Fayston Maple Imperial Stout - Lawson's Finest Liquids

womencantsail

California

3.15/5  rDev -23%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks for sharing this one, Shane!

Pours black in color with a surprisingly tall tan head. Smells strong of booze, roasted malt, char, and even a bit of ash. There is some dark chocolate and coffee, but they're not as prominent as I would like. The flavor is more of the same. A bit of a coffee grounds flavor as well as some bitter dark chocolate, licorice, and roasted malt. The flavor is a bit too astringent for my liking. Medium body and carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 03:42:09 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes.

Poured into a mini snifter. Pours black with a short mocha head that has a bit of staying power. Pretty nice looking and that's one of the "lowlights" of the brew, as the maple works wonders on the nose and taste. Nose starts out fairly normal in terms of the style with some good roast, coffee, and chocolate characteristics. Then...the maple hits and takes it from a pretty good stout to a really nice one. The taste is the same way and the maple and chocolate interact quite well together. Nice body and really superior drinkability. Great brew from Sean.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 01:45:21 | More by Thorpe429

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Michael, served in a snifter of undetermined origin.

Beer is dark brown hazy with a tan head, some lacing but low retention and moderate to low carbonation.

Aroma is little woodsy, a little mapley, a little boozy, sweet. Smells good.

Beer is medium in body and the maple comes out the more it warms. Beer is sort of sweet, sort of woody, nice flavors throughout in general. I really enjoy this beer. I'd have it again, this was served along side the bourbon barrel one and this one was as good if not better than the bourbon, in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 04:02:17 | More by drabmuh

emerge077

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Brian for sharing this with all of us!
Review from written notes.

Into a small tulip glass it pours jet black with a clinging ring of foam and wispy broken skim. Svelte and stouty.

Graphite, tobacco, mild burnt char in the nose. Sort of light and nondescript.

Sweet dry roast, chalky, a bit woody, not much in the way of it's maple namesake. Slightly woody and moderately roasty in the aftertaste. Slight prickly heat from the perceptible alcohol. Flavors are pretty mellow and not especially complex. Thin bodied, could use a bit more in the flavor department. It's ok, but I wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 02:14:44 | More by emerge077

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.36/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Poured jet black, sordove sluggish on the pour. It yields a tannish head with good retention, some lacing present after a few sips

S: Big, sweet, sticky maple. Roasted notes, coffee, chocolate and a little booze stings the nostrils

T: My oh my, sweet decadence upfront with a barrage of sticky sweet maple, choclate blend, a little booze sting on this. Coffee is underlying but gives way to the roastiness, maple and chocolate which dominates this beer start to finish.The finish is oh so tasty, sticky and sweet

M: Big bodied, well carbonated but it leaned a little low which is ok for me and this style, it helped the beer feel, full, decadent and sweeter to me

O: Dynomite!

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 16:23:37 | More by barleywinefiend

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750ml corked & caged bottle into a couple of glasses. Rare batch 92. Bottle # 25/48. Black with a dark mocha head. Plenty of rich spotty lace and brown oils down the sides. Maple is heavy in the nose, along with chocolate, roast and alcohol, which is combining to give this a bit of a spicy tobacco character. The taste is sweet but not cloying, thanks to the overall roastiness of this. The flavors nicely compliment the spicy alcohol character that is here. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied but seems a tad thin. Probably from the aging but the benefit is that this is ridiculously easy drinking for the size. I mean RIDICULOUS. The maple addition really sweetens this up but the aggressive Stout flavors give it a balancing edge. I really like Lawson’s use of maple in these beers. Really gives it a distinct character. I’m looking forward to seeing how this base is put to use in the barrel-aged versions.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 15:17:49 | More by Kegatron

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Compliments of Derek (Rifugium). Thank you sir for the opportunity to try this one.

The beer pours a blackish brown color with pretty decent head retention and lacing. The head on this beer is a dark mocha brown color, that dissipates fairly rapidly after the initial pour. Still, this is a pretty attractive looking beer. The nose is about what you'd expect in a beer like this. There is considerable dark chocolate and vanilla in the aroma profile, along with some licorice, coffee grounds and underlying maple. The beer smells as if it will be on the sweet side (which of course it is). The flavor profile replicated the nose pretty closely, but was a bit sweeter than I expeced, and it had a roasty quality that I wasn't expecting as well. Still, everything blends together fairly well, the beer finishes wth some licorice and light bitterness. For such a big beer (over 10% abv.), I was surprised by the mouthfeel in this beer. It was actually a bit thin, though there's certainly plenty of flavor. The finish was fairly long otherwise, with some licorice and bitterness at the end. Alcohol was pretty well integrated into the flavor profile otherwise, and the beer wasn't at all heavy or tiring on the palate (despite the sweetness).

An interesting beer, but I just expected it to come across as a bit richer and fuller on the palate. Not sure what the brewer was going for here, but if he/she was hoping to replicate Founder's CBS, then I'm afraid they fell well short. Nevertheless, I was glad to be able to sample this one. Thanks Derek!

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 13:05:19 | More by johnmichaelsen

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at Prohibition Pig, Waterbury, VT

A bit underwhelming and average this stout was. I picked up a few bottles, so I'm hoping the beer is better bottle-conditioned than it was on tap. Surely an attractive beer: poured pitch black (at least it appeared so in the pub light) with a rich, mocha head that retained well; minimal lacing. Aroma thick with roasty malts, coffee, and a bit of smoke; no maple whatsoever. More of the same in the taste, dark roasted malts, coffee notes, burnt caramel. Quite average. Again, no maple in the taste, not even after letting it warm up a bit. Medium body, a bit thin and watery for the style, alcohol is well-hidden. I hate to say it, but even my homebrewed coffee stout was better than this. Still not bad though, and pretty easily drinkable overall. Hopefully I get a better experience from the bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2012 20:20:02 | More by Rifugium

HopHead84

California

3.68/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1/22/2012

Bottle 22/76 into a snifter.

A: Black with a big frothy tan head. Nice retention.

S: Cocoa and dark chocolate accompany licorice and molasses. Maple is light. Roasted grains are pronounced.

T: Sweet dark chocolate with restrained maple character. Malt is slightly burnt and a little acrid. There's a lower moderate earthy bitterness accompanying licorice. The finish is a little hot.

M: Full body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is silky , chewy, and sticky.

Overall: A solid Imperial Stout but not something I would care to have again.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 19:03:30 | More by HopHead84

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Much gratitude to Kegatron for sharing this with me. This base version was up first before also sampling 2 different barel treatments. A 750ml bottle rediculously numbered 25 of 48. Talk about a limited run of bottles...yikes. The brew appears black in color with a thin line of clarity around the edges. A swirl revives a hearty finger of dark brown back to the suface. Webby patches of lace stick to the glass as the cap collapses.

The aromatics are deceptively sweet smelling like milk chocolate. Some roast and earth are present fading into something more along the lines of tobacco. A mild spicy note is present that blends into a touch of alcohol.

The flavor is super roasty, burnt and bitter almost like tobacco mingled with strong coffee. Plenty of roasted bitterness that seemingly voids any reason to include hops. A noticeable amount of solvent alcohol is present but it integrates very nicely. A minor hint of milky dark chocolate is noted across the back reminescent of what the aroma indicated.

This is a medium to lighter bodied brew that is quite dry, roasted and aggressive. It seems thinned out a bit perhaps from the alcohol inclusion and lack of any significant amount of residual sugar. It has a modest amount of carbonation that helps move the flavors across the palate. This is a kickass brew thats worth seeking out. I cant imagine a better base brew thats aggressive like this and lends enough of its own profile to stand up against any form of barrel treatment. Thanks again Heath for sharing!

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 20:35:05 | More by stakem

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks goes out to beeruser for sharing this one at a past Random Sunday Tasting! Sampled side-by-side with the bourbon barrel version! Served from bottle into an Aroma’s snifter. Poured pitch black with a half finger brown head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, molasses, powdered chocolate, Yoo-Hoo, and smoke. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, molasses, and smoke. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. Having had this side-by-side with the bourbon version one could definitely tell that they were both completely different animals. While this one was not quite as complex as the bourbon version (which one might expect) it still managed to work really well with what it had going on. The Yoo-Hoo on the nose of this one was really enjoyable and actually brought back childhood memories of shaking the shit out of those bottle to suspend the chocolate at the bottle of them. Glad we didn’t do that to this beer as I would have hated to waste any of it. Another really well done brew by these guys that I would absolutely love to try again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 11:59:49 | More by thagr81us

largadeer

California

2.58/5  rDev -36.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks, Nick.

Black with a finger of chocolate-hued head. This is pretty dark even for the style.

Smells like tar, burnt malt and chocolate. Maybe a bit of oatmeal cookie. Pretty bland.

Taste is tarry, ashy, burnt. Lots of bitter dark chocolate. This is pretty dry, especially with the high ABV in mind. If this is brewed with maple syrup, I don't pick it up much at all; it seems to be overwhelmed by the dark malts. Finishes charred and burnt with intense lingering bitterness. Not a particularly enjoyable stout, it has a very one-dimensional burnt bitterness to it.

This reminds me a bit of some Scandanavian imperial stouts I've tried recently, but it at least it avoids the signature Mikkeller combo of intense sweetness mixed with burnt bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 19:29:20 | More by largadeer

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Prohibition Pig.

A: Opaque black body with a 1/2" of dense brown head. Good retention, decent lace. Intense.

S: Maple, chocolate, coffee: just those three aromas, in that order. Sublime.

T: Intense dark chocolate up front, followed by rich maple, smooth caramel, and a profoundly bitter coffee roast finish. Maple and char are balanced on the aftertaste. Crazy, and good.

M: Lively, creamy, full-bodied. Nice.

O: This was good, but not nearly as impressive as the barrel-aged variants.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2012 22:37:04 | More by woosterbill

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.85/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a snifter. Pours one shade shy of black with no head, just a cluster of bubbles around the edges. Nose expresses dark malts, a significant roasted presence, charcoal and coffee notes. Taste is completely consistent with nose; however, where's the maple? Mouthfeel is medium-light in body with an easy, even carbonation from start to finish - a bit on the light side for the style. Overall, I'm not sure of the hype on this beer; I get zero maple. Alcohol is well-hidden at 10.10% and while it's a decent example of the style, it is not a standout for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 14:34:31 | More by Jwale73

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle share in Hoboken, NJ.

A: Pours an opaque black (just shy of jet black) in color with some dark brown highlights when held up to the light. The beer has a half finger tall dark tan head that reduces to a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Very light lacing is observed.

S: The aroma is dominated by the dark roasted malts with some dark chocolate and fresh ground coffee. There is a very subtle hint of maple in the smell but I really wish that it was more present.

T: The flavor of the dark roasted and toasted malts with lots of dark chocolate (almost like a candy bar) and just a hint of some coffee bitterness. Overall this beer is sweet and chocolatey but the maple flavor is really lost in this beer.

M: Medium bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Creamy.

O: I was really hoping for a greater maple presence in this beer and was slightly disappointed that it was so subtle. The alcohol was not quite as hidden as I had expected, you can definitely detect it in the taste. Definitely enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 19:40:04 | More by dbrauneis

oline73

Maryland

4.24/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a snifter. I was lucky enough to have this with the other 3 variations.

The beer pours a dark brown, almost black color with a layer of tan head. The smell is a little bit sweet with a nice roast quality. There is more roast in the taste than there was a smell. I would swear there is a wood aged quality to this beer. I'm getting a mild maple syrup note behind the roasted malt. While the roast dominates, the beer still has enough balance for me. The body is on the thick side with a good amount of carbonation and a finish that is super dry.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 03:04:20 | More by oline73

billab914

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2011 vintage poured from a 750ml bottle. Black in color with a thin, dark tan colored head clinging to edges of the glass. Nice looking lacing on the glass as I drank it.

The aroma has a creamy milk chocolate flavor mixing with some roasted malts and coffee. It's got some subtle but good maple notes to it that started to come out more a it warmed. The darker, roasted malts were pretty good and they were complimented pretty well by the maple.

The taste shows more of the darker, roasted malts with notes of chocolate and coffee throughout. A little of the maple sweetness comes out up front along with some caramel and a little sugar. In the finish I get more of a bitter, roasted almost burnt flavor coming out. There is a little but of a burnt hop like flavor to it as well.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation and it felt a little thin for style overall. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good but not great beer. It just didn't all work that well for me. The roasted, bitter, burnt hop just seemed to dominate and the maple didn't really come out that much. It was good, but not as good as I had hoped.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 19:26:25 | More by billab914

maximum12

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to imagineiii for this hefty bottle. I have been enamored of Lawson's efforts involving hops, & I'm a maple syrup freak, so I have high hopes for this one. Here we go. Batch #182, bottle 8 of 96.

Cork clings to the bottle like a baby in breach, but eventually comes free. Poured into two snifters, looks like a slice of liquid midnight pie. Head is off-white, which seems odd. Smell isn't what I expected; roast is strong, touch of chocolate. No syrup. Bummer.

Fayston Maple Imperial Stout is strong in the roast category; it dominates the front, middle, & end of the beer. Mild chocolate, littered with a bit of sweetness, but the maple syrup advertised is absent. It makes me a little weepy. Looking at the reviews I'm baffled. If the maple syrup wasn't littered all over the bottle, I wouldn't have been able to identify it.

Luckily the roast is really, really good. Not harsh, but smooth, warm, & loving. Not a lot of depth to this one, but I don't care. It's delicious. Very good brew, & I'm looking forward to the other two in this kind-of-series.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 03:56:14 | More by maximum12

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had Fayston Maple Imperial Stout while sitting in front of the fire and looking up at the mountain at the pub at Mad River Glenn; great place to have a beer, and a good tap selection. As for the beer, the body was opaque and very dark brown. The head was a thin, solid-looking line that is dark brown in color. Retention and lacing are both OK.

The aroma has a little bit of sweet molasses in it, with toffee and caramel as well. A little bit of chocolate comes through, as well as roasted malts.

The maple is noticeable, but it certainly isn't extremely strong or overpowering. Fayston Maple does, however, provide a few nice maple notes and flavors of molasses. Caramel and toffee both make an appearance, as well as chocolate and black patent malt. A good bit of roasted malt comes through as well. The alcohol is well-hidden.

The mouthfeel is nice, with a full body and an average amount of carbonation.

Overall, Fayston Maple is a solid imperial stout that is certainly worth a shot if you can get your hands on it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2012 22:06:55 | More by Hojaminbag

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Shared by mixylplik3, thanks for the opportunity Matt!
Pours an inky black color with a smallish tan head that dissipates rather quickly. Smells of caramel, chocolate, brown sugar, maple, and a hint of earthy hops. The flavor follows the aroma and is incredibly smooth. Sweet maple and brown sugar play nicely with chocolate coffee and roast against a hint of earth and a touch of alcohol. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet sugary mouthfeel. This is a great beer, nicely balanced, smooth and quite tasty.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 04:58:35 | More by johnnnniee

claspada

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Sampled the Oak-Aged Fayston Maple, Original Maple and Bourbon Barrel Aged versions simultaneously.

Pours a black color with a thin tan head and some small bubbles that recede to leave some moderate lacing.

Aromas begin with a majority of chocolate and roast, light earthy bitterness and honey sweetness from the maple. As it warms you get a little more chocolate and vanilla sweetness.

The tastes follow the nose with some dark chocolate maltiness up front and molasses, roasted malt and light maple in the background, plus a bit of milk chocolate as it warms.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium to low carbonation. Finish is a decent mix between roasty and sweet.

Overall this was an improvement over the oak aged maple version but still fell a little short of expectations. The maple is there but I really wouldn't pick it out if I wasn't looking for it. For it's rarity, it's not worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 16:13:24 | More by claspada

thekevlarkid

Maryland

4.63/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Off the tap (03/04/09) at General Stark's Pub at the Mad River Glen Ski Area this Russian Imperial Stout was an opaque black color as dark and murky as crude oil. The head was a dark tan color, displayed very good retention as a cap and left lacing at first in thin bands and eventually in fishnets. The aroma was or roasted malt, maple, caramel, blackened malt and chocolate. The flavors were outstanding; I was actually floored. At first I tasted the sweetness of rich chocolate, caramel, toffee and of course maple. Then I tasted the hoppy bitterness in the form of coffee, roasted and blackened malt and the finish of unsweetened bakers chocolate was long and tongue coating. The depth of the malt was impressive yet the sweetness of the other flavors perfectly off-set it. Rich and complex yet not heavy and the 10.1% ABV was... where? The mouthfeel was smooth and rich, the body full and the carbonation perfect. Stunning. One of the best RIS's I have ever had and - dare I say it? - I liked it better than Storm King, Old Rasputin or Kate the Great. Damnit Sean, bottle this stuff!

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2009 16:44:31 | More by thekevlarkid

scottfrie

California

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks a ton Michael! Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a very dark brown, near black, with a thin light brown head that quickly faded to a bubbly collar leaving spotty lace.
S: More smoke than maple. Some sweetness comes through along with roasted malts and marshmallows.
T: Flavors a roasted yet sweet. I get a blend of smoke, sweet maple, marshmallow, roast, caramel, ash, chocolate, burnt and raisin. The finish reminds me of burnt tobacco. I wish there was a bit more maple.
M: Medium-thick body, very smooth mouthfeel, creamy carbonation, well hidden alcohol.
O: Maple has faded. Much more roasted than I was expecting. Flavors are rich though, and the beer drinks very smoothly. Thanks again SneezyAchew.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 18:12:25 | More by scottfrie

cosmicevan

New York

4.4/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Note's from Captain Lawrence Rosso Batch 3 release / tasting:

Faystons maple imperial stout – very dark, darker very brown almost black. Smell is roasted malts sweetness…a little maple, definitely. Flavor – oh wow, maple, chocolate, roasted malts, this is a quality beer. Delicious fantastic. Yum. The sweetness and maple syrup is a fantastic combination, goes down like golden butter. Beautiful beautiful beer…buttery and yum.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 04:16:55 | More by cosmicevan

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Black Back in Waterbury Vermont.

A - Poured into a Lawson's Finest tulip a thick deep brown almost black with a one finger creamy mocha head that faded to leave a thin halo and clouding.

S - Aromas of deep chocolate and light coffee with super faint maple notes. Really, this is a nice stout but needs more maple.

T - Very nice dark chocolate here, like a melted candy bar. Rich toasted malts and deep roast. Good slight sweetness and deep chocolate. Not much maple but a shit ton of dark chocolate. Very nice stout.

M - Nice mouthfeel for a big stout. ABV is hidden wonderfully. Super nice and smooth mouthfeel with a light carbonation.

O - Overall this was a very good stout but where's the maple? Really could use more mapleguava but this was delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 20:06:21 | More by rudzud