Imperiale High Gravity Stout - Ninkasi Brewing Company

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.03/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured a very deep brownish color with a moderately sized deep tan head that fades slowly leaving some bubbles and light lacing

S: Smells of chocolate and roastiness, a little booze sting and pretty simple.

T: Taste is an initial chocolate, roast, which carries on start to finish and seems to be th ceterpiece of another boring Ninkasi beer. The finish is rather mundayne with some bitterness, roast and guess what? Cocoa. A little booziness stings on the end.

M: Moderate to full bodied, well carbonated, nothing impressive, not really decadent or appealing.

O: Average at best. I consumed Abyss prior to this and it really showed just how mediocre this beer is.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 16:23:09 | More by barleywinefiend

mdfb79

New York

3.1/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Received as an extra from eatabagofbooger; thanks man. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into my New Belgium globe.

a - Pours a very dark brown color, almost black, with two inches of dark tan head and moderate carbonation evident. An inch of head lasts throughout drinking it and leaves some light lacing on the glass.

s - Smells of roasted malts, pine hops, light chocolate, sweet dark fruits, and bready malts. Lots of roasted malts and pine hops with some sweetness to it. Not bad but not my favorite; not the biggest fan of hoppy stouts.

t - Tastes of roasted malts, pine hops, sweet dark fruity malts, chocolate, toasted malts, and bready malts. Pretty sweet; more fruit than the nose.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation. A bit thin and a tiny bit too carbonated.

o - Overall a pretty average American stout. Nose is pretty good, albeit hoppy, but the taste was a little too sweet and fruity for me. Mouthfeel was a little thin and over carbonated as well. Not something I'd probably seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 01:40:25 | More by mdfb79

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.03/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 picked up today at Brewforia... Poured into my new CBS snifter... damn this is a big glass. Short lasting 1 finger brownish head... only okay lacing.. the brew is the expected black.

Nose is a bit odd... roasty, but a dark dried fruitiness seems pretty high for the style... dark cherries and some milk chocolate.. not nearly enough "big stout" qualities for my liking.

Flavor begins with mild roasty qualites... again fruity esters come in quickly and hang on to the finish.. light coffee and chocolate.. okay... needs more heft for sure.

Body is sorta thin for such a big stout...

This is an okay brew.. I doubt it will get better with more time in the bottle.

3.5/3/3/3/3

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 03:43:37 | More by JohnGalt1

ccrida

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance is black with a thick tan head leaving chunky, foamy lace.

Smell is both chocolate and acrid dark malts, and some soft sweet sugars.

Taste is malty milk chocolate, it really drinks much lighter than the ABV would beguile - if you told me high 6% I would doubt it. There's a little herbal hop flavor and moderate bitterness, but by and large it's a pedestrian American start that is most notable for the how well it hides the high ABV.

Mouthfeel is on the viscous side, off-dry.

Drinkability is fine, it's not stimulating, but it's clean and dangerously easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 06:27:25 | More by ccrida

flagmantho

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: utterly, completely black with no light allowed through at all. Head poured two thick fingers of frothy dark-tan foam. Head retention is good and a nice chunky lace is left on the glass as I drink. It's hard to improve on this.

Smell: nice aroma of coffee with a hint of chocolate. There is also a hint of vegetal hops here. The overall effect is somewhat mild, however; greater depth and complexity would be appreciated here.

Taste: rich, smooth malt with plenty of chocolatey character, with a little bit of roastiness and coffee thrown in to boot. Alcohol fruitiness adds a touch of complexity to the satisfying base ... I like it.

Mouthfeel: medium-thick body with a decent level of carbonation. Creaminess is surprisingly low; this mouthfeel seems a bit chunky for the style. I would like to have more silky smoothness.

Overall: this beer has plenty of ups and downs, but overall I think it's a pretty tasty imperial style stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 03:00:04 | More by flagmantho

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark brown-black with a finger of frothy chocolate colored head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of roasted chocolate malts with some coffee, dark fruit, molasses, anise, vanilla, and a touch of earthy hops.

T - Starts off with a mix of roasted chocolate malts, dark fruits, molasses, anise, and some vanilla. Through the middle, some coffee comes through with some more dark fruits and some earthy hops. The finish is a mix of roasted chocolate malts, coffee, molasses, dark fruits, and some earthy hops.

M - Medium-full bodied with mild carbonation. Feels smooth and a bit thick with a sweet, roasted, and warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice overall balance, could have maybe used a touch more body.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 05:58:02 | More by ngeunit1

Reidrover

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle from "Lifesource" Salem. $4.59 Black as can be with a larget frothy,thick creamy tan head. Aroma is toasted malts, some coffee and nuts...alcohol Very rich indeed, as the blurb says, getting roasty oats in the back ground but the foreground is oddly mellow..drinking chocolate( milk) and hazelnuts..some alcohol evident but not over the top. The palate/mouthfeel is very nice and luxurious. Overall and odd one..kinda tamer than i expected for the strength.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 02:31:10 | More by Reidrover

flexabull

California

3.48/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle from the mixed winter pack.

Pours a dark black color with a nice white head.

Aromas are kind of faint, but pleasant, light cream, cocoa, and mild coffee notes.

Taste is pretty hoppy up front, with pine like bitterness. Beer then settles into some malty notes, but they take a back seat. Some cocoa, a bit vegetal, with coffee, and light sweetness. Finish is bitter, with hints of warmth and booze, but they aren't as strong as the ABV suggests.

Mouthfeel is ok, but too thin for the style in my opinion.

Overall, I think this beer is a bit better than my score suggests, but still not great. With a label that suggests that this "full bodied... And a big roast hit..." I thought this would be thick and full bodied, but sadly it's not. This tastes more like a regular robust stout. Pretty good, but one of the more disappointing Ninkasi beers I have had so far.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 05:16:36 | More by flexabull

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.73/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours an opaque very dark brown with red tints. Thin tan head dissipates to a film and ring around the glass and a hint of lacing. Light aroma of toasted malt and a hint of chocolate. Starts off with a light flavor of toasted malt and slight light fruit. Finish is more intense with toasted malt, some char and a hint of coffee and chocolate. Flavors are somewhat subdued for an Imperial stout. What flavor is present is pleasant and appropriate. Medium bodied. A satisfactory stout that was pleasant to drink, but I'm not sure what the "High Gravity" means in the name, this is a somewhat light to normal stout in all characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 05:38:58 | More by LiquidAmber

harrymel

Washington

1.83/5  rDev -48.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Bottled: unk

A: black, a finger of khaki foam falls to a sheet of the same. No lace.
S: leather, alcohol, some hops (piney), a little bit of sweetness from the malts. Some licorice and cola smells. I can't shake the feeling that this reminds me of a bag of teriyaki beef jerky.
T: malt is sweet with a odd gunpowder flavor. Some meaty flavors. A bit of hops. Some molasses.
M: Thin for the style with lower carb. Semi dry finish. Fail.
O: I can't tell if this is a poor attempt at a Black IPA, or a poor attempt at a stout. They call it a stout, so, yeah, it's not something I would offer up as a goodie. Thin and poorly constructed malt wise. I'm starting to think the ABI influence on this brewery is taking its toll...

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 16:19:47 | More by harrymel

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a Koningshoeven chalice.

A: Beautiful off-white head tops a dark, translucent, mahogany ale.

S: Sweet-smooth chocolate malt.

T: Bitter-sweet chocolate. Fruity malts. A lingering alcohol. This is an odd imperial stout, tasting more of peach juice than bitter, roasted malt. Aftertaste is full of sugars and light tartness.

M: Smooth, but not very impressive.

O: Solid beer, queer imperial stout. I would try another to see how interesting it is, or different. As it is, MIGHT recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 08:18:24 | More by AgentMunky

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours pretty close to black with a nice 2 fingers of thick and creamy looking tan head.

Smell. Sweet chocolate and dark roasty malts with a little espresso.

Taste. Lots of roasty dark malts and again, sweet chocolate. A little bitterness and citrus hops in the finish.

Mouthfeel. Pretty full bodied with medium-low carbonation. A little warm.

Overall. Nice big stout here. Pretty easy drinking considering and tastes good.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 03:59:40 | More by Rutager

jdense

Oregon

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared with beer homey 1.10.11.

Half finger brown head, quick dissipation with some lacing retained around edge of glass and a wee bit of broken foam in the middle. Dark brown opaque body, no visible carbonation. Nose is pretty nondescript, a bit of light citrus hop notes but not picking up much roasted malt. Taste is more interesting than the nose, good dose of chocolate, no coffee, very faint roast harshness, with minimal hops and little bitterness, wondering if this might have tasted better a bit fresher. Mouthfeel is medium, decent effervescence, pretty dry finish. A decent first attempt, but need to ramp up the hop and roasted malt presence.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 21:59:39 | More by jdense

Docer

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: (4.0)
- Jet brown brew.. maybe even some black! Minimal tan to light tan head which really didn't froth up in a hurry. Leaves a pancake of foam in the middle above the brew with some lacing about.

Smell: (3.5)
- Little hidden beneath a safe malt bill... bready, grainy, lightly sweet.. chocolate, light sweet malts.. not much of a dry or hoppy nose. Meh..

Taste: (3.5)
- Nice chocolate bready grain.. melded very well. Sweet, lots of grain, and sweet chocolate malts. This is an American sweet stout for sure. Perhaps a little grassy touch of a barley used hop, but this is certainly a malt forward sweety.

Mouth Feel: (3.5)
- Credit here where credit is deserved. It has a nice viscous medium to heavy body as a so-called Imperial Stout should. It's a little sticky, but more cloying and syrupy. It could use some more early boil Irish flare. But then it wouldn't be an American Sweet Stout...

Overall: (3.5)
- I guess it is about par with what I would expect from a brewery that took off like a Russian rocket on American fuel. It's a solid sweet stout, but nothing to write home about. Though if it were to be on tap somewhere next to a few other better known stouts.. I may still pick this one because it is easy to drink, and makes a nice desert if a brownie is absent.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 04:02:44 | More by Docer

SpdKilz

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A big thanks to James (cavemanlawyer) for this great extra. Cheers!

Appearance – Pours a dark black into a tulip with less than a finger of tan head.

Smell – Heavy caramel, malt, coffee, slight hops, and molasses.

Taste – Slight char up front, chocolate, roasted malts, dark fruits such as prunes, and a bit of vanilla.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied, lower carbonation.

Overall – Not a bad stout…I feel it should be rated a bit higher than it is.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 03:12:09 | More by SpdKilz

mithrascruor

California

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle poured into a mug.

Appearance: Pours a slick black color. Creamy tan head is minimal, but leaves lacing.

Smell: Roasted malts, some sweetness, but not a lot here.

Taste: Sweetness, cream, and roasted malts, in that order. Not too sweet, but the bitterness from the roasted malts is really kept under wraps until the finish. Aftertaste follows along those same lines. Pretty tasty, even if not so complex.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and fairly smooth. Light carbonation.

Drinkability: Strong ABV, but not present in the taste. Nice drinkability.

After a few duds from Ninkasi, I'm rather pleased with this one! Not fantastic, but a really pleasant Imperial Stout - a good mix of flavor and strength.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 02:28:40 | More by mithrascruor

vkv822

Oregon

2.9/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle into tulip snifter.

Pours black with foamy, bubbly khaki head.

Roasty malts, some light hop, piney/citric notes. A bit rough around the edges, but pretty subdued overall.

In the taste I am getting some roasty, almost charred malts, a light hop profile, perhaps some dark chocolate as well.

A thin to medium body, with subtle carbonation.

A decent beer, though the flavor profile seemed a bit rough, a bit of a faint charred character at times.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 08:38:59 | More by vkv822

BucannonXC5

California

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22-oz.bomber into a pint glass at my house on Nov. 30, 2012 (purchased the variety 4-pack for $15.99 at BevMo (with card) in La Mesa, Calif. (San Diego) on Nov. 27, 2012. Black with hints of red and 1-2 fingers of tan head. Not as good retention as I would have thought. Above average on the sides, but average on the top.

Smelled coffee, dark chocolate, toffee, roasted nuts and a bit of smoky wood fire. A little bit darker than I expected.

Tasted coffee, dark chocolate, dark caramel, dark toffee, roasted nuts and still that smoky wood fire. Pretty bitter.

Full body. Creamy slick texture. Average carbonation. Long bitter finish.

Not a bad stout. Thick, creamy and does the job. A little bit better than expected.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 08:19:15 | More by BucannonXC5

TheSixthRing

California

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours jet black with cola brown edging. The head is tan in color, a good finger and a half thick, and holds with good retention. Lacing is spotty, with fair stick.

Smell - Aroma is faint; mostly anise, with hints of chocolate, caramel and coffee. Hops are present as well, though fairly indistinguishable.

Taste - Starts with subtle chocolate and roasted coffee notes, mid-taste is fairly muddled, then finishes with a touch of roasty bitterness and a moderate anise character.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full body, with low carbonation. Kinda flat. Somewhat chalky.

Overall - This is a decent imperial stout. Nothing that hasn't been done before, and the execution isn't all that great. Drinkable, somewhat enjoyable. Probably wouldn't buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 05:11:31 | More by TheSixthRing

Bookseeb

Washington

3.6/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance is a thick dark amber with very minimal head and no lace. Smell of dark roasted malt, coffee with a light chocolate note. Taste has a sweetness along with the roasted malt having low hops and very little alchohol coming through. Mouthfeel is less than full that goes down smooth with little carbonation. Nothing complex hear, just a good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 02:53:10 | More by Bookseeb

Bfarr

Washington

3.2/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Very dark but watery highlights at the edges and foamy brown head with okay retention. Chocolate and alcohol, light roasted and a dirty hop aroma. Molasses an roasted malts with notes of chocolate. Somewhat piney upfront with a long hop linger for a stout. Moderate carbonated slick feel with a sharp bite.

Seems to me to be in the Cascadian dark ale family. Perhaps there needs to be a Double/Imperial Cascadian ale category for these types of “hoppy stouts”. At any rate, it’s reminiscent of Stone’s Escondidan Imperial Black ale. It certainly is a good hoppy stout though that’s really not what I look for in an Imperial Stout, hence the need for yet another category so at least I know what I’m getting into.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 00:26:01 | More by Bfarr

climax

Kansas

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Imperiale pours black as night with a mocha head. The retention is more of a film that stays atop, not too far out of the ordinary for a beer of this potency.

It's not as bold in the nostrils as I was expecting. Coffee grounds, smoke, and a dash of roasted nuts is about all I can decipher. Despite the mild nose, the alcohol is hidden extremely well.

Sweet flavors of hit the palette up front brown sugar and , but the hops finally show themselves in the finish which is complete bitterness. Loads of dry roasty flavors entertain the taste buds everywhere in between.

The body doesn't seem overly heavy, and it's pretty easy to drink. Alcohol is a hermit the whole time, so it's definitely sneaky. Overall, there's not loads of complexity to ponder, but it's easy to drink and solid.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 05:30:51 | More by climax

djbreezy

Washington

3.18/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - dark brown, minor retention on the ring but not much else going on with the head

Smell - chocolate notes

Taste - chocolate with a semi sweet bittnerness, lingering

Mouthfeel - full bodied, creamy, could use more chewiness, slightly sticky

Overall - has some nice chocolate notes but the flavor profile is a bit weak for an imperial stout

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 05:21:21 | More by djbreezy

OBeerMeGreatOne

California

3.9/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm pretty sure the low price adds to the poorer reviews on here. I'm not quite an imperial stout veteran, but I'm damn close!

Pours out the deepest dark chocolate, almost black. The head stops at a little over an inch, impressive for 9.5% ABV, the lacing is decent.

The smell starts with hot chocolate mix and earthy hops. Slight dark fruit is noticed as well. Simple, but inviting.

Chocolate, plum, earth, slight rye(?) and some vanilla. The booze isn't too noticable. Decently thick and smooth going down, no complaints in the mouth.

Ninkasi did well in my opinion. I think they are a bit underrated. This, like most of their brews was very solid and enjoyable,

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 05:06:02 | More by OBeerMeGreatOne

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.1/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

22oz bottle from LetsPour.com. No bottling date. Served in a Wild Heaven snifter.

Pours dark brown with a half finger of tan head. Foam recedes quickly but leaves a decent bit of lace.

Smells of light cocoa, milk and caramel. Not bad but far from outstanding.

Taste is a subdued but pleasent blend of cocoa, cream, oatmeal and caramel. A slight sting of booze towards the finish.

Creamy medium full feel with mild but quite forward carbonation. Fairly dry aftertaste of bitter cocoa and sweet cream.

It's ok. There's nothing here to make me stand up and cheer but I didn't need to pour it either. No off flavors but it just doesn't come across as very "Imperiale".

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 06:34:07 | More by ThickNStout