Imagine - Block 15 Brewery & Restaurant

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No head with bubbles on the side; dark brown/near black clear pour.

Classic heavy molasses and dark chocolate aroma. Strong oak and bourbon/alcohol heat.

Sharp alcohol warms the palate. Chocolate syrup and a huge oak finish. Even has a cola flavor. Sugary but the lighter than expected mouthfeel keeps it from being cloying. Alcohol singes the tongue.

Well done on balance for a big stout like this. It wasn't way over the top like I thought it might be.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 17:20:55 | More by BearsOnAcid

cfrances33

Illinois

4/5  rDev -8.7%

06-09-2013 18:18:28 | More by cfrances33

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

06-01-2013 17:09:57 | More by Photekut

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -8.7%

02-24-2013 02:47:59 | More by yourefragile

nmann08

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

02-24-2013 01:28:53 | More by nmann08

jrae2424

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev -3%

01-31-2013 00:00:20 | More by jrae2424

RuckusDu

Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 vintage
Decent amount of mocha head which leaves a little lacing. Body is not as dark as most RIS. Aroma is sweet brown sugar, molasses, a hint of coffee. Soft and smooth but a little alcohol. Caramel, molasses, and chocolate. Mouth is thinner and not much carb but covers the mouth and is really nice. Overall it is mellow and delicious. Hides the alcohol well.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 15:03:19 | More by RuckusDu

cbrunpc

Oregon

4.63/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle of 2011 edition on 1/20/2013.

A: Black, really black. No head.
S: Bourbon, then a little more bourbon, then some malts.
T: See above. A little bit of licorice. You think the bourbon might be overpowering, but I find it just right.
M: BIg, full bodied, bourbon. THe bourbon just sits warmly on the tongue.
O: A great beer for a cold winter day.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 01:23:23 | More by cbrunpc

Gobzilla

California

4.16/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a dark brown in color with brown highlights and a thin head that barely left any lacing sticking to the glass. Lots of sweetness in the aroma such as caramel, brown sugar and molasses with dark fruit character and booze heat. More chocolate flavor was apparent on the palate with a mixture of booze, dark fruit, caramel, wood oak, vanilla accentas and molasses toffee sweetness. The brew was medium in body with a low amount of carbonation which had a sweet, boozy, dark fruity, semi oaky and sticky finish, pretty damn good beer that reminded me of black tuesday

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 06:39:47 | More by Gobzilla

adamdd

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

01-07-2013 23:53:53 | More by adamdd

Tony412

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev -3%

01-03-2013 05:27:03 | More by Tony412

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.51/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Thanks to hopsbreath for the generous throw-in!

2011 vintage consumed Dec., 2012. Shared with Kevin at Funky Buddha, Boca Raton, FL.

I'd been waiting a while to open this one, and I figured NYE at FB was a pretty good choice. Served just slightly chilled. Poured into a goblet, a dark brown-black with maroon tints around the edges, a few wisps of bubbles on top quickly dissipated; no lacing. I found this beer to be quite disappointing, but maybe my expectations were too high. In the wide realm of imperial stouts, this one just fell short. Definite booziness right up front in the nose, with a big hit of anise/licorice, moderately roasty chocolate malts behind all that. Surprisingly, this beer was still very hot with booze on the palate, and the bourbon wasn't really well-defined; it was more of a moonshine or fusel taste that I got. As in the aroma, anise/licorice seemed to be the primary flavor component, possibly contending with the booze, lesser notes of dark malts and a touch of unsweetened chocolate, a little bit of a yeasty quality, and a bitter finish that came out more as the beer warmed. I like a nice full body on a big stout, and Imagine really didn't have it. It was about medium-bodied, perhaps thinned out by the alcohol, the lack of complexity made the taste suffer, and the heat from the alcohol reduced the drinkability a bit more. I kind of wonder what would've happened if I sat on this one for another year. It was good to be able to try it, but I wasn't too impressed.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 15:02:31 | More by Rifugium

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz unlabeled bottle into a Half Acre snifter.

A- pours black with a half finger tan head. Minimal lacing.

S- chocolate, molasses, dark fruits, vanilla, and slight bourbon aromas.

T- sweet chocolate, molasses, dark fruits, bourbon, vanilla and some bitter molasses at the finish.

M- medium body and low carbonation. A little thin at 15% but makes it all the more drinkable.

O- expected a little more from this beer, but still a very good BA stout. A little thin and would have liked some more bourbon, vanilla notes.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 03:27:15 | More by kawilliams81

Shmeal

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%

11-26-2012 16:57:51 | More by Shmeal

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev -14.4%

08-24-2012 01:10:58 | More by t0rin0

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%

08-23-2012 15:45:55 | More by msubulldog25

womencantsail

California

4.1/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks for the bottle, Luke!

Pours black as night with a dense tan head. Heavy roasted malt initially with lots of burnt sugar, dark chocolate, dark fruit, and vanilla. A light wood aroma and some mild bourbon. A hint of spice in there as well. The flavor is definitely on the sweet side with lots of sugar, molasses, vanilla, fruit. Good bourbon notes, slight oakiness, and a good bit of roast do balance out the sweetness fairly well. Very little, if any, alcohol presence.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 22:35:57 | More by womencantsail

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.78/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

25cL glass at Beermongers. 2011 'vintage'.

A: Pitch black with a surprisingly creamy head. There are some medium legs for this one.

N: Chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and oak. There's definitely some licorice and anise in here. And oh, yeah, I can smell the alcohol. I know for a fact that it's better integrated in the bottle, but I'm reviewing the tap here.

T: Oh boy..lots of Belgian candi sugar, alcohol, licorice and chocolate. Heavy dark fruits such as prune and blackberry. Lots and lots of Belgian yeast. Super sweet and very much a Belgian stout.

M: Highly carbonated and a medium to thin mouthfeel. Not really impressed here, though it fits with the Belgian yeast. So I'll average what I want and what it probably should get for the yeast it uses.

O: A lot of people really seem to like this one, but I'm not terribly onboard. It's an extremely sweet confection, which if you're looking for that, will fit nicely, but for me, I'm hoping this one changes as it ages in my remaining bottles.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2012 02:52:23 | More by writerLJBerg

Sean9689

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks, Alex! First Birthday beer for Alex...#1 out of 186. :D

A - Pours black, mocha-head, thin ring, wisps.

S - Very sweet & rich, light booze for 15%, creamy and dessert-like. Chocolate brownies, burnt sugars, oak, smooth booze, molasses. Not a whole lot of Belgian yeast character, but I prefer it that way.

T - Again, lots of dessert-like sweetness, booze a little more evident, and light oak. Chocolate, burnt sugars, caramel syrup, toffee, nice barrel character. Bourbon is smooth at 15%, which is a pleasant surprise. Finish is creamy rich chocolate cake.

M - Medium to full body, light carbonation, rich & smooth.

O - Super-sweet, super-rich, a sipper for sure. If you like your stouts sweet & boozy, this is the beer for you. Couldn't believe how the alcohol was integrated so well with this beer. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 17:06:56 | More by Sean9689

Exiled

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -3%

06-18-2012 01:34:27 | More by Exiled

MasterSki

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A birthday gift from a secret admirer - how flattering. Served in a Kuhnhenn snifter.

A - Quick-dissolving tan foam settles to a thin ring. Very dark brown body, and a bit of spotty lace that lingers as the beer is consumed.

S - Extremely sweet - as if someone melted Belgian chocolates and caramel into my glass. Some oak, molasses, dark fruits, and a light touch of earthy bourbon.

T - The taste is also extremely rich, with flavors of maple and chocolate syrups, dark candi syrup, treacle, touch of molasses, and light oaky vanilla. Not much in the way of overt bourbon flavor - just a ton of sweet stuff.

M - Smooth, silky, chewy, and viscous full body, with lower carbonation. Not much alcohol heat - was really surprised to see that this was 15%, as I probably would have guessed 11% or so.

D - A very unique and memorable barrel-aged stout. Was extremely enjoyable for the first 2oz, but starts to become cloying and exhausting at that point. Still, the deceptive alcohol is impressive, and this gets bonus points for being quite different from other beers in an increasingly crowded field.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 06:10:43 | More by MasterSki

lescavesmorgan

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -14.4%

06-06-2012 20:59:56 | More by lescavesmorgan

HopHead84

California

3.58/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

5/26/2012

Huge thanks to Luke (writerljberg) for this rarity. Snifter.

A: Dark brown and opaque with a dark red hue near the edges of the glass. There's a bubbly light brown head that fades in the blink of an eye. A swirl of the glass yields an alcohol collar.

S: Big dark fruit notes with evident tartness and roasted grains. Plum accompanies grape, prune, currant, and a touch of dark cherry - decidedly Belgian. There's a light bourbon presence with lots of dark chocolate, some candi sugar, and caramel. The mixture of dark fruits, chocolate, bourbon, and wood is nice. Very wine-like with a dash of vanilla.

T: Bourbon blends with candi sugar and pronounced dark fruit notes. I get a lot of plum and prune. The beer is very rich with a firm dark chocolate presence and a good amount of booze, though nothing shocking for 15% ABV. There's a decided tartness and a touch of lactic character. The beer exudes earth and molasses with lesser notes of licorice. I detect a little caramel. The Belgian yeast strain is influential and insistent with the aforementioned dark fruit esters. There's a touch of spiciness and wood.

M: Full body with low carbonation. It's essentially flat after a few swirls of the glass, but that doesn't detract from the overall experience. The mouthfeel is smooth, silky, tannic, and sticky with substantial alcohol warming.

Overall: The Belgian yeast exerts more influence than I was expecting, but still a nice beer and definitely worth trying. I suspect this is becoming a bit more tart than was planned, though it could be my broken palate.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 07:48:05 | More by HopHead84

cosmicevan

New York

4.55/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

been really excited to try this one for a while, but was waiting for the right night...tonight, it called my name. HUGE thanks to metalgdog for sending this one my way (sans box :( but i'll live). i love that the bottle is just a plain bottle and all the info is on the cap. enjoyed from a SH IRS anniversary snifter.

a - popped the bottle and filled my glass, the brew poured a watery black that settled into the glass a silky oily black. there was very thin barely beige head that was gone quick leaving small oil slicks of head on the surface of the brew. swirling the glass brought the fizzy head back to life for a few moments and left spotty lacing streaks.

s - in a word...BIG. big booze, big malts and a big alcohol mentholated burn. some dark chocolate and dark fruit notes are hiding in there behind all that booze. some sweetness as a cross between vanilla and raisin/fig/plum.

t - YOWZA, that's good! really big chocolate. some dark fruit. obviously there is a lot of woody bourbon in there as well, but the balance is as good as a tightrope walker. the wood characteristics are also there which seem to tame back the rubbing alcohol vibe from all that booze. incredibly well balanced and delicious. although the booze is there, it isn't what you'd expect for a 15% beer.

m - not a sludgy mess!!! actually, surprisingly thin for such a huge beer, but still has a medium body to it. the tingles are all aglow in my mouth from the heat, but this one is dangerously drinkable.

o - overall, i was not let down by this beer. the complexities are carefully balanced and the beer is a winner. i wish i had a case of these, but alas i have just one bottle...and down the hatch she goes. hell of a beer though. it is amazing that a beer this big can also be this tasty. despite how hard it was for me to find and ultimately land this beer, it was definitely worth it.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 02:20:59 | More by cosmicevan

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to ArchEnemyBrew for this beer! Thanks Hollis!

poured into oversized snifter.

Appearance: an aggressive pour yields a big dark black bodied beer with a half inch of tan colored head. Head drops quickly to a ring of foam around the glass.

Smell: smells really sweet and boozy. Big bourbon, dark fruits, black licorice, jet fuel, vanilla, and leather. This nose is really heavy and intense.

Taste: Starts off with huge raisin notes with a nice splash of bourbon. Mild vanilla, coconut, black licorice, molasses, and cocoa. Finishes with dry oak and cherry notes. Thought I would taste the booze since it was so strong in the nose, but its really well hidden in the beer.

Mouthfeel: Its a full bodied beer with low carbonation. The beer feels surpringly thin for as big of a beer as this is, but its quite mellow and smooth. A fair trade off I would say. Mild warming from the alcohol without any burn.

Overall: I really liked this beer. It show cases the bourbon & dark fruits notes from the RIS beer style. Its a unique beer that stands out from many beer in its respective style.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 00:03:42 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT