Imperiale High Gravity Stout - Ninkasi Brewing Company

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

MadeInOregon

California

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

Nice retro label on the 22oz bottle. The "High Gravity" makes me think of Steel Reserve though..ghettooo!

THE APPEARANCE of the Imperiale Stout is of a very standard-looking stout, not a big, bad imperial. Everything does look in order in that regard though: thin, goopy mocha foam and lacing and a just-about-opaque black body.

THE SMELL is rather faint but still nice. Sweet cocoa, dark chocolate, marshmallows were all things I picked up. The faintness is surprisingly though, even when the beer has warmed.

THE TASTE is generally sweet with a dry, bitter finish. There's a slight wineyness to it and even a bit of bourbon, but for the most part this is just a micro stout with lots of alcohol (Alcohol is well-hidden and balanced, however). The main characteristics are a very sweet, chocolate start with a dry, hoppy, and roasty finish and a fairly strong coffee and bitter chocolate aftertaste.

THE FEEL for Ninkasi's imperial stout is smooth and surprisingly thin. The label says it is "surprisingly smooth", but I would say "disappointingly smooth" considering it's described as an "imperial" and Ninkasi has a reputation for kicking your taste buds in the face. Really, this feels like a very normal, straightforward micro stout--a good one, but not an imperial. There's just nothing overly big about this.

CONCLUSION: This is the least insane Ninkasi offering I've tried. It's a solid stout and should be appreciated as such--in the same way one would approach, say, a Lion Stout. It's big, but not thaaat big. A definite score for stout fans (of which I am one), but a disappointment if the "imperial" is what drew you to this.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 06:31:29 | More by MadeInOregon

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

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

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

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

timtwoface

British Columbia (Canada)

2.93/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Meh...this is the first Ninkasi brew I tried that I didn't really appreciate. I anticipated it to blow me away, but nope - it just turned out being strong. Yes, it's meant to be, but the wonderful thing I felt about Tricerahops (for example) is that it has such a high ABV but you can't really TASTE it - here, it's far too noticeable. The stout taste doesn't really mask it at all.

I love Oatis, also by Ninkasi - but in the future I think I'll give this one a pass.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 02:52:37 | More by timtwoface

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

jbakajust1

Oregon

3.33/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured as Beer of the Day @ Bier Stein, 12oz pour into Tear Drop

A - Pours a pitch black, opaque, with 1/2 finger deep tan head that fades slow to ring, leaves a little lace and nice legs.

S - Smells of chocolate & cherries, dark fruits, light roast, and some citrusy hops

T - Taste mirrors the nose, chocolate, roast, cherries, prunes, rich maltiness, citrus hops

M - Big and chewy, mid level carb, semi sweet, w/ medium bitter finish, light carbonic tang, warming, and a little tingly

O - Good stout, dark fruits, chocolate, sweet malts, light roast, no off flavors, warming alcohol. Probably could use a little more dark grain character.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2011 22:24:48 | More by jbakajust1

nsabo

Washington

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

Another hoppy northwest RIS. Roasted grains (more like a porter than a burnt stout), chocolate, some booze heat, bitter hops, little carbonation, medium-thin mouthfeel. Not a "big" RIS, but for $5 it tastes like it costs. It's not disappointing, but I won't be buying it twice.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 04:03:40 | More by nsabo

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

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

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

boralyl

Oregon

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

A - The beer pours a medium tan head with good retention and with light lacing. The beer is mostly black, with a little dark brown towards the top with a fraction of light coming through.

S - The aroma has a light chocolate aroma along with a good bit of malty sweetness.

M - Medium to full in body with moderate carbonation which gives a creaminess.

T - It begins with some light roasty notes followed by some chocolate and malty sweetness. It finishes with some roasty bitterness.

A decent imperial stout, but nothing special. There are plenty of other options out there, especially during the winter season.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 01:58:30 | More by boralyl

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

jdanyeur

Oregon

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

Poured from a 22 oz bottle. Ninkasi has always had higher alcohol beers but this is a big step for them.

It pours a very dark brown, almost black. It has a short khaki head, typical of the style.

I smell hops, sweet malts, and a little bit of alcohol, something hard to hide in beers with a higher alcohol content.

The taste is almost like if you poured a shot of bourbon into your stout, but not too intense. Some beers cannot hide the alcohol flavor, but this one does it better than others. Apart from that, it tastes similar to the Oatis but still the lingering alcohol flavor which isn't too bad.

The mouthfeel is nice, the carbonation is a little high but it probably adds to hiding the alcohol flavor.

Overall, it is not a terrible high gravity stout, they definitely pumped it up with a lot of malt, that's for sure. I would get it again but I don't look for it when browsing.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 21:19:43 | More by jdanyeur

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

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