Megadestroyer Imperial Licorice Stout - Howe Sound Inn & Brewing Company

Kittiwakedave

Kansas

5/5  rDev +23.8%

01-06-2013 16:45:54 | More by Kittiwakedave

souvenirs

British Columbia (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

1L bottle bought at Lennox Liquor Store for $9.65 + deposit.

Appearance: black, impenetrable to light, with a massive light brown head that's quite slow to dissipate.

Smell: licorice (from the anise), some booziness, not much else. Definitely appealing, and rather unusual.

Taste: loads of licorice flavour, some sweetness from the molasses. I think it seems less bitter because of the licorice flavour, which either makes the bitterness less pronounced or more expected.

Mouthfeel: thick. Probably about what you'd expect from a beer made with blackstrap molasses. Not overly carbonated.

Overall: with flavour so pronounced and ABV of 10%, this isn't something I'd want to drink often or very much of at once. I kind of wish it were available in a smaller bottle, but it would be fine if you had a friend (or two) to share a bottle with. I'm very glad I tried it, but I probably wouldn't have it again anytime soon. I might like it to be a bit more complex, but it is what it is.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 04:35:54 | More by souvenirs

mtbeer3649

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

06-06-2013 08:25:23 | More by mtbeer3649

Seph

British Columbia (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +17.6%

05-25-2013 06:55:39 | More by Seph

srhoadsy

Florida

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Served slightly chilled into a snifter.

Pours black with half an inch of light brown head that slowly recedes leaving heavy surface layer and lacing.

Heavy aromas of anise.

Flavors are all bittersweet. Heavy on the anise with hints of dark roasted coffee and dark chocolate.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Sweet finish with strong but quickly fading aftertaste.

A nice, flavorful beer. I have had other licorice stouts where the licorice is too mild if not altogether unnoticeable. Not very complex, but focuses on it's flavor profile. Excellent when paired with dessert.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 01:16:15 | More by srhoadsy

Kmat10

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

05-20-2013 04:42:25 | More by Kmat10

IanSpindler

Alberta (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

05-18-2013 22:58:17 | More by IanSpindler

MarkyMOD

Colorado

4/5  rDev -1%

05-04-2013 05:23:49 | More by MarkyMOD

Birdlegs

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

04-29-2013 16:03:04 | More by Birdlegs

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - pitch black with a thumb of brown head, held at a thin cover with decent random lacing
S - big licorice root aroma backed by strong espresso and some molasses
T - the licorice is in your face along with a rich black strap molasses flavour, cold pressed coffee along with more subtle roasty flavours bring up the rear, make no mistake this is a big boy beer with big boy flavours
M - chewiness in tempered by the high ABV, has a strong bitterness of both the licorice and coffee, finishes with a warm feeling in your chest
O - this beer is huge all around, and the licorice is more pronounced than any i've sampled, definitely made for beer geeks and not for the faint of heart, and finally big props for collaborating with a cool company like Megadestroyer!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:16:52 | More by joemcgrath27

twelveinches

Washington

3/5  rDev -25.7%

03-23-2013 05:55:13 | More by twelveinches

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

1L capped, swing-top bottle. This is one bad-ass label, the name and austere Soviet iconography setting the tone with a sledgehammer.

This beer pours a dictionary-definition black, with the slightest of slight pencil-thin basal cola 'highlights', and two beefy fingers of densely foamy, rocky beige head, which leaves perfectly consistent drop-down speckled drip patterns of painted lace around the glass as it very slowly abates.

It smells of musty, dusty, Zellers-going-out-of-business black licorice, middling dry cocoa, bittersweet cupboard-bound raw molasses, soft day-old coffee notes, and a latently noticeable black fruit infused caramel malt - good, sure, but a bit over the top, and I can't believe I'm saying that. The taste is ethereal anise, with a near cousin, more quotidian packaged black licorice essence, sweetly grainy, slightly roasted caramel malt, syrupy root beer, understated sugary molasses, a touch of espresso, and duly underappreciated earthy, musty hops. The 20-proof booze is more than capable of keeping its hedonism well under the radar.

The bubbles are present, and mostly perfunctory, to no ill end, the body an adequate medium weight, and tacitly smooth, the hops and slightly metallic alcohol choosing this particular point to make their debut. It finishes a whole lot more dry than anything up to this point, the licorice character having a hard time differentiating itself from an ouzo cameo.

A big, big, big, (did I say big? Ok, then) beer, of the Imperial Stout bent, fo sho. The licorice, anise (the difference is real, I know, but come on) is readily noticeable, with some murky sugary molasses, underappreciated coffee urn essences, and even more so unheralded earthy, offsetting and supportive drying hoppy notes, really just a futile exercise of pissing in the wind, it would seem by this point. Not the most complex of offerings for the style, but agreeable enough in its weight, a suitable Saturday Night Special, as ever was.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 06:32:15 | More by biboergosum

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

From a 1 L brown bottle. Pours out a dense opaque black hue, impermeable to light. Tall dense spongy beige head that retains well and eventually settles to a thick cap.

Intense molasses and sweet black licorice on the nose, along with sweet dark malt and notes of chocolate and coffee.

More intense sweetness in the flavour, almost cloying. Yeah, sweet black licorice dominates (seems more like anise to me though, perhaps some sarsaparilla root as well), with dark malt, mild chocolate, and molasses, with some dry cocoa and coffee rounding out the finish. Astringent dark malt and alcohol appear in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is medium-full, velvety and slick texture, also dry and astringent on finish, with moderate carbonation.

A real heavy hitter, and it delivers with everything mentioned on the label (hell, in the name alone!). 1 L is a bit much for anyone to tackle on their own, a friend or two to help out is well advised, or the remainder would make one hell of an expensive but kick ass marinade for ribs. Worth seeking out, however only if you enjoy licorice, as that most certainly is the powerhouse in this stout, hands down. That aside, certainly worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 05:34:50 | More by IronDjinn

PJablkowski

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -1%

02-23-2013 05:23:52 | More by PJablkowski

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Pours a dark chocolate black with two fingers of dark and dense mocha head.

Smell - Molasses, roasted malts, anise seed, licorice, cocoa.

Taste - Licorice and anise seed star in the flavours, followed by the roasted malts, molasses and cocoa in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Slight creaminess.

Overall - A unique flavoured stout by adding licorice and anise seed. Since those two ingredients are notoriously strong, I was concerned about their flavours being overpowering - not the case in this brew, which balanced all the flavours well. If you want to try a stout that's a little off the beaten path, give this one a taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 04:40:55 | More by leaddog

schnarr84

Alberta (Canada)

2.75/5  rDev -31.9%

02-14-2013 06:23:15 | More by schnarr84

FalconA

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -19.6%

02-02-2013 01:16:03 | More by FalconA

ZiggyPop

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

So this is my first real review, so sorry for any "amateur" terms or mistakes :P

Poured from a 1 liter bottle into a pint glass. My pouring hand wasn't used to pouring this amount of beer, so it definitely quivered. I should probably work out more often.

Appearance: Opaque black/brown body, with a mahogany head and some lacing, but not as much as expected.

Smell: Licorice smell is the most dominant, yet I sense another lesser smell, something along the lines of a nut of some sort. I'm assuming this could be roasted malts.

Taste: Right off the bat, a very smooth licorice flavor accompanied with a roasted flavor. Neither is over powering and are very balanced. Was pleasantly surprised by this, because I feared when buying this bottle that it'd be a liter of alcoholic licorice. Finishes with a great licorice aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: The standard stout feel. I don't know how to describe it in any further details to be honest, other than that classic stout feel we all know.

Overall: Very content about this one. My first from Howe Sound, and I was a little skeptical about their line because of the liter sized bottles at the very reasonable price of 10 dollars. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a brew off the beaten path, or just a fan of stouts in general.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 06:54:06 | More by ZiggyPop

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

3.79/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Opaque w/ chestnut edges, mocha head, decent lacing.

S: A nice complexity of roasted malts and licorice. The combo is almost minty/herbal, slighty nutty, an interesting smelling stout.

T: Well balanced roastiness that never seems acrid. Doesn't lean strongly towards sweet or dry, impressive for a 10% stout. Nothing especially exciting here, but a well made stout with strong licorice flavor.

M: Full and creamy throughout.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 03:31:03 | More by mattsander

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

1L swing top bottle...Shazam! Split with my bro in law.

Pours black, all black, with a dark tan head and lots of lace.

The aroma is sure as sh*t licorice.its not too daunting, and there's plenty of roast and chocolate coming through to even the score.

Taste also starts off with a licorice kick, then some chocolate, even a soft coffee note and some brown sugar.

Full bodied, for the most part, but a smidgen lacking in overall stoutness.

Not a big fan of licorice, but it works nicely here and isn't too godawfully overwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 01:13:53 | More by EgadBananas

kscaldef

Oregon

2.5/5  rDev -38.1%

01-21-2013 20:31:27 | More by kscaldef

ericj551

British Columbia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%

01-16-2013 20:04:08 | More by ericj551

iKrystin

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

01-13-2013 21:35:41 | More by iKrystin

JonnyBeers

British Columbia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

01-11-2013 19:11:56 | More by JonnyBeers

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.53/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Maudite snifter. Pours an opaque pitch black with a nice two finger brown head with good retention and lots of lacing. Aroma is dominated by fresh black licorice with light roasted malt and a hint of cola. Flavor is fantastic, roasted malt, lots of licorice, anise seed, caraway seed, charred coffee. Finishes with light hop bitterness and lingering licorice. Medium bodied with light creaminess. High ABV well covered, making this dangerous in such a large bottle. Must resist finishing the bottle tonight... A great stout and the best use and integration of licorice in a beer that I have ever had. Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 04:01:44 | More by LiquidAmber