Imperial Stout - Bristol Beer Factory

mmapes

Colorado

3.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Traded from Ben in York (thanks!!).

Pours deep dark oily black. Strong scents of "dark" and "strong" during the pour -- anise first, then malt and molasses. This one is bottle-conditioned, so the yeast could be adding some interesting notes. Scent seems to dissipate quickly. There is very little head, and what there is, goes fast. As it warms the scent comes back. Wood, anise, malt, alcohol.

The bottle says "best before October 15, 2014. We drank it in November 2012.

Taste is dry -- dryer than it smells. Sharp up front with a smoky finish. Maybe a touch of dried fruit (but not very sweet) in the middle. Might even say it's harshly smoky. Further sips reveal smoke and more smoke.

I am used to Russian imperials that are richer, rounder, and sweeter than this one. This one is dry -- might pair well with a hearty meal. But I think there's less complexity in this stout than in some others.

My co-taster Andrea would buy again, but probably not me.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 00:01:52 | More by mmapes