Le Coq Imperial Extra Double Stout - Harvey & Son Ltd.

plfahey

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

11.2 oz. bottle (2003 vintage) poured into a tulip glass (9/6/11)

Appearance-Pours like engine oil, dark and viscous, and nearly still. Beer is black and opaque, with just the faintest hint of wine-red around the edges when held to the light. There are some tiny brown bubbles, but really no head to speak of.

Aroma-Seductive, vinous aroma, with notes of dark chocolate, port-soaked cherries, slight must from the cork, wood, and charcoal, with a hint of burnt/espresso aroma. There's also a slight toffee/brown sugar sweetness, with notes of raisins and figs, and smooth, warming alcohol. As the beer warms, it gives off even more dark/dried fruit aromas.

Flavor-Tart cherries, molasses, and brown sugar open, with a vinous, port like character to go with them. Some slight wood and bittersweet dark chocolate parade through the midpalate, before being swallowed by bitter, burnt roast flavors, which take over the aftertaste. Finishes dry and slightly astringent from the dark malt and alcohol, with lingering tannic wood, cherry, chocolate, and ash flavors.

Mouthfeel-Medium full to full body with hardly the faintest tickle of carbonation. Alcohol is quite warming on both the tongue and back of the throat, though is smooth and not hot. My one complaint is that the burnt malt character grows on the palate, and becomes a bit acrid.

Good and damn complex, but the finish really takes away from this beer. It smells incredible, but the slightly astringent, burnt finish seriously detracts from my enjoyment of the beverage. It doesn't help that the lack of carbonation allows the burnt flavor/alcohol to sit and grow on the palate. I like it, I just wish I liked it more. For a beer this nuanced, it's a shame that it's knocked down by an overly intense, unbalanced finish.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 05:21:54 | More by plfahey

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +34.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I'm reviewing an English bottle of this beer that a colleague brought back from London. I've had other bottles of this before that were purchased in the States, but I've never bothered to review it because I kept thinking I'd gotten a bad or old bottle. One was most definitely leaking, and the others always seemed sour- and not necessarily in a good way. I was always intrigued by the history of this beer and so kept giving it a go with no success. This bottle is an entirely different story and goes a long way toward showing me what all the fuss is about. Pours black with brown highlights and little head. Smells quite complex. Rich, smokey, a trifle tart, woody, roasted grains, stewed fruit, and chocolate notes. The taste has even more depths to plumb. Bitter, racey, slightly funky, nice deep chocolate and coffee flavors, and a port wine finish. The sourness is still here, but so well integrated and complementary to the other flavors you know it belongs- you don't think "spoiled", you think "wow". Smooth and warming in the mouth, this is a great beer- I just wish every bottle was this good.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 21:11:52 | More by Georgiabeer

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +27.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a tulip glass)
2008
A- This beer pours a jet black hole body with a thick sticky light tan head that last and last. There is no sign of carbonation in there.

S- The flanders red tartness has a cherry quality to it and some smoke notes to the dry black charred grain in the finish. The black grain is mellowed in the finish aswell.

T- The slight tart sour flavor reminds me of a nice flanders red with some chocolate malt and dry black roasted inky malt soon taking over. There is a slight cinnamon quality to the black malt and a smokey note. The dry finish has a tartness and cherry hint to it with a gentle roasted bitterness that lingers a bit afterwards.

M- This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel with a creamy texture and no real astringency or alcohol noticed.

O- This beer has lots of nice layers but much of the malt flavors are hidden. The flanders tartness, smoke and black roasted grain surprisingly work well together. Even though it was complex it was very nice to drink, and not to heavy as to need a chaser or a spoon.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 20:30:46 | More by rhoadsrage

jondeelee

Massachusetts

2.85/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2

I found a bottle of the 2003 release at a shop in Boston. As the aging has no doubt affected the brew (this review being written in 2009), this review should be taken with a grain of salt. On the nose, then, this smells of incredibly dark, sugary malts and fruit esters--imagine the richest loaf of banana bread you can, mixed with port aromas.

In the mouth, there's an immediate explosion of dark sugars, the extra-rich banana bread/dark fruit esters aroma translating almost exactly into flavor. Another comparison might be caramelized turbinado sugar and blackstrap molasses. Deep caramels, toffees, and aged port flavors are also present, overlaying a layer of burnt chocolate malt that starts off far more subtle than would be expected, but grows quickly and becomes the dominant flavor in the aftertaste. My bottle was sadly bereft of carbonation--whether due to storage or manufacturing, I don't know--leaving me with a liquid so viscous and thick that I almost had sensation of a beer-flavored mouthful of light olive oil.

Despite these wonderful flavors, I was disappointed with the beer in the end. Some have said that the American release has a distinct soy sauce flavor. While I didn't find this to be true with mine, I did feel at times as if I were drinking maple syrup that had slightly fermented, leaving a nasty sugary/yeasty combo on my tongue. Like many of the reviewers below, I wonder whether the corked bottle somehow negatively affected the outcome. I would gladly try this brew if it were fresh, or came with a (metal) crown cap, as I think this stout *could* be great. But in its current condition--that is, until I can find a better bottle to review--I can't recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2011 20:32:46 | More by jondeelee

ckollias

Maryland

2.78/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Enjoyed this 11.2oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Bottle comes with a gray wrapper and a cork with 2003 imprinted on it. Busted the cork into pieces with my wine opener trying to get this open spewing pieces of cork into the bottle and into my brew. Bad Start. Beer pours a pitch black with minimal head, and I mean minimal head.

S: Strong alcoholic syrupy aroma combined with a spicy caramel smell.

T: Dark syrupy ale with a roasted malt bitterness. Strong chocolate and coffee overtones, with a strong malt background.

M: Very strong and boozy. Heavy body and minimal carbonation

O: Really boozer beer with minimal carbonation. A definite sipper at 9% abv. Not really impressed with this beer – maybe it needed to sit for another 8 years.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 03:37:02 | More by ckollias

davey101

Connecticut

2.4/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 3

1999 vintage. 11.2 oz corked bottle into an oversized wine glass. I purchased this after the beer guy said he used it to marinade kebobs. I like kebobs! How hard can it be to drink by itself?

A - Dark black body with red tints. Still. I had some mocha bubbles upon a vigorous pour but that didn't last long. There's some legs and small bubbly lacing.

S - Pungent. Really intense roasted malts, and then tons of savory flavors. Soy sauce, worchestire sauce, steak, meat, kebobs, and burnt meat. Slight molasses sweetness, but hugely savory.

T - I sat here for a few minutes before I gained the courage to take a second sip. Its just so intense and savory. Like liquified steak that was marinating in worchestire sauce for 12 years. Salty, some sweet roasty malts, then BAM....meat. zero carbonation.

O - This is best saved for culinary applications at this point. Its just so intense and undrinkable. I guess its a cool history lesson on how RIS's of the past really tasted.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 05:18:08 | More by davey101

baconsausage

Vermont

1.78/5  rDev -47.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Not sure how I should review this beer, I have not ever had it before, and I feel that this should have been consumed sooner(2003 bottle), or cellared for eternity. Pours a tarry still black and smells of burnt sherry and alcohol. Drinking this is like drinking a salt licorice and baking cocoa, leather soaked glass of sherry that is reminiscent of tamari. Thin in the mouth with an unpleasant lingering bitterness. Curious how other vintages taste, but not that curious.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 20:12:29 | More by baconsausage

emmasdad

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks very much to Ken for bringing this one for a tasting a while back. Poured a pitch black color with maybe a finger of loose brown head. Tart on the nose, with aromas of dark fruit, chocolate and leather. On the palate, tart and medium bodied, with flavors of sherry, roasted malt, leather and chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2011 22:20:08 | More by emmasdad

emerge077

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2008 vintage, (capped not corked) re-review. Seeing several positive reviews of this newer vintage made me curious enough to try it for comparison. Served at 50º cellar temp into a stemmed wine goblet.

Looks fantastic, three fingers width of tan mocha foam, creamy surface texture, and copious lacing. Floating island of foam in the center. Skim never disappears, and the sticky lacing coats the glass. Doesn't even look like the same beer as the older corked bottles.

Muted roasty aroma, notes of dry musty leather. A bit of dried berry and damp wood that suggests a Flanders Oud Bruin.

Roasty, tangy flavor, carob, coffee, chocolate. Sea salt chocolate caramels. Very viscous and palate coating. Bare hint of Brett yeast adds a leathery quality. Very rich, dry and slightly bitter, not sweet. Luckily no off flavors of soy, cardboard, or oxidation as was prevalent in the earlier corked vintages. Actually looking forward to drinking the rest of this...

***

12-26-2007 review #500. B/3.6
2001 bottle smuggled from Kansas City in my luggage.

The bottle and label remind me of some turn-of-the century esoteric "wonder tonic". Pours pitch black, darker than molasses. Zero head, little to no carbonation, and oily in texture and appearance.

Familiar aroma of musty, rich dark fruit, like black cherry soaking in port casks.

Strong resemblance to a blending of De Dolle Oerbier & Special Export Stout. Salty and fudgy, like chocolate yogurt covered pretzels. Carob and dried black cherry. There is a sour, tangy note, along with the salty/spicy, almost like olive brine, which is sure to make the less intrepid shudder. Beef jerky? Really at a loss for words at this point.

It becomes more earthy and medicinal over time, developing clay and soy notes, slowing the sips down considerably. Alcohol starts to really burn through after half an hour.

More than a little strange and left of center. It caught me off guard at first, and honestly became a little difficult to finish. However, it exists as a unique historical interpretation, and seems to be authentic in that aspect. Maybe this is what the Czars were sipping back in the day. Who knows...but it's certainly worth a try to the more adventurous seekers out there.

***

Edit: 2000 vintage tasting notes

Again, it pours completely still. Leather, raisin, prune aromas. Salty and smoky flavors that verge on jerky territory. Carob and faint cocoa make this tolerable. If you are still reading this, seek out a fresher sample. Sounds like the 2003 is still actually carbonated...i'll pick one up if I see it, and give this one last try.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 22:04:46 | More by emerge077

nuggetsofnectar

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Back to reviewing after 4 years...starting back with a beer I was thoroughly impressed by ten years ago.

2008 Vintage:

App: Obsidian black with a beautiful burnt tan head (1" with slow pour) that left nice lacing....

Smell: dark malts...musky coffee beans...some vanilla and oak in the background

Taste: Wow a few years have maturated this just enough...initial burst of soy sauce dark but also sweet malts...vanilla with a slight cofffee and sweet cocoa backbone....as it warms the aforementioned is highlighted...quiet nice this

Mouthfeel: somewhat thin but not a deterrent...its got a decent viscosity and nice mellow sweet vibe

Overall..I am sure this offering can be good or bad pending the year...I picked a winner....it truly was a nice sipper

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 00:50:32 | More by nuggetsofnectar

KarlHungus

Minnesota

1.63/5  rDev -52.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

This beer's physical appearance resembles that of a tawny port. The is absolutely no head. The aroma is sour and tart...almost gueuze like, but with a hint of roasted malt. The taste is of sour cardboard. Simply awful. The mouthfeel is thin for an imperial stout. Overall, this beer is a drain pour. In fact I disliked the taste so much that I had to force myself to take a second sip. I would not suggest this beer to anyone.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 00:38:46 | More by KarlHungus

Wowcoolman

California

4.4/5  rDev +29%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Brewed in '08, poured into a snifter. Purchased from K&L Wines in Hollywood on a strong recommendation from their beer man- I'm glad I listened, thanks!
A- Dark, with an aggressive head (temp of beer was 55-60 degrees)
S- Dark chocolate, licorice, roasted nuts, slight forest
T- Wonderful and balanced. A mix of bitter-sweet chocolate, roasted malt, butterscotch, alcohol, and caramel.
M- Full, rich, creamy, and buttery in the finish.
D- A sipper that disappeared quite quickly. A model Russian Stout.

Note- This beer has a diminished rating because too many bottles sampled were aged too long. Get an '08 and serve it at a proper temperature. 9.3 ounces only, and every single one is intense.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 05:35:07 | More by Wowcoolman

puboflyons

New Hampshire

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

From the 2003 batch. Sampled on February 21, 2011. It was nice to see a bottle with a 2003 date sitting on a shelf in the store so I picked it up. Perhaps I should have left it there. It poured black as night with no head. Bourbon and chocolate filled the nose. It was a nice heavy body but the taste was too much like burnt, dark chocolate. The chocolate was just a bit overwhelming for my tastes. The hints of a nice Imperial Stout character were there but maybe it would have been three or four years ago.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 03:07:23 | More by puboflyons

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4.4/5  rDev +29%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Quite a rich vinous roast for a classic stout framed as the founder of the style.

Presentation: 33 cl brown capped bottle. Old fashion, antique-like emblem around a crown and the name of the brew. Side notes show several award, brewing license (East Sussex with Estonian supervision), and surrounding the seal there is a long narrative going over the historic background, and tradition. Notes vintage 2008 and 9% Alc. by Vol. Served in a snifter.

A - Black pour, with a nice looking 1/3" ecru head, creamy with medium to low retention, nice surface memory and rich wave of lacing.

S - Nose is stimulatingly sour, with port like notes, fruity, and with a malt undercurrent.

T - Hmm, taste has a characteristic roasted sourness that is quite rich. Figs, prunes, roasted malt... Compact and delightful around a vinous sense with touches of cocoa and coffee that is memorable.

M - Full body, very creamy with a nice bitter finish.

D - Great sipper, nice and pleasing in its complexity.

Notes: Allure of the classic aside, or the claim to set a standard for the style for that matter, this is quite the brew. I've have had it before, in some of those corked bottles a while back, and while different vintages this is about right in tune with most of my early memories. The distinct sour and port notes may not be up everybody's alley, both for a brew and for something expected of the style actually. But if one picks up a liking for that range this is quite the brew. Reminds me a bit of how De Molen picked up a classic RIS with their early versions of the Rasputin. While I remember older vintages likable but pretty flat and somewhat thin, this one is not only sturdy on the mouthfeel but also on the appearance.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 15:51:19 | More by Daniellobo

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

3.55/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Vintage 1999.

The cork pulled without a whisp and the beer poured completely flat. Oily black with zero head or lace.

Aromatics lead off with vineous char, double-black soy sauce, salted bakers chocolate, black cherries, and sherry. Quite wine-like with a fruity, tart promise and a hint of booze.

Medium bodied with a slick, slippery mouthfeel. Flat and a bit tacky.

Burnt malt, black chocolate, and coffee-rubbed figs start the palate. Shades of red wine, soy sauce, and applewood smoke follow through.

Finishes with lingering smoke, soy, and boozy char.

What a unique beer. The soy sauce character is a bit much and the beer being flat detracts quite a bit. Otherwise the intense smoke and vineous character add quite a complexity.
Just too damn bad it was flat, otherwise it would have been much more enjoyable.
A fun experience though for 12 year old beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 01:38:24 | More by brewandbbq

biglite351

Pennsylvania

1.35/5  rDev -60.4%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Honesty did not realize that this was a dated bottle. I simply never had it before so I grabbed it. It is dated 2003 so I have high hopes for it. I had a 2004 of a different brew about a year ago and loved it, this is now 2 years older.

A - beautiful blackness with zero red around the edges. Very little foam at all, just a touch of dark brown.

S - prunes and vinegar, no longer looking forward to taking a sip...

T - old prunes pickled in vinegar.

M - don't really know, one sip and dump! But my tongue is tingling so that is something.

D - potentially never again no matter what year!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2011 01:59:23 | More by biglite351

mntlover

Tennessee

3.7/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Vintage 2008

Pours a oil black no light through this baby with a big fluffy dark chocolate head that falls to a cap and laces well. Wonderful looking brew.

Aroma is roasted malts, some nice woody notes almost like wine barrel aroma I am picking up, or is it just a touch of sherry. Some dark fruity notes mixed with chocolate with hints of cherries also present. The wine notes or what ever it is adds something nice that is unusual but enjoyable.

Taste is roasted malts light coffee some sweet chocolate all that falls away pretty quickly to what i was smelling. Alcohol notes wine sherry like, or maybe its just the cherries that I am picking up. Just seems not to go well with the roasted malts sure smells nice though.

Mouthfeel is nice full carbonation just a little to much for my tastes but overall nice.

Drinkability is ok defiantly worth a try just seems not to blend well wine like flavors with roastiness.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 13:14:18 | More by mntlover

rudzud

Massachusetts

1.18/5  rDev -65.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

*2003 Vintage*

Picked this up on a whim from Julio's. It was in a random section, no price no anything. Rang up as $6.99 so I figured I would take a stab at it. Very angry I bought this instead of Péché Mortel.

A - Cork was a pain, very brittle which I suppose can be expected from something 8 years old. Poured into a tulip a oily black pour with zero carbonation. No head, poured like a bottle of oil.

S - Wow, I smell soy sauce. A little smoke and alcohol but this is mostly soy sauce.

T - Wow, this is almost a stomach turner. First taste I get is salt. There are some dark fruits somewhere in there but ugh. The last thing I taste is salt. This is saltier than Kelpi, the seaweed beer!

M - You call this an imperial stout? Stuff is like water. Thin, salty water.

D - Yeah, drainpour. No question about it. Was really looking forward to this too. Damnit.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 05:47:52 | More by rudzud

electrobunny

Florida

3.2/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

2003 Bottle with 8 years on it at time of tasting.

Deep black body with a thin brown soapy lacing. Flat as can be. Smells of black cherry, fig, green apple, some dark chocolate, earth and a hint of smoke. The aroma looks promising at this point even though it has a slightly sour quality. Bitter molasses and earthy/wood notes are immediately noticeable. There is a bit of a soy taste in there but it's a little masked by soft burn sugar notes. Roasted grains come through gently in the aftertaste with some earthy bitterness. Can still pick up some traces of alcohol on the end. Thin and slick mouthfeel with a mildly tart dry finish. Medium bodied and practically no carbonation. There's still some complexity after all these years but I can't help but feel it's lost quite a bit of flavor. Sight oxidation in the taste but even though its flavor is more subtle I'm still getting a lot of the qualities called out in reviews of younger bottles. Molasses and licorice flavors are nice as well as the subtle earthy bite. Will have to try a younger bottle for comparison.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 04:04:56 | More by electrobunny

cbilek06

California

3.63/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pitch black, can't even see through it when you hold it up to light. Frothy tan head.

S: Sweet malt

T: Sweet Malty taste and finishes with a merlot flavor. Astringent aftertaste.

M: Full-bodied

D: Overall I really like this beer and would have one again, however it is a bit pricey.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2011 06:08:20 | More by cbilek06

GRG1313

California

4.1/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Brewed in 2008.

Black with a thick, pillowy and long lasting mocha brown head.

Nose is cherry whiskey coffee. Hints of soy, black chocolate and molasses.

Mouthfeel is thick and creamy chewy. Mouthfeel of manufacturer's cream.

Flavors are complex and huge. Big sweet black coffee, whiskied cherries, sweet soy sauce; brown sugar, molasses, roasted grains; everything you'd want in a big rich stout. There is a "tart" bitterness that detracts for me but this is a first class stout.

Bitter espresso finish rounds it out nicely.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 22:41:55 | More by GRG1313

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Strange-looking bottle. 2001 vintage shared by bmanning and served in a tulip.

Pours black with no head and some small bubbles resting on top. Nine years old so I won't take too much off here. The nose is cherry with a bit of black licorice. It's definitely oxidized, though not necessarily in a bad way. The flavor shows the oxidation a bit more with a bit of cardboard, though everything comes together and melds with the dark fruits and slight cherry and roasted characteristics. The mouthfeel is really quite smooth with some low carbonation. Drinks really well and I'm glad I got to try this. Thanks, Ben.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 00:57:25 | More by Thorpe429

metter98

New York

3.15/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is nearly jet black in color (it has a slight reddish tinge when closely held up to a light) and only poured with a few bubbles floating around the edges of the glass.
S: There are aromas of red wine and sourness in the nose.
T: Like the smell, there are flavors of red wine in the overall taste, which also has a slight amount of acidity.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate with a light amount of carbonation. It also feels thin and watery and has the consistency of soy sauce.
D: The characteristics of this beer don't seem to fit the style so I'm not sure if I would try it again.

Note: 2003 vintage

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 03:43:13 | More by metter98

vfgccp

New York

2.38/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

2003 bottle

A - Oil black. No head or carbonation to speak of.

S - Very strong. Sweet alcohol, cognac, liquorish, chocolate liquor, rasins,

T - Whoa.... Not what I was expecting. Loads of scotch, tannins, roast coffee, hazelnut, oak. If you told me this wasn't a beer I'd believe you.

M - Incredibly dry, even by wine standards. It wasn't enjoyable for me.

D - Drinks more like a burbon than a beer; need to sit and sip on this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2010 01:52:22 | More by vfgccp

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.45/5  rDev +30.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Albert Le Coq Imperial Stout, 2000 vintage, bottle bought at Max's Taphouse in Baltimore, MD, and poured into a goblet at the bar.

Appearance: Black like the day Lehman Brothers went under on September 15, 2008. Never forget! Incredibly thick pour, no head, no carbonation, no lacing. More like an old whiskey, or a fancified kalimotxo (the Spanish proletarian drink made out of cheap red wine and coke).

Smell: Confit olive oil, gasoline, aromas of Spanish tapas. Very nourishing! Bourbon barrel all around the nose. Very little roastiness or coffee, as one would expect in a RIS.

Taste: More olive oil, some hoppy bitterness. Smoke and bourbon. Reminds me a bit of Bourbon-aged Stone RIS. Vinegar and booze.

Mouthfeel: No carbonation, medium body (almost full). Sticky sweet, a tad chewy. Body lingers in mouth like funky fun pop rocks. Smooth, creamy, tasty.

Drinkability: Damn high! Easy at 9%, goes down nice even when warm. Chuggable, enjoyable, beautiful. This is without a doubt the oldest RIS I've ever had, and also one of the funnest old beers ever. Gorgeous!

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2010 03:16:10 | More by DoubleSimcoe