North-Wind Imperial Stout - Two Brothers Brewing Company

akokandy

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Poured into a snifter. Black with tan 1-finger head which fades pretty quickly to lacing around the rim. Leaves some lacing on the way down the glass.

S- Fairly subtle aroma for an in-your-face beer. Roasted coffee and molasses are detectable.

T- The first thing I taste is chocolate, followed by roasted coffee, molasses, and light hops on the finish.

M- Thinner than I would like and not enough carbonation.

D- I could put away a few, but not really a session beer. Two to three in a night is good for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2009 21:26:38 | More by akokandy

IchabodcraneIpa

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass.

The pour on this one revealed a nice not overly thick brown color with a fat tan head crowning the top.

The smell of this one was of roasts and malts with a chocolatey character and possibly some dark fruit presenting itself at the end of the nose.

The taste of this stout is a nice roasted malt flavor with a coffee like tinge in it. It is also sweeter than other stouts I have tried at this point.

The mouthfeel of this one is fairly wet and slick and it seems to slide of the tongue and down the throat.

I think the drinkability of this one may be on the medium side as this one seems to be high in alcohol and not my usual style beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 02:58:27 | More by IchabodcraneIpa

mickstepp

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black. Little to no head. Very little lacing. Faint roasted malt and hop aroma. The taste is likewise: toasty malt and a complement of hops. Very mild. The taste and mouthfeel are more along the lines of a Porter rather than an Imperial Stout. A very drinkable beer but not very representative of the intended style.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2003 17:05:28 | More by mickstepp

balconybrew

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip glass. Leaves an expresso colored thin head and a dark liquid.

Smell - Hint of malt, Overwhelming smoked plums and minimal raisins. Sight hops.

Taste - much like the smell. Slightly more hops and roasted malt than smell. Malt becomes gets slightly stronger towards the end. Some fruity sourness. As it warms, the alcohol comes out.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full bodied.

Drinkability - Alcohol warms you a little much for more than one.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2007 03:38:01 | More by balconybrew

Dhren1979

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Vintage: 2010

Serving Type: 12 oz bottle poured into a Tulip glass.

A: Pours dark, rich, jet-black with chocolately head. About 1 finger's width of head. The lacing on the sides are quite prevalent!

S: Roasted, smokey malts. Burnt chocolate can also be detected, but not overpowering. Actually none of the smells are overpowering at all.

T: At 1st taste this has lots of malts with hints oc burnt chocolate. Latter on I tastes verious fuity sweetness.

M: Creamy and warm on the tongue,Not as syrupy as other Russian Imperial Stouts can be...which is no knock at all on this stout!

D: A very solid Russian Imperial Stout that can be drunk very quickly! Be careful 'cause that ABV will get ya!!

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 03:13:02 | More by Dhren1979

ProfessorHops

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I served myself this beer in a pint sized frosted mug. Unfortunately this alter the natural appearance. But the bottle I bought was self weight and not refrigerated. I wanted to taste this brew badly and fast. My first Imperial stout...

I poured it into the mug. It's appearance is very bold and sinister. Beer poured like most stouts.

First taste I was surprised in the flavor. A hallow maltness, with elements of spring water and cedar.

The pallet is very fast and the finish seams to strike more earlier than most brews. The finish is long and hard and introduces the accents of the drinks flavor of coffee and chocolate.

I'm more of a fan of easer to drinks beers, and this one is not at all easy to drink. It burns and is very filling, but with that said I really enjoyed this brew. The long finish with it's very detailed avenues of maltness. This beer taste awesome. But drinks honorably. Which is perfect for the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2006 03:26:28 | More by ProfessorHops

Goldopelgt

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours an almost black color with a caramel head that dissipates relatively quickly...decent amount of lacing left on the glass...

S: Roasted sweet malts with a good amount of bitter chocolate that becomes more dominant as it warms and just a hint of coffee...

T: As it smells...Malts up front balanced with chocolate and coffee and just a hint of some dark fruits...relatively bitter finish, but not at all unpleasant...

M: Right amount of carbonation, but seems a little thin for my taste in a RIS...not bad, but lacking something...

D: A very drinkable brew, but seems to be missing something to be a damn good imperial stout...definitely worth a try, but there are better ones out there...

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2010 02:39:56 | More by Goldopelgt

HeightsEats

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma is a nice mix of dark caramel and subtle hops. While the typical sweetness and roasty flavors of a stout are clearly present, a hop backbone comes through as well. Full bodied but not overly sweet, the hop presence and balance of flavors makes this beer quite drinkable (and the alcohol is well-hidden).

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 04:34:30 | More by HeightsEats

WildTurkey

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle to snifter. Cool temp; at least 50'F.

A: Pitch black. No amber light passing through. Tan, mocha color head, about one finger thick. Slightly creamy but with mixed size bubbles. Looks good.

S: Coffee and roasted malts. Little bit of chocolate. I'm also getting a little bit of hops.

T: Lots of roasted malts. Some coffee and dark fruit. Some mild hops and alcohol are coming through at the end. Flavors are well harmonized and smooth but not as strong or complex as some other RIS I've had. Still very good - in my opinion.

M: Great mouthfeel, one of the first things I noticed after drinking. Medium-to-Fuller bodied. Very rich and creamy. It really coats the mouth.

D: A very drinkable stout. Flavor profile is balanced. Stong flavor but nothing too overwhelming. I'm really slugging this back. Very good

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 14:50:01 | More by WildTurkey

shodrod

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This beer pours a 'motor oil' black with no head. Coffee and chocolate dominate the nose. Those two characteristics take front stage in the taste. A slight bourbon hint and notes of hops creep up in the finish. A fantastic beer to warm your bones on a cold night, the Northwind is an amazing example of an imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 04:45:18 | More by shodrod

innersanctum

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A big shout out to my main boilermaker, Jim E for this awseome gift!

Poured this 12 ounce gem into a British pint glass and really enjoyed this smooth stout

Jet black appearance with 2 fingers of foamy tan colored head and retention; this brew looks perfect, and staring at that glass rekindles an image of a British pub

Aroma of a sweet, biscuitty, and dark chocolate notes

Rich, full bodied, toasty malt, balanced with some hops which accentuate the side of my tongue, and a finish with a bit of zing that lingers on the palate. The 9% ABV is not present in the taste, where many stouts this potent are sipper type beers, the alcohol is unobtrusive.

Very balanced, yet medium heavy mouthfeel, which is perfect for tonight's 32F temperature outside

This is a nice easy drinker

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 02:17:15 | More by innersanctum

SisuPride

Tennessee

3.4/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured really dark with a thin head as about as dark tan of a head as you will ever see. The beer smelled good and I woyld not hae guessed it to be over nine percent alcohol but it is. Stout it is! The taste was a more biter than I prefer but it was alright tasting. Mouthfeel was average and oevral a decent stout.l

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 23:57:45 | More by SisuPride

EORS

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had 2 pints of this on draft at my local last night. Happy secretary's (administrative professionals') day!

Appearance: Dark. Dark to the point of opacity. fairly small bit of head to start out with, but it did retain well. Bartender at the local tends to fill pints up to the rim, not that I mind.

Smell: Probably the weakest aspect of the beer - nothing really stood out in terms of hop aroma, maltiness and hints of alcohol covered it up.

Taste: Very smooth, full-bodied malt flavor: sweet caramel and chocolate. Alcohol warms at the end but is hidden very well under the malt. Maybe a tiny bit of hop bitterness but it's hard to tell whether that's a coffeelike acidity or alcohol in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and thick. The sweet heavy malt in this beer combined with the low carbonation made it very smooth, pleasant, and easy to drink.

Overall: Full disclosure, I had no idea of the ABV or style of the beer when I was drinking it. It was billed at my bar as a stout and I enjoyed it greatly as a stout. I can see why people expecting a big imperial stout have been disappointed - the amount of bitterness in the brew really reminds me of a regular or even a sweet. However, the body of the beer, the drinkability, and the nice malt bill made this a very enjoyable beer. Cross "imperial" off the name and I think it would be better reviewed.

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2011 04:38:42 | More by EORS

zebulon

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I poured this in two pours from a 22 oz bomber. Temperature was from my basement at about 55 to 60 deg.

Dark brown/black color formed light brown head on first pour to about 1/2" second pour I was carefull and got 1" head. Head went down fact to thin film. Head looked creamy but I tasted light.

Chocolate aroma with a slight metallic edge.

Taste was chocolate with slight coffee, but had that metallic taste that I objected to. There was also a light fizzy taste at first. Later the fizziness was gone slight sour come out and a taste of dried fig and toffee.

Mouth feel started creamy and declined to light.

OK drink but somewhat disappointing. Kind of a stout light.
We could debate whether this is an a imperial or a chocolate, but really who cares if it is good. This just didn't make the grade. It is almost as if it was brewed for complexity and ended up with slight off flavor and not enough body. At $5.95 a bottle not worth it

Would have given this a 2.6 or 2.7 in some catagories but that is not allowed.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2007 21:56:58 | More by zebulon

Jekster

Indiana

2.78/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Appearance: Pours a deep dark rich brown color with a dark mocha head that dissipates to little or no lacing.

Smell: This beer smells of toasted caramel, dark robust coffee and cream. There is a slight woody character as well like fresh cut oak or a sawed fire wood. There is a slight bready sweetness in the background as well as a dark roasted grain.

Taste: Roasted sweetness carries the foremost flavor in this beer. There is some lite caramel and malt sweetness, but it does not hold a candle light to the almost overpowering roast character. There is a slight acid bitterness in the end as well as minor alcohol notes.

Mouthfeel: This beer is surprisingly thin for an imperial stout. There is a slight slickness and creamy component, but not as thick as you would expect for the style.

Drinkability: This beer is a sipper but not in the traditional sense of an imperial stout. It's more of a sipper because of the strong roast character and slight alcohol hit towards the swallow. I would not drink more than two of these in any sitting.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: This beer did not live up to my expectations. It had a nice aroma, but the flavor is amazingly one dimensional. The roast character dominates and leaves little else to be detected. Moreover, there is a complete lack of the thick chewy coating body that I expect from a high gravity sippable beer. Instead, this beer is quite thin and even dry after the swallow. I think this is very uncharacteristic of the style and not what I really want to sip on a cold winter night. For the price, it's not bad yet I would suggest spending a couple more dollars and picking up one of the better RIS's out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2009 03:33:58 | More by Jekster

dnjmed

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured out into a pint glass. maybe should've broken out a tulip for this. served at about 55 F and rising

Looks awesome. Pitch black even held up to the light. 3/4 inch head that is the color of caramel or maybe even cafe au lait

Smells sweet with note of vanilla possibly. Some good roasted character coming through as well.

Taste is a strong malt profile. I pick out chocolate, vanilla, coffee, sweet cherry but not necessarily in that order. First sip I was pleasantly struck by some good piney hops at the end, but I've settled into the stout now and they're less noticeable but there.

Mouthfeel is very creamy and very enjoyable.

A good beer and a good stout but in this style it's got some tough competition. That being said it's a lot easier to get my hands on than other R.I.S.s. It's definitely keeping me warm on this cold December night

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 05:06:47 | More by dnjmed

--Dom--

Missouri

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Even with a good hard pour, not much head. Less than 1 finger, brown, dissipates quickly. I'm less interested in that than the taste thought, this beer tastes great. Pours a dark brown, nearly black. This is a thick beer.

Smells of roasted malt, slightly burnt aroma, slight coffee aroma as well.

For me, the mouthfeel of this beer is perfect. It doesn't feel too heavy, or too carbonated. Pretty much spot on. Every flavor is there in balance. I taste the roasted malts, hint of coffee, hint of chocolate. Just sweet enough, not too sweet. You really wouldn't guess the high gravity unless you already knew. The alcohol rides along the palate with all the other flavors very well. The finish is great, no biting aftertaste of any kind.

This beer is very strong, but very drinkable. I could definitely have 2 in a night. It isn't perfect, but it's close. I do not consider myself a stout guy, but I really do like this beer a lot. It isn't perfect but it is very good. Well done once again Two Brothers. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:04:38 | More by --Dom--

oreo

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on tap at the Two Brothers Tap House.

Deep black with a 1 finger tan head.

Smells awesome. Tons of coffee and chocolate and roasty malts! This is my type of beer.

Smell is better than the taste. The coffee seemed faded in comparison to the smell, but still noticeable. Chocolate and roasty malts make their presence known throughout this beer. When fresh, this beer has a nice bitter hop finish.

Thick stout mouthfeel.

Very drinkable at 9%. Be careful!

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2011 20:23:41 | More by oreo

moz9

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to bvick7 for the bottle. I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. I chose to review it because I found it to be better than the recent reviews have indicated.

It pours a nice black with a tan brown head. The smell is a little thin at first, but the taste and mouthfeel makes up for it. The roasted grains and chocolate are apparent, yet very smooth.

Overall I think this is just a very good RIS. It's not anything flashy or fancy, but a very enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 02:46:22 | More by moz9

ironbike1

New York

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a very smooth Imperial Stout coming in at 9.10abv.

Dark black with a thin brownish head that fades quick but leaves nice lacing throughout the drink.
Smell is of burnt oak/nuts or chocolate and the taste is smokey,earthy with nuts & with a bitter taste of chocolate in the backdrop. Not a real intense stout but it is very well balanced and hides the abv very well the drinkablility is very high for this style.
excellent beer a must try and a cellar favorite.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 00:41:32 | More by ironbike1

fallopia

Indiana

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a refrigerated bottle into a snifter

Appearance: Deep brown, nearly black color with a fine, beading light-mocha head.

Aroma: Toasted, meaty malts with powdered cocoa hints.

Flavor: Smoky, cocoa and mild coffee notes with a slight burnt aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Well-balanced, medium-to-full bodied malts with a slightly harsh, carbonated finish.

Overall, this was a well-balanced, slightly lighter than expected stout that I would rate in the upper half of its class.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 01:42:44 | More by fallopia

willseph

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass, dark as midnight, one finger head (dark clay in color) that stuck around for the duration of the beer. Right away, the nose reminded me of slightly burnt toast and whiskey with a touch of piney hops. Not a bad combo actually. Lots of lacing all the way through the beer.

The toasted malt taste overpowers anything else on the front end, but there is a slight taste of toffee & chocolate (like a Heath bar). The back end is subtle hops, but I was still tasting the malt. Definitely a heavy, chunky feeling beer. Let it sit out a bit, it gets better toward the upper 40 degrees. I was impatient, and I wish I had waited.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 18:18:25 | More by willseph

mecummins

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A- poured a dark dark brown color. Very rich looking. Produced a 1 & 1/2 finger dark tan head. The foam dissipated very quickly, however, leaving a thin film to cover the beer. Bits of lacing here and there, but nothing really exciting.

S- dark chocolate, coffee and some roasted malts. There was a sweetness there as well.

T- sort of disappointing at first. The taste did not live up to the aroma at all. There was a harsh alcohol taste on the front note, followed by the bitterness of the chocolate & coffee. As it warmed though, it grew a bit sweeter and better balanced. I enjoyed it a lot more after it sat out for 20 minutes or so.

M- very lush and rich mouthfeel. It had a chewy quality to it. Medium finish

O- it was a decent stout that I'd drink again, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 03:29:32 | More by mecummins

JimboHD2005

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

By far, one of the best imperial stouts I've had. I am so pleased that Two Brothers brought this back to six packs again this year.

This poures pitch black with no light coming through in a snifter held towards light, even at the upper edges. Looks just what I expect from an Imperial Stout. Has a slight quarter inch or so head that disapates after a couple of minutes.

Scents of carmel, toffee and chocolate come through nicely without being overpowering.

Notes of a deep chocolate, rich maltiness and slight bitterness. Malt is nicely balanced with the hop bitterness.

Very easy to drink and will be picking up more of this to share with friends. A perfect warmer in this bitter winter (-19 today).

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2009 03:50:54 | More by JimboHD2005

FishHeadLover

Tennessee

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Love this brewery so I was really looking forward to this one.
A- Poured black with a little thickness, brown head that laced around the edge of the glass.
S- Smelled of slight coffee and chocolate.
T- Taste was smooth with hints of chocolate and coffee. The ABV was lighter than I am use to in an imperial but it went well with the taste.
M- Not as chewy as some imperials but it had a coating on the tougue that was nice.
D- Very drinkable very smooth and finished without any hint of burnt coffee.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2009 19:33:48 | More by FishHeadLover