Fegley's Insidious Imperial Stout - Allentown Brew Works

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.18/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

From a 06JUN13 visit to ABC.... After a Barleywine for round 1 with my sammich, I had two 12oz snifters of this for dessert, at a more reasonable $4.75 per.

It was deeply opaque, a dark, dense brown with a creamy mocha head. The topping was thin and fine, sticking mostly at the edges, with good lacing. It had a rich choco nose, with some roastiness; quite inviting... Another solid medium-plus body, and it was smooth, though I thought it could be chewier.

Had lovely choco/coffee notes with more roasty aspects. As it warmed, dark fruit arose, akin to choco-covered cherries. A solid floral character brought things to a solid finish. Let this one warm; it is quite well-made! Prosit!!

4.18/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

1574

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2013 16:02:43 | More by Bierman9

crag

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Was surprised by this brew. Found it to be very drinkable.

A - Dark, but not like black ink

S - Not overly strong some hop overtones and roasted notes common with stouts

T- Surprisingly smooth, finishes well with hints of coffee and chocolate

M- Easy on the palate with medium to low carbonation

O- I've had this on several occasion and it is holding true to my initial response.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2012 19:12:20 | More by crag

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.15/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – Served a wonderful, almost pitch black color with a thin off white head. The head faded in a moderate amount of time to leave a lighter amount of lacing.

Smell – The aromas were heavy of chocolate and dark fruit with some coffee notes. The dark fruit was mainly cherry and fig in nature producing and overall very sweet aroma. Mixed with these were nice aromas of some whisky and booze as well overall giving a very nice smell.

Taste – The aromas that were detected were also present in the taste. The taste began with a good lot of cocoa and sweeter fruit flavors of cherry and some prune. As the taste advanced a light coffee and more roasty flavor meet the tongue. These were soon met with some sweeter fig and cherry flavors that either showed up (fig) or intensified (cherry) as the taste went on and in the end with a slight boozy flavor created a very pleasant warming/flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – Creamy with a lighter level of carbonation. Very fitting for the style and quite nice for the stronger brew.

Overall – Delicious. A nice strong, slightly sweeter, stout. Lots of roasty and sweet flavor here. Well worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2012 23:46:06 | More by Darkmagus82

57md

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance is deep chocolate brown with a finger of tan head that had little retention but left some nice lacing anyway. There is a mild roasted note in the nose and the bite of the roasted malt is certainly present in the flavor. There is some alcohol sourness on the finish that does not quite go with the upfront flavor.

I paired this with some beer and cheese soup for a perfect light lunch.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2012 07:03:21 | More by 57md

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I must have forgot to review this one from my trip last week. Anyway poured a darker brown not opague but almost. Decent lighter brown heading, about an inch thick and kind of fizzed out after a few sips. Very little lacing in the beginning.

Nice roasted aromas and whoa a heavy hop blast here. Slight mocha mix with a nice bang of alcohol.

Taste has a nice mocha mix with a decent roasty and toasty malt backbone. Semi wood flavors with a touch of dark fruit. A bit more of a hop twang taste than I would expect from my stouts.

Medium - Full bodied and decent carbonation. Ok balance maybe not as thick as I like my stouts but still not bad.

A good stout, not the best I've had but not the worst. A nice hoppy twist to a stout.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2012 17:38:43 | More by TheFightfan1

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

I'm behind on posting my reviews here on BA, but the origina tasting was on 3/12/11 and this is taken directly from my personal beer notes.

A - Pours an engine oil black with a very thick and robust lacing ring that's a burnt caramel color.

S - Dark bitter chocolate malt with mild charcoal, oak tannins, oak woodiness, mild bourbon, and a very obscure and distant vanilla and roasted caramel and toffee.

T - Unlike the nose, the palette is predominantly vanilla, oak, bourban, and roasted caramel. For an Imperial Stout, the flavors are not as robust as I'd prefer. However, this beer is unpretentious and will creep up on you quite quickly.

M - THE biggest downfall of this beer is the mouthfeel/body, it's way too thin for the style.

O - Absolutely love this style but this one just 'ain't doin' for me'.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 07:09:07 | More by jzeilinger

spartanfan

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Had on tap at PJ's in Blue Bell

A: Pours an opaque black with a tan head. Little lacing was left behind, but I have doubts about the absolute cleanliness of the glass.

S: Roasted aromas, chocolate and strong smells of anise.

T: Roasty flavors are present, but a anise black licorice flavor come to the forefront.

M: Good medium to full mouthfeel. Good carbonation level and quite smooth.

D: I'm not a fan of black licorice, so while I think this is a solid brew I won't be having it again. If you're a fan of black licorice this might be right up your alley.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2011 18:40:56 | More by spartanfan

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

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

On draft as part of a sampler at Allentown Brew Works this past weekend. Poured into a 5.5 oz glass.

A: Black body with hues of dark brown and maroon around the edges in the light, creamy tan head. Very very nice looking beer.

S: Roasted elements dominate with coffee beans, toffee candy and some bitter chocolate morsels. Nothing too sweet or dry and the blending of the flavors is quite good.

T: Chocolate notes, sweet caramelized toffee and some roasted grains and malts. A bit of alcohol heat but nothing to detract from the flavors that are here. The other reviewers seem to be getting too much alcohol in the bottle, I'd recommend letting it sit (like I'll be doing with mine) because the tap was extremely well balanced.

M: Smooth body, medium to full, with saturating carbonation but thankfully it's not overkill and keeps this body feeling thicker.

I was satisfied after the 5.5 ounce glass, and when I crack my bottle, I'll definitely be splitting it. Nothing bad with it's drink-ability just not my favorite to sit with it for hours.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2011 13:42:49 | More by ShanePB

rainydays2020

New York

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Spectacular beer from New Jersey. Poured into a Collins glass @ 59 degrees.

A- Jet black beer with one finger of head, light tan.

S- Sweet fruit, currants or black cherries maybe. Slight alcohol on the nose.

T- great taste. Very complex. Chocolate, molasses, currants, cherries and moderate alcohol flavors.

M- slightly dry finish to complement the sweet taste. Would have preferred it slightly drier.

Overall a great beer. I think 59 was a bit too high of a temp for serving but I was feeling impatient. Overall a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 00:46:43 | More by rainydays2020

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

3.16/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Bottle poured into my DC Brau glass.

Decent look with a frothy thick tannish head, the body isn't really black but super dark brown, some bubbles rising to the top.

The smell is not great, it is sort of a watered down malt base, some slight sweeter alcohol bourbon notes, but there is some nice leather and musty notes that are nice, though not very appropriate to the style. Just not overly aromatic even when letting it warm up nicely.

The taste is a little better, and actually the creamy mouthfeel helps the beer come alive. It has a sort of Irish stout taste in its mouthfeel, a dry chocolatey and grainy flavor, though it isn't great that there is a very distracting after taste of metal and what only drinks like that taste when a tap line is not clean, though its out of a bottle. Overall a bit confusing in the flavor, some smatterings of bourbon and oak but no flavors are very well balanced.

Eh, this is only ok.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 04:02:29 | More by Dreadnaught33

deg

New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured pitch black with a tan head. I could smell cherries, but only faintly, and not much else. I could taste chocolate, some vanilla, with a roasty finish. No cloying aftertaste and no noticeable alcohol burn. A pretty easy drinking imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 23:40:45 | More by deg

birchstick

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours black without much of a head on it. Loads of chocolate and molasses and a little bit of vanilla bubble up from the glass into the nose. The palate has cherries, chocolates, toffee and some coffee flavors throughout it. Has an average body that ends dry. Decent RIS; nothing crazy but not disappointing either.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 02:56:03 | More by birchstick

metter98

New York

3.38/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a finger high tan head that died down but consistently left a thin but dense head covering the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of cocoa powder in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has flavors of cocoa along with hints of roasted malts.
M: It feels a bit shy of medium-bodied and a bit thin on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. A bit of dryness is noticeable.
O: This beer is very light-bodied compared to other beers in the style (it’s more reminiscent of a dry stout) and lacks much complexity in the taste. Nonetheless, the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 00:47:49 | More by metter98

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some hints of dark brown when held up to the light. The beer has a finger tall fluffy yet dense tan head that slowly reduces by about 50% leaving a thin (about 1/8 finger) even layer over the entire surface of the beer. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of dark roasted malts with lighter notes of cocoa and chocolate. Additionally there is a very light note of dark fruit (figs).

T: Moderate to strong flavors of dark roasted malts with lighter notes of cocoa and dark fruit sweetness (fig and black cherry). Light bitterness that lingers for quite a while.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with heavy amounts of carbonation. Slightly dry.

O: Not the easiest beer to drink, doesn't really seem to be similar to other beers in the style - something in the mouthfeel of this beer just does not work for me. I would not get this one again as there are much better examples of beers in this style readily available.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 15:45:48 | More by dbrauneis

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a 25cl Duvel tulip. Thanks to Tony for sharing.

A: Black body, scarlet highlights; one-finger head of fine light-brown foam. Ok retention, good lace. Nice.

S: Sweet + strong, with dark fruit, molasses, and chocolate. Very intense, but not exactly coherent.

T: Fruity, molasses-y sweetness up front; coffee and char thereafter, and booze on the finish. Ok.

M: Medium body, plenty of creamy carbonation. Very good.

O: Better than average, but nothing special.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 00:22:08 | More by woosterbill

stooge

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Excited to find this beer on a recent trip to the Philly area close to where I grew up. Nice roasted coffee and mocha aromas with a dark brown but opaque appearance. Tan head that dissipated rather quickly and produced nice lacing. More carbonation than expected from this style. Nice blend of roasted malt flavor combined with hints of dark chocolate, caramel, and raisins. The flavor and complexity of the bourbon barrel aging came through nicely in the aftertaste. Not as thick as what I would expect from an Imperial Stout.

Not quite what I was expecting, but overall a nice find.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 03:42:28 | More by stooge

irs

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

from a bomber from the local Joe Canals...
nice pour, lots of head....lots and lots. unfortunately, too much carbonation is my ultimate conclusion. nose is thin, dark chocolate, and dark fruits, currants, raisins, nice,but thin.
taste is nice, but thin. Thats the problem, the mouthfeel is just not up to what i want from an Impy. ok, its just a 9%, so thats not an overreach, but for my taste, I'm still drinking an impy for a chewy mouthfeel. a lot of carbonation and a thin mouthfeel is a negative for me. I will retry because I want to like this beer. Especially coming from Fegleys.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 03:04:08 | More by irs

kennylopez

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 25.4 oz bottle into a mini snifter

Appearance: a big tan light brown head floats atop a lighter black colored brew with spots of lacing from the lasting film of carbonation

Smells: a light roasted coffee and bread malt. There is a slight bourbon front but there are vanilla and carmel notes that come through as it warms up.

Tastes: as the nose insists there is a fresh floral and pine hop that blends with sweet coffee and chocolate. I enjoy the toffee and caramel notes alone with a earthy light charred oak taste.

Mouthfeel: at 9% this is a smooth and mellow brew with signicant carbonation.

Overall: I picked up a few bottles at$8 a pop and its a steal in my opinion. I have to say this is my favorite brew so far from them that I have tried followed by their hop-solutly.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 00:41:24 | More by kennylopez

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to the individual who shared this one with me (forgot who it was)! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a massively dark brown (almost black) with a one finger mocha colored head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of roasted malt, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, subtle coffee, and subtle caramel. The flavor was of roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, bitter hops, and subtle citrus. It had a medium feel on the palate with mild carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. As stated in previous reviews this one was a little hoppier than I was hoping for. Despite this fact the other flavors carried over quite well. This one was quite complex as well... Worth trying if it is around, but I wouldn't seek it out personally.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 21:49:53 | More by thagr81us

beer2day

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark, dark pour but not quite black. Slightest tint of red sneaking out. Mocha head, 2 fingers worth, and nice head retention. Thin lace all around the glass.

Nose is dark roast coffee, sweet chocolate, and flavorful citrus hops. The hops combine with the coffee to give off almost a cherry feel, but the citrus comes through in the end. Very sweet nose.

Very hop forward for the style. Citrus hits right away, even before the chocolate and coffee work in. Flavors combine for a lighter than expected finish, but again very hop forward. One of the hoppier stouts I've had.

Lighter feel than I expected and wanted, but may be by design with the hop character here.

Overall very well done. If you want a nice impy stout with good hop character, give this a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 01:57:14 | More by beer2day

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: black body, no head, good lacing

S: cocoa, alcohol, roasted nuts, mild vanilla

T: raisin, burnt malt, nuts, mild coffee,
light semi-dry finish

M: med body, hint of smooth/semi-dry mouth

O: Wish this offering was a little creamier
and heavier on the mouthfeel. Still
enjoyable.

GOOD, NOT MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 15:49:20 | More by BeerLover99

kbuzz

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 mL bottle (I think) into a snifter. Couldn't find a date on the bottle.

A: Poured a dark opaque black with a monster 3 finger tan/mocha head that sticks around a bit. Leaves really solid lacing as it descends back into the liquid.

S: Bittersweet chocolate is noticeable right away...there's some burnt caramel/brown sugar in there...some booziness. A good spicy floral hop presence. Dark fruits - plums and raisins. A licorice scent is detectible as well.

T: Tastes very much follow the nose on this. Dark fruits up front along with a confectionary sweetness. Bittersweet chocolate that teams up with a spicy hop bitterness to balance it out. At the end there is plenty of roastiness/charred coffee, some brown sugar along with a lingering licorice/anise taste. Alcohol isn't all that noticeable considering the 9% tag. Very impressive, complex tasting beer.

M: A medium to full bodied beer...if pressed, would have to call it medium. Very frothy, coats the mouth quite well. I have to say that I think it might be a tad overcarbed. I noticed that the cork was a little hard to remove (actually had to use a corkscrew cause it broke off)...I wonder if they had used a more gas permeable cork that maybe the carbonation wouldn't have been as high. So far this is my only complaint and it's a minor one.

O: Great example of an Impy Stout. Phenomenal aroma and taste...plenty of roasted coffee, sweet chocolate and a good amount of hop bitterness to balance it all out. I'd like to try an aged version of this to see if the carbonation mellows a bit. But definitely loving every sip of this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 22:27:47 | More by kbuzz

BigE90

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a: poured a nice black color with only minimal light getting through, medium viscosity and one finger head that disappeared quickly

s: not a lot going on, some bourbon and chocolate coming through but I really have to swirl it to get anything to come up

t: just a little bourbon flavor with some chocolate and molasses like notes as well, everything well balanced, nothing overpowering but nothing bold either, everything just mellow

m: medium, slight creamy feeling with a very small hint of the alcohol at the finish, for 9% it is hidden well

o: very drinkable for an American Imperial Stout, nothing about it though that makes me want to seek out another, received as an extra in trade and enjoyed it very much but too many others in that style that I enjoy better, I would drink another one though if landed in front of me!

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 04:12:05 | More by BigE90

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a fairly clear dark brown. A bit reddish. Lots of white head. smells oaky and slightly vanilla-y. Pretty wonderfu aroma. Tastes sweet and oaky. Pretty decent. A bit thin, well carbonated. Overall enjoyable. Not too shabby especially for such a small brewery

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 00:31:51 | More by Urbancaver

JMad

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I drank this from a wine glass...

The beer is black with a light brown colored head that left some lacing. It smells of milk chocolate with some undertones of molasses, a hint of rum and anise. The taste is mostly dark chocolate with some roasted malt. There is a smooth creaminess and it finishes nutty and slightly bitter. The beer is thick, but not too thick, it has low and soft carbonation and a dry finish. I thought this was a very good imperial stout, I really liked the smoothness of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 20:32:27 | More by JMad