North-Wind Imperial Stout - Two Brothers Brewing Company

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A rough pour brings up a full tan head over an opaque black body. When held to the light, reddish-mahogany highlights are visible at the base of the glass and just below the surface. The head drops fairly quickly; but it does maintain a thin surface covering and leaves some tight, spotty lace. Roasty notes dominate the aroma. It's quite black-coffee-ish with a decent amount of prune-like fruitiness thrown in, and even some sweetish dark chocolate. The moderate carbonation is very fine; and helps to boost the creamy character of its surprisingly only medium body. Rich flavor, however, is where this beer shines. It's loaded with notes of bittersweet chocolate, burnt caramel, dark fruit skins, black cherry, burnt "late-night diner" coffee, blackstrap molasses, and leafy hops. It finishes dry and bitter, but not overly long, with a residual coffee/chocolate roastiness. Well-balanced and nicely done. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2003 18:37:55 | More by NeroFiddled

BeerBuilder

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black, with a light, creamy brown head. Leaves good lacing. The aroma is chocolatey, with a deep roastiness toward the end. The flavor is chocolately up front, it then flows to a light roasty, coffee-like flavor. It finishes dry with burnt roast malt bitterness. The texture is somewhat oily and creamy. A very tasty full-bodied brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2003 06:11:30 | More by BeerBuilder

cretemixer

Indiana

3.35/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours deepest opaque brown, with a thin tan head that fades fast leaving a “cling-ring”. I can see some floaties lurking near the side of my glass.
Malty coffee aroma. Bready with a smoked barley aroma too.
Slightly acidic first taste with weak coffee flavors. It seems a little lacking for an Imperial Stout. Not bad, nicely balanced, just a little less complex than the style dictates. Finishes thin, with a little alcohol warmth.
Lighter body that most Imperials with appropriate carbonation. Drinkability is a toss up. It goes down pretty smooth and easy, but I was hoping for something a little more satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2003 15:20:26 | More by cretemixer

AudioGilz

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

If this wasn't an imperial, I would have a little more higher ratings for it. But it just isn't cut out for the real imperials out there. It's a good stout, and that's it. It's opaque black with a medium-sized and thick creamy tan head. The aroma is strong roasted malts and hints of chocolate. The flavor is very roasty, robust porter-like in a way, kind of sweet, with a nice bitterness coming through on the finish. I found some sourness on the finish as well, kind of annoying. It's kinda worth a try maybe sorta....I dunno. I won't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2003 21:26:25 | More by AudioGilz

ZAP

Minnesota

3.03/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I can't believe they call this an Imperial Stout...It's a decent tasting "Stout" if you leave the "Imperial" out of it...It is medium bodied rather than over-the-top thick...the nose is mainly cocoa and coffee beans but very soft....the taste is burnt malts and some coffee beans but lacks complexity....finishes with a bit of a hop bite which is surprising given the low IBU...Call this a "Stout" and it rates high "3's"...as an "Imperial" I feel I'm being generous giving it low "3"'s...no carbonation at all hardly and that combined with the creamy texture allows this to be very drinkable as a "Stout"...not as an Imperial...I want more....I deserve more....If a beer is called Imperial it should have more than just a high ABV..I feel like I'm being too hard on this because as I drink it is is pretty decent....it's just not close to being a good "Imperial Stout"...

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2003 21:28:13 | More by ZAP

Bighuge

Minnesota

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

Ink black color. Little head. A thin rimming of brown lace. Nice aroma of roasted coffee bean and bittersweet chocolate. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Only about medium bodied. Low carbonation lends to a nice drinkability. But the flavor profile isn't as "Bighuge" as I'd like it to be. There are the bittersweet chocolate tones. Cocoa tones. Java tones. And low bitterness for an Imperial. (The A/V is 7.5% and the IBUs are 45. Mild for an IS.) This would make for one helluva dry stout, but as an Imperial, it just doesn't stack up.

This is not a great Imperial Stout, but it is better than their Iditorod Imperial Stout from the same Brewery I had a few years ago.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2003 21:21:59 | More by Bighuge

marcobrau

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Not quite as strong as some Imperial Stouts, at only 7 percent alcohol by volume,but still a very tasty stout. The most dominant malt flavor is that of chocolate malt. Good hop and malt balance, though the malt tends to dominate the flavor profile. This stout isn't very roasty and tends toward being sweet. It is relatively big bodied, but not huge enough to be called "Imperial." A decent stout, but better examples of this style are out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2003 18:58:56 | More by marcobrau

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

maxpower

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark ruby-black in color, has a small tightly bubbled tan head. Sweet, roasted caremel and coffee aroma, sweet plum-caremel flavor. Medium-body with creamy, smooth and slick mouthfeel, seems a little light for the style, still all in all decent stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2003 10:49:26 | More by maxpower

MJR

Missouri

3.35/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Has a very dark brown body that is completely opaque. There's no head to speak of...it's starts as a small fizz of bubbles and disappears completely.

Smell: Aroma of roasted malt and coffee. There's a very faint green hop smell hidden deep in the muck...

Taste: Has a nice balance of roasted malt flavor and hop bitterness. A touch of a burnt flavor makes itself known towards the end. Has that same green hop flavor from the aroma. Finishes with a slight sour note. A little lacking in the complexity department...

Mouthfeel: The body's a bit thin for an Imperial Stout. On thickness alone, this would be just enough for a porter.

Drinkability: It's not a bad brew...it's just a little mediocre compared to it's competition. Why drink this when there are other Imperials with more body and character? At least the alcohol is hidden well...

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2003 17:17:43 | More by MJR

cokes

Wisconsin

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Muddy dark brown pour, ends up essentially black with a healthy tan head.
Nose full of dark roast coffee, and bitter chocolate. Fainter, plums try to stake this as imperial, but fail.
Flavor profile seems to rest somewhere between a milk- and a dry stout, although beefed up a bit. Big roasted malts, chocolate and mocha notes are the major factors here. There is a good deal of caramel sweetness which mingles congenially with the lactic qualities. Lingering in the distance are some molasses and plums, providing the only hints of Imperialness. Hopping enter and mixes with the continuing roastedness to make the finish very dry.
Mouthfeel is creamy, in a skim milk type fashion, but it is void of the sweet, clinging, heftiness that should be present.
Easy drinker, and a pretty decent stout overall. I gave it some leeway because of this. However it is lacking in most imperial catagories.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2003 21:56:16 | More by cokes

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Opaque, murky almost black appearance, with a residual reddish-skim head. Aromas seem decent, promise fruits and some burnt java. Slightly oily mouthfeel, malting is dry and somewhat Irish-style in some senses. A bit of anise and plum to the impression with a full swallow. Bitterness in the aftertaste, some from the hops, and it builds with continued sips. Overall, I liked this beer, but without interesting sweet complex tones it lacks as a brew in the Imperial Stout category.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2002 08:24:10 | More by ADR

Winter

Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured out a nearly an opaque black with only a "surface" head (or practically no head) that was brown and faded to nothing. Thin chunky lacing that slides back down the side of the glass. Aroma consisted of dark roasted coffee and roasted malt. Fair carbonation on the tongue. Mouthfeel is thin and smooth, being just a tad bit watery. Robust roasted malt middle with an introduction to a bitterness that resumes in the finish. Dry finish that has a stale coffee taste and seems slightly oily. Bottle label lists alcohol by volume as 7.5 %. An okay Imperial stout that would be better is it had a little more body and a more complex finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2002 10:17:14 | More by Winter