/8" light brown head that left a fair amount of lacing.

S: Espresso, black licorice, and alcohol.

T: The taste profile is a combination of bitter black coffee, toasted malt, and dark chocolate. The beer begins bitter, but has a smooth finish.

M: Medium viscosity with a low level of carbonation.

O: This Imperial Stout is the type of beer that you have to settle into, especially if it is served cold. As it warmed it became less aggressive and much more drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2011 15:26:17 | More by DaftCaskBC

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A solid RIS, enjoyed from a 1L bottle that's been in the basement for at least a year. It has aged well!

Pours an oily black with only the faintest hints of auburn at the edge of the glass when held up to the light. Creamy, coffee-coloured head dissipates more quickly than I'd expected. Robust yet subtle aroma of roasted dark malts, with the smoky barrel tannins I associate with this style. The rich mouthfeel is a pleasure to sip, and the taste is well balanced but sufficiently complex to be interesting. Sweet caramelized chocolate and black malts with a bitterly dry aftertaste that still maintains sugary molasses elements. Hints of peat and aged wood flesh out the combination. The 9% ABV is evident in some alcohol warmth at the end, and I'm glad to be sharing this bottle!

Not a beer I'd choose every night, but one I'd recommend and definitely worth the splurge.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 02:48:33 | More by hopsolutely

ericj551

British Columbia (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Howe Sound Pothole Filler pours an inky black with a nice brown head. The aroma is sweet, caramel malt with tons of rich chocolate and dark, roasted malt. A caramel sweetness pops up in the flavor first, but the chocolate character quickly takes over. The dark malts build on the palette and lead to a moderately astringent, burnt character. The astringency is amplified by a solid bitterness, with some earthy, herbal hops. The bitterness lingers with the astringent, burnt malt. Overall this is a really intense imperial stout, especially for it's abv.

On a side note, the copy on this beer label is a bit confused, at the begining they claim, "unfiltered 100% barley mash," but they describe the beer as containing wheat and molasses.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 04:33:36 | More by ericj551

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: It has a nice jet black color to it. It has a nice tan head that dies down slowly and leaves nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of roasted malts, molasses, brown sugar, chocolate and coffee.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some roasted malts, sweet molasses, chocolate, coffee, some licorice and a grassy/earthy bitterness from the hops.

Mouthfeel: It has a low carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 20:11:01 | More by SebD

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Pour a dark cola brown/near black with a one finger width of creamy beige head. Leaves a nice lacing around the glass.

Smell- Dark chocolate, molasses, bready aromas and caramel malts.

Taste- Dark chocolate and roasted flavours are most present with the sweet sticky molasses and caramel playing a supporting role.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with light carbonation. There is a pleasant sticky characteristic to this one.

Overall- A very enjoyable RIS from Howe Sound. The dark chocolate and the roast flavours were pleasant. The molasses provides a nice variation on the style. The ABV is well concealed which makes this 1 L bottle even more dangerous. Definitely worth a try!

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 01:51:49 | More by leaddog

beerman207

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought the 1 L swing top. Just an awesome bottle and lots of stout to share with friends

A: Pours a deep dark brown with a nice tan head that starts at about 1 finger and lingers throughout the entire session - nice

S: Nose is smoke, malt, mollases (bootstrap variety), chocolate

T: Taste is like whopper candy and smoke, malt strong, some light hop

m: Medium body - a bit thick and oily/wet, nice

O: Fantastic offering from Howe Sound. Never had a brew from them but look forward to finding more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 00:40:37 | More by beerman207

Drinkerofales

California

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown, almost black, with no light shining through. A large mocha head doesn't leave much lacing, but has good retention.

Smell is mostly roasted malt. There are whiffs of coffee, anise, and hoppy fruit.

Taste is sweet and bitter(straight from the wife). Mellow roasted malt, molasses, some coffee and hop bitterness on the finish and aftertaste.

Feel isn't thin, but isn't chewy, with a hop bite to it. Good thing it's smooth and drinkable.

Some of hop in almost all aspects, none of it taking over fortunately. Feels a tad on the thin side, but other than that, I liked the beer. I would have to say, the giant size is kind of strange, and while the swingtop can help save the beer for later, 32oz of a 9% is a bit much.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 18:19:38 | More by Drinkerofales

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

First review with the 0.25 increment system- Things are about to get crazy! ...

(4.5) A: Black with a beautiful thick and creamy mocha coloured head. Long lasting retention and very good lacing. Gorgeous stuff.

(4.25) S: Roasted malts with the focus on creamy dark chocolate, gingerbread, molasses, dark fruits (figs and dates), and a noticeable hop-like aroma leaning to the herbal side.

(4.0) T: Similar to the aroma with roasted malts and dark fruits upfront, with a transition to a fruitier and semi-herbal bitter hop taste. Hints of smoke detected. A fair amount of spice in this with some ginger and nutmeg, but the focus is towards the bitterness.

(4.0) M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Creamy with a chewy character.

(4.25) D: This is a well put together imperial stout that exhibits all those traditional imperial stout traits with probably a bit more hop bitterness than others. Bonus points for the enourmous swingtop bottle. I'm totally taking water to work in this.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 02:22:29 | More by Digimaika2

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- three finger dark mocha head with massive retention, near black body, thick lacing and big bubbles, so far so good.

S-herbal and floral hops, nutty malt, some tobacco

T - nice balanced hops up front with chocolate and some coffee coming through in the finish. Booze is well hidden (could be that I seem to be drinking only imperial stouts and IPAS lately and I have become immune to it).

M-medium bodied very smooth with plenty of carbonation for the style, refreshing bitterness that lingers, sweet flavours are balanced and not overdone.

An excellent imperial stout that is worth the $11 I paid for it (not bad given it has as much booze as a 12 pack of coors) - and for you homebrewers out there it comes in a handy reuseable 1L flip top bottle. Not one thing sticks out to me yet there is nothing I would add to it either - simply a great brew,

Serving type: growler

12-21-2012 00:21:16 | More by Stocean1

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

1L bottle, yes that's right, 1 whole litre of 9% beer. And with a swingtop too so my pint glass can get a refill later.

A - Pours nearly black, hints of brown on the edges, thick bubbly creamy light brown head, foam reduced slowly, and plenty of lacing.

S - Coffee, toasted bread, dark chocolate, brown sugar, a bit of fennel, grass.

T - Roasted & toasted flavours upfront, some brown sugar, herbal hop bitterness and a bit of alcohol in the finish. A bit lighter than the aroma let on and the finish has a slight harshness to it at times. Still good overall.

M - Medium carbonation, medium-heavy body, creamy, oily, sticky, dry finish with some heat. Not as thick as a name like pothole filler would suggest.

O - Very good RIS. One of the best I've had so far.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 03:09:58 | More by decimator

sukwonee

Washington

4.35/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This bottle has been sitting on the shelf of this shop for at least a year. They were finally down to their last bottle, so I picked it up. $11.99 for one-litter swingtop half growler. Not too bad, since I can re-use the growler.

A: Black with two finger mocha head. Good lacing.

S: I can't really smell much after I pour it into my snifter but when I first opened the bottle I got lots of chocolate, coffee, molasses.

T: It's tasting great! Dark chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, roasty malt. Small hop bite but not much.

M: It's not bad but it's a tad bit thin. Good amount of carbonation.

O: Very very good classic Imperial stout. Smooth, relatively easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 01:32:47 | More by sukwonee

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

4.23/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Howe Sounds "Pothole Filler" Imperial Stout @ 9%
A-served cold into a chalice , poured a thick black almost oily , big tan head with good retention and lacing
S-rich and malty , molasses , bakers chocolate , espresso
T-heavy malt taste , coffee and chocolate , light hoppyness
MF-medium body especially compared to the robust and boozy flavor
Ov-very drinkable , good balance throught , hides the 9% well , highly recommended

Cheers LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 19:26:43 | More by LampertLand

Hornet2003

British Columbia (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1L swing top bottle. Purchased at the Central City liquor store.

Appearance: Jet-black. Creamy tan head that lingers.

Smell: Dry chocolate and coffee aromas.

Taste: A slight smoky coffee flavour backed up by a big chocolate backbone. very rich flavours. Not as much dark fruit action as other RIS like Brooklyn.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and sweet. Not overly sweet, just nicely complementary of the dry coffee flavour.

Drinkability: For a RIS, it's easily drinkable. Little to no alcohol burn.

Overall: Nicely blended malt, coffee and chocolate flavours make this a smooth drinker that is dangerous in it's large 1L serving size. Try to share it with a friend or two.

Note: Alcohol is actually 9% ABV

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 03:52:43 | More by Hornet2003

chickenm

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours jet black with a thick brown head that leaves some lacing. Aroma has coffee, chocolate, and a little smoke and licorice. Flavor of bittersweet chocolate, coffee, molasses, and ash. Medium bodied and smooth, and has a lingering slightly burnt aftertaste. Just a little alcohol is noticable. Overall, it's not in the top tier of Imperial Stouts, but it's still a very solid beer. I had no trouble finishing the 1L bottle!

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 19:58:03 | More by chickenm

cwguy5

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

thanks to Sharpski for the hook-up on this one! poured into a De Molen snifter from the quart bottle.

A - black and oily with minimal cinnamon colored head that is mainly just a bubbly ring; lots of arching lacing left on glass

S - seasonal allergies are kicking my butt, but i am getting a light aroma of dark and roasted malt and not much else

T - lots of dark and roasted malts, espresso, black coffee, dry overall, molasses is very faint, dry-bitter finish

M - med-thick bodied with fine, light-moderate carbonation; long bitter finish is fairly strong

O - always love a 9% stout in a quart bottle! a solid dry & roasty stout overall, but the bitterness is a bit distracting for me. it starts to wear out my palate pretty quickly. this might be paired with cheese/food well.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 03:15:26 | More by cwguy5

LazyL

British Columbia (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Very nice 9% Porter.
The head is a dark mocha and the beer itself is black.
The nose is very inviting, malty, espresso notes.
The taste is great. Coffee, chocolate, yum.
Very well balanced, dry great mouth feel. Goes down like a cold Starbuck coffee, but its a 9% dream.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 02:06:54 | More by LazyL

lumikuuro

British Columbia (Canada)

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

1 litre bottle.

Appearance: Thick, oily, very dark brown on the pour, filling the glass with an opaque solid blackness topped with a hilly brown head with good retention and blankets of lace.

Aroma: Molasses, liquorice, bitter cocoa, some coffee.

Taste: Liquorice and molasses with a building but gentle coffee and cocoa bitterness. Some vinous dark fruit such as blackberry and perhaps sour cherry. Then a smooth sweetness takes over, muting the coffee and enhancing the liquorice; the addition of molasses to this beer definitely gives it a great character and balance. Never too sweet, never too bitter, this is a delight to drink. There is a definite alcohol hit here, but it doesn't burn.

The coffee flavours come through a little more when it has warmed somewhat: I recommend drinking it chilled to enjoy it at its most refined. The swing top bottle allows you to savour it and not let it warm too much by having small glasses at a time.

Mouthfeel: Very, very full bodied and silky, with a modest carbonation that quickly becomes restrainedly dry for the style.

Drinkability: This is yet another wonderous beer from a fantastic brewery. Beautifully balanced and dangerously easy to drink at its 2010 9% abv.

Very high quality.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2010 06:51:48 | More by lumikuuro

TheStove

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Smuggled on a cruise ship from BC to USA! Poured into an imperial pint glass.

Pours a deep inky black with a nice mocha colored head.

Smells vary somewhat, from boozy to chocolatey malts to molasses. First sip reveals rich chocolate malt flavors giving way to a thinner lighter malty consistency ultimately ending with a light hop bite and some earth flavors at the end. A consistently malty, creamy and delicious beverage.

A solid offering yet in the world of imperial stouts this one doesn't particularly stand out.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 21:20:56 | More by TheStove

jaz58

Ontario (Canada)

4.45/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A real nice stout.

Poured in a clear pint glass.

Nice dark brown / black appearance.

The head was almost a smooth as a guinness yet more of a chocolate milk color.

Thin lace on the glass as it's enjoyed.

The nose is slightly sour with nice hints of toffee.

Taste is warm with hints of dark chocolate and toffee and a subtle clean bitters finish.

Mouthfeel is well rounded.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 22:13:57 | More by jaz58

tonyf55

Alberta (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 1L swing-top into a sleeman lager glass (it was all that was available...)

Visual (5): Dark beer, completely opaque to any light. Sandy tan coloured head, rolling and dense, that lasts and doesn't go away. Great lacing. Thick body.

Aroma (2.5): A bit of coffee grind, hints of chocolate, but no big malty hit. No alcohol scents. A little too light for this big beer.

Taste (4.5): Piney hop flavours mingle with tastes of sweet malts and leave a welcomed boozy coat on the pallet. Flavours of both alcohol and hops linger long after a sip is taken. Malts are heavily toasted, with burnt flavours mixing with the fairly prevalent hop bitterness. Beautiful balance.

Mouthfeel (4): Oily and slick with a very thick body. Leaves an extremely dry pallet behind. The dryness really aids in letting the flavours linger long after a sip.

Overall (4): A beer that hits the Imperial Stout style perfectly, strong malt sweetness mixes with hits of hops & good alcoholic lingerings... all sitting on the pallet at the finish. Flavours sit so long, that it is difficult to have more than 1 in a single sitting. Great for a cool night.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 15:59:31 | More by tonyf55

cattersley

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - BLACK with a creamy head.

S - Chocolate, burnt, caramel, and black malt.

T - Creamy, lovely malt notes, lots of malt, low hope, aftertaste disappates quickly.

M - Lovely, surprisingly light.

O - I was really impressed by this beer, the alcohol was not over powering and the malt notes on this was very balancing!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 02:05:36 | More by cattersley

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Just got a bottle of this from the LCBO. Pours dark, brownish black color with a nice head. solid retention. It doesnt have a very strong smell, which threw me off a little bit, so I was pleasently surpised when I tasted it. You can taste the molasses and some vanilla and coffee. The taste lingers nicely.
Overall it was quite enjoyable. My first beer from this brewery and I look forward to trying others

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 15:47:17 | More by cfalovo97

Mages64

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a swing top bottle into 12oz snifter. Filled glass twice, once cold and once when it had warmed to room temp. Reviews are from combined notes from both temps. It must be stated that room temp is WAY better than cold.

A: deep dark brown but edges are translucent. Fantastic head retention and visible carbonation.
S: Smokey, peated malt, licorice/anise, burnt molasses, roasty
T: Fresh Coffee, peated malt, dark chocolate, caramel, smoke and hints of molasses and spices (tarragon?). Finish is sweet and hint of hops, nice vanilla and LOOOONG chocolate finish.
M: chewy when warm but thin when cold.
D: hides 9% abv well! balanced and fun. Almost drank the entire Liter in one shot. I could have though and wanted more. it's both sweet and a little savory and could match some select dishes well!

I'd put this RIS up there with the best of them. Certainly not stellar but really damn good!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 23:27:12 | More by Mages64

bdawe

California

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 1L swing top bottle into a 12oz mug

deep, deep black, with a thick brown head that holds for some time
smells like an imperial stout

tastes less intense then other imperial stouts I've had, and is much easier to drink. Somewhat less bitter than say, Old Rasputin

The beer contains molasses, and I wonder what stage of the brewing they added it in.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2010 18:54:03 | More by bdawe