High Desert Imperial Stout
Sweetwater Tavern & Brewery

High Desert Imperial StoutHigh Desert Imperial Stout
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From:
Sweetwater Tavern & Brewery
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
10.8%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.09 | pDev: 12.22%
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
31
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jun 06, 2021
Added:
Aug 14, 2003
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Lampro
Reviewed by Lampro from Virginia

4.46/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Rich, malty, roasted aroma and flavor. Strongly reminiscent of cocoa and dark coffee. Quite good! I'd enjoy any beer that approaches this one in quality.
Jun 06, 2021
 
Rated: 3.78 by Zonian1 from Ohio

May 29, 2019
 
Rated: 4.39 by Tlock from Hawaii

Jun 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.24 by Exeggutor from New Hampshire

Feb 03, 2018
 
Rated: 3.99 by Boone757 from Virginia

Feb 10, 2017
 
Rated: 4.21 by Fusion7777 from Virginia

Jan 22, 2017
Photo of PhilHeinricke
Reviewed by PhilHeinricke from Virginia

2.16/5  rDev -47.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5
Not My Cup of Tea

I poured it out. Precious had a medical appointment so I threw a growler in the back of the car and asked her to stop by Sweetwaters to get me something. On their website they had a beer named after Denzel Washington: Black Stallion IPA. I'm a fan of Densel's. But when Precious got there, they didn't have it so she got this. I'm not a big fan of stouts. In the past I would have liked to drink this no matter how bad it tastes just for the alcohol content to so I could get stoned to the bejesus, but at this moment I really don't want to sacrifice taste.

It pours out not quite as thick as cough syrup but in that neighborhood. It's dark brown and syrupy. It has a taste and smell of chocolate and coffee. I do not like coffee which is why I was turned off by this. It also had a syrupy feel. I drank a glass, but I threw the rest away.

From reading the review I understand that a lot of people like this. That's great. I like Sweetwater, and I am happy if their products are successful. But this beer just wasn't for me.
Feb 27, 2016
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

3.17/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
On draft

Almost black, very dark brown, a thin tan head. Chocolate and coffee aroma. Taste is a bit acidic, odd oxidized aftertaste for a fresh draft beer. Much too thin for an imperial stout.
Feb 09, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by brians52 from Virginia

Jan 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.95 by cjgiant from District of Columbia

Mar 12, 2014
Photo of fire34fighter
Reviewed by fire34fighter from Virginia

4.46/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Had on tap at the centerville one. VERY chocolately. Probably one of the most pronounced chocolate flavors that I've had. Overall a delicious beer and very drinkable. I might go get my growler filled with it since I liked it so much!! Definitely worth trying if you go to the restaurant.
Jan 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by rjholcomb from California

Jun 01, 2013
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to Kegatron for sharing this 2-liter growler with me. Poured into a snifter, this brew appears black in color with a finger of tan froth. A swirl revives the cap and produces some spotty lacing on the glass. Brown clarity to ruby is seen when held to the light.

The smell includes some raisony alcohol sweetness mixed with some citrus and mineral inclusion. A bit of burnt molasses and toffee are noted accenting the dark fruity quality of the nose. The taste is raisons, chocolate, bitter roasted grain, citrus, minerals and molasses. There is a solvent inclusion of alcohol that breaks things up a bit.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. The 10.5% is fairly well integrated until it warms up. Heath mentioned this growler not holding up as well as he remembered having it. I don't doubt that but found this to be a decent offering regardless.
Jan 23, 2012
Photo of nkersten
Reviewed by nkersten from Illinois

4.21/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Thanks to Alex for bringing this flagon to our growlerfest part one/ufc showdown/showtunes night. Poured into lost abbey tumbler, pitch black with decent sized mocha head, good lacing and some good retention for a high abv beer. Smell is very interesting... Favoring the much more heavily roasted malts, nutty, slightly burnt, tar, a bit on the chemical side, but not in a bad way. Very unique. Taste is nutty and very bitter, hop forward with lots of dark roasted patent and chocolate malts, sweet coffee and a bit of dark sweet fruits in the finish. Medium to heavy body and a medium light carbonation. This is one imperial stout that drinks much more like an American stout. A very good beer, very drinkable for nearly 11%.
Feb 12, 2011
Photo of AgentZero
Reviewed by AgentZero from Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Ugly growler which looks like you would use it to transport toxic waste provide by Alex at our UFC/Showtunes Dance-off.

A - Black beer with a brown head that rose a tad over two fingers in my Stone RIS glass. Good retention, great lacing, no agrument with the looks on this one.

S - Roasted malts, chocolate, molasses, caramel, really just a nice blend of what you would want in a big stout like this.

T - Taste is sufficiently roasty to balance out a rich chocolate flavor. It's quite surprsing how good this one turned out, and I drink a fair bit of the growler.

M - Full bodied, low carbonation, quite filling.

D - Great beer, would have again, solid drinker at 10.8%.
Feb 08, 2011
Photo of Sean9689
Reviewed by Sean9689 from Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Growler, thanks to Alex for this one. Shared at our UFC tasting.

A - Pours black, two fingers-worth of a beautiful mocha head, great lacing along the sides of the glass, and wonderful retention after the initial pour. A really nice-looking RIS, to say the least.

S - Sweet milk chocolate, buttery richness, roasted nuts.

T - Really nice roast and milk chocolate, really buttery rich, nice nutty flavor as well. Really nice mix of rich bitterness and sweetness.

M - Full bodied, rich and smooth, creamy finish.

D - A wonderful RIS that really surprised me. I had two pours of this one because I enjoyed it so much. This beats a ton of other East Coast hyped stouts by a long mile. Get this one!
Feb 07, 2011
Photo of jrallen34
Reviewed by jrallen34 from Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Awesome flagon brought by Alex, poured into a perfect pint glass... This is a great looking beer! A dark black body, only the lightest hint of dark brown on the edges in the light. The head is a surprisingly light shade of tan for the body but there is tons of it and it looks great. Creamy and full, a great cap and lacing... The aroma is quite interesting but not my favorite part of the beer, its unique but confusing. Huge cocoa and nut notes that somehow come off to me as fresh green dry hops, reminds me of a fresh Night Stalker. I also get some chocolate, molasses, and weed. Has me interpreting new things, really great... The taste is really roasty cocoa, its bitter but also reminds of being dry hopped. Additional notes of grass and chocolate covered Brazil nuts... The mouthfeel is tannic and sticky, full bodied, long lasting smooth finish.

A really interesting stout that will expand your flavor notions of a stout. High recommendation.
Feb 06, 2011
Photo of MasterSki
Reviewed by MasterSki from Canada (ON)

4.21/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Firstly - I think the Sweetwater Taverns need to be rolled into one listing (a la Iron Hill), as this is extremely confusing. In any case, thanks to kevinv for sending a growler of this my way. Big flagon-style (like in the picture) poured into a Heady Topper glass.

A - I've never seen so much gunsmoke when opening a growler - it literally just kept coming. Pours with a huge dark tan foam that features superb retention and lacing. The body is a pitch black, with maybe the slightest hint of brown at the fringes of the glass. Just a great looking beer.

S - Nutty, dark rye bread, cocoa, toasted grains, light molasses, and dark fruits.

T - Taste has a nice mix of roast bitterness and cocoa sweetness. There's a hint of complementary oxidation, as well as some light floral hop character in the finish.

M - Smooth medium body, light residual stickiness, and a bit of residual tannic roasted grain character in the finish. Alcohol is shockingly well-hidden.

D - This was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expected much from a Virginia beer, although I suppose I should have been tipped off by Kegatron's review that this was going to be a treat. We killed this growler no problem. Would gladly have this one again, and would to try the barrel-aged verison.
Feb 06, 2011
Photo of gford217
Reviewed by gford217 from Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Growler shared at the Brick Store poured into a snifter.

Pours dark, dark brown that looks black in a glass with hints of mahogany around the edges. The head is small, dense and lingers for a while before leaving a collar and minimal lacing. Smell is big on dark chocolate and roasted malts. Dark fruit and alcohol are present as well. The taste also has some dark chocolate and roasted coffee on top of a big sweet malt base. The finish has a big toasted malt taste that lingers in the aftertaste with a definite alcohol burn. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth with minimal carbonation. I enjoyed this beer and it is a pretty drinkable impy stout despite the big roasty profile. Recommended.
Aug 16, 2008
Photo of HopDerek
Reviewed by HopDerek from Pennsylvania

3.34/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Thanks to Kegatron for grabbing a growler for me to try.

Pours a nice thick black color with 1 inch of creamy tan head, good retention and great lacing. Smells of coffee and burnt malt with just a touch of dark chocolate, seemed like I really had to struggle to pick up the scent though. Tastes of smoke, coffee, dark fruits, and dark chocolate with a prominent finish of burnt marshmallow and soy sauce. Medium in body and smooth, hides most of the alcohol quite well. Not one of my favorite RISs as it tasted a little too burnt for me but I wouldn't mind trying it again to see if it's any different on tap.
Mar 06, 2008
High Desert Imperial Stout from Sweetwater Tavern & Brewery
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 31 ratings