Scratch Beer 83 - 2012 (¿Impending Descent?) - Tröegs Brewing Company

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

4.79/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Thanx to my parents for bringing this up from PA this past weekend:

Into a nonic:

A: black colored body, barely any head appeared initially and then gradually as the beer was finally poured, a dark tan foamy head just decided to rise (weird, impending descent, or is this the "impending ascent). Light clingy lacing appeared around the nonic.

S: layered between hops, dark chocolate and coffee at different times, it really messed with me as I was trying to figure this one out, nice complexity.

T: sweet and bitter at different times. Some added vanilla was tasted closer to the end of the beer.

M: heavy and had nothing harsh on the tongue. It coated my tongue and mouth like a good RIS should, lotsa creaminess comin' through. The aftertaste was bitter and the finish was sticky. This is not sessionable, good night after this.

O: this is good for its style and awesome to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 01:27:34 | More by kangarooAdam59

dar482

New York

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I had this at Pony Bar in Hell's Kitchen.

It comes in a deep black color with a little white head with some brown in it.

It has a great aroma for a Russian Imperial and tasting it, it is even better. It comes with a punch of more flavors that I would expect. I would compare it to the Alesmith Speedway Stout, but with a lighter body and more complex flavors. It has a good amount of chocolate, malt, sweetness, and a fantastic round body to it.

Possibly my favorite Russian Imperial, just a wonderful beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2013 04:23:30 | More by dar482

robieobie1

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Great looking RIS. Pitch black with a dark tan 2 finger head.

S- At first I get some dark berry and a good amount of earthy hops. As the glass warms I get more of the roasty aspects...

T- This beer needs to be served on a handpull... It is served way too cold. When it is colder i get some off flavors... As the beer warms up to 60 or so all of these flavors meld nicely. I then pick up some figgy notes as well as some dark chocolate or cocoa as well as a bit of coffee. Good amount of what i would call earthy hops in this one.. with a slight alcohol burn on the backend.

M- Again with the temperature thing.... Seems a little thing when too cold... but once its at room temp it is creamy and smooth... very nice mouthfeel.

O- Great beer... just has to be warmed up a bit. Will definately be aging it for awhile to see how the burn and hops fade and meld together. High hopes.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2012 13:53:12 | More by robieobie1

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle came my way from the inimitable team of Wisler and Murren. Those PA boys are allright for a couple of white kids from the east coast.

Anyway--
Served this guy in my handy and serviceable Founder's snifter.

Dark. Very dark. Looks a little thin, but GREAT head, lacing, an retention.

Smells roasty and chocolatey. Little molasses and a slight char. The flavor has a a nice bitter bite but a pleasant sweetness up front. Bitter cocoa lingers with a slight roasty coffee-like bitterness on the finish.

Big, hefty beer. Feels velvety and smooth. Well carbonated.

Overall-- I like it. If this were on shelves in 6 packs I would absolutely buy it.
Well played Troegs. Well played.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 03:42:18 | More by AleWatcher

beermanbrian

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler fresh from the brewery. I've been looking forward to this one.

Pours a pitch black with a nice frothy mocha head. Sticky lacing. Smell hits you with chocolate that dominates. Taste is sweet chocolate up front with a tremendous bitter finish and a nice bourbon aftertaste. Each flavor dominates and then blends nicely into a perfect blend. Heavy thick body. Just a wonderful overall brew that would be a great candidate for a winter seasonal (hint hint Chris and John). Definately going to put a few of these in the cellar to age. Not that it's not great now but as the flavors mature this could become exceptional. Get it while you can.

Serving type: growler

12-13-2012 01:39:30 | More by beermanbrian

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown to black with a brown sugar colored head that is nice and thick but not too much. Good lacing. Smells of dark, rich malts. Taste is thick - in ways like a chocolate shake. Heavy dose of chocolate, honey, heavy bread but for a winter brew almost perfect. High alcohol is well masked. A really enjoyable brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2012 21:08:27 | More by Oakenator

johnnybgoode

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler filled 2 months ago -!- Very thick gooey syrupy pour - long lasting head. lots of resin, hops roasty toasty chocolate coffee beans - a very complex stout. The 11% abv is pretty well hidden. Recommended for a dreary February day, like today. Glad I have tomorrow off....

Serving type: growler

02-23-2013 19:11:08 | More by johnnybgoode

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

TROEGS : Scratch Beer #83 : Impending Descent

LOOK: Very dark brown, deep , ominous, imperial looking. worthy of a czar, or at least myself. Off white tan head forms and leaves some lace.

SMELL: Deeply roasted malt, smoke, hint of dark fruits, and alcohol. Very roasty and smoke filled aroma. Smells good.

TASTE: Char, roast, black coffee and alcohol flavor. Not too hot, there is a good depth of roasted and even dark chocolate notes. Moderate leafy, mildly citric hop character helping with the bitterness, but this is not a hop forward ale. Touch of vanilla as it warms. This is a beastly stout for beasts.

FEEL: Medium to full bodied, not too heavy given the strength. Oh so smooth and velvety with some roast, spicy booze and chocolate riding out the finish.

OVERALL: A rather enjoyable Russian Imperial Stout. Troegs needs this style in the regular lineup. I think this could be a suitor for a regular release.

Serving type: growler

01-01-2013 02:55:48 | More by Stinkypuss

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wow! This beer is awesome. Poured into a small margarita glass at Mad Mex during a Troegs special. Some obvious lacing. Seems pitch black. Smell is of burnt espresso. Just okay aroma, but the taste is superb. I get notes of vanilla, wood, chocolate, light roast, and just layer after layer of velvety creamy goodness texture. Doesn't seem like 10.9% ABV but I know this one will kick my a-hole real soon. Thick and full bodied. A true gift from Troegs. Thank you!

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2013 21:20:27 | More by jwhancher

yourefragile

District of Columbia

4.4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Frisco's, served in a chalice.

Pours a viscous, opaque mocha black with a retentive dark tan head. Thick sheets of lace and a thick collar. Roasty, chocolate aroma, typical RIS. Flavor is chocolate, cocoa, light citrus, resin and roast malt; very balanced.. Chewy, thicker body, dry and roasty finish. Very little booze or heat. Reminds me of Old Rasputin, but a little less hoppy and a little more chocolate and roast malt? Enjoyed this a lot fresh on draft

Serving type: on-tap

12-12-2012 21:30:19 | More by yourefragile

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at the brewery.

A - Pours jet black with a nice one finger tall khaki colored tan head, dissipating down to a light film and then nothing at all, leaving small streaks of lace down parts of the glass.

S - Smells of milk chocolate, vanilla, coffee, a surprising amount of citric hops and plenty of dark roasted malt. The sweeter aromas die down as it warms up and more of the roasty aromas begin to take over, along with some whiffs of booze.

T - Starts off with plenty of dark roast, chocolate and vanilla slowly giving way to hints of coffee grounds, cocoa powder and the citric hop resin. The booze is ever present, less so at first, growing stronger and stronger as it sits in the glass. Finish is quite roasty with a decent amount of booze, lingering on the palate for quite awhile after each sip.

M - Heavy body with moderate carbonation. Smooth, roasty feel from start to finish. The booze is mild initially growing as it sits in the glass. Very nice balance throughout.

O - One of the best scratch beers in quite some time. It has all the right flavors and while the hops are stronger than average I thought they worked well with the darker base flavors. Get this one while you can, I doubt it will be around for very long.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2012 20:11:10 | More by orangesol

BeerIsland

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was a very tasty beer that kept its act together right through room temp warming. Rich, dark, and roastytoasty; this is an extremely drinkable beer for all its heft. The Thursday evening crowd was enthusiastically enjoying the "Trips" and Descent on a clear, cold night. These guys can make anything they want. Let 'er rip.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2012 00:20:15 | More by BeerIsland

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle served into a tulip glass.

A: Deep black, thick on the pour with faint dark brown edges. Impressive rocky, foamy dark tan head forms and sticks around for the remainder of the drink. Great lacing and retention cap.

S: Dark chocolate, cocoa, heavily roasted malts, sampling of smoke and dark fruit. A sharp, bitter hop note comes through too giving the aroma nice cut.

T: Massive Russian Imperial Stout qualities up-front. Dark chocolate, roasted malt, smoke, stone fruits, and dark roast coffee. Mid-palate and the back end brings a wash of bitter hops over the palate completely changing course for the beer. It's extremely welcomed and integrated perhaps too well.

M: Highly drinkable with a thinner body than expected. Still a nice feel for the style but it could use a bit more body if we're nitpicking.

An impressive beer from Troegs, and I have to give credit where credit is due. They've been missing a beer like this from their portfolio. This would make a powerful contender to add to their year-round or seasonal line-up.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 18:23:14 | More by ShanePB

tipfortap

New York

4.35/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

5 words to describe it: Milk Chocolate, Chewy, Malty, Roasty, Brash

Paired it with: A second helping

Should have paired it with: Alone as dessert, or with chocolate dipped berries

Drink it if you like: Chocolate/coffee milkshakes, Kaluha & Coffee

A few other thoughts: They say they brewed it in anticipation of the possible end of the world, but now that that has passed, I would save it for the end of your meal. This is not going to pair well with food, and that is just fine, because you will want to sip it and stare into a fire. Or something. I don’t know your life! Just find this and drink it!

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 17:15:51 | More by tipfortap

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.28/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – The beer is served a black color with a one finger cola brown head. The head fades relatively fast to give a good level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is a sweet blend of light chocolate, vanilla and molasses. Mixed with these smells are notes of a a earthy and citrus hop , some coffee and a very light bourbon smell.

Taste – The taste is on the sweeter side overall, but is nicely balanced by roasted and malty flavors as well. It begins with flavors of a dark brown bread mixed with molasses and brown sugar sweetness. A sweet chocolate cake flavor mixed with vanilla come to the tongue. Some more roasted malt accompanied by a lighter earthy hop flavor as well as a good bourbon alcohol flavor come to the tongue at the end, and with the sweet leave a very satisfying roasted boozy sweet flavor to linger on in the mouth.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the creamier side with a rather average carbonation level . The creamy body is nice for the darker, sweet and bourbon flavors of the brew allowing them all to linger and be fully sensed by the tongue.

Overall –This is one fantastic imperial stout. It has a nice blend of sweet, malt, roast, booze and hop. I hop they make this more then just a rotation. Troegs needs a good permanent imperial stout and I think they have it with this one. Delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2012 01:09:22 | More by Darkmagus82

mdanberg

Delaware

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

FIrst review written here, so forgive me for not going into too much detail.

A - Jet black, very light, tan head.

S- Very strong, dark chocolate notes.

T- Lots of chocolate here up front followed by darker chocolate. The alcohol hits a little bit near the end.

M- Fairly smooth.

O- This one is a fairly interesting beer for me. Definitely feels like the Troegs style. First one of the scratch series I've tried and I'd definitely recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 03:11:01 | More by mdanberg

mdfb79

New York

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

From 02/20/13 notes. Been wanting to try this one for a while, glad to see it on tap. 8 oz. pour at Pony Bar in NYC on the UES.

a - Pours a pitch black color with one inch of dark tan head and moderate carbonation evident. Looks great like a big RIS should.

s - Smells of bakers chocolate, sweet milk chocolate, roasted malts, dark fruits, coffee, toasted malts, light smokey malts, caramel, and burnt malts. Very nice nose; loads of chocolate to it. I like it a lot.

t - Tastes of milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, roasted malts, alcohol, toasted malts, licorice, smokey malts, burnt malts, caramel, some sweet dark fruits. Taste is a little sweeter and more milk chocolate which I like, and some more alcohol is present as well.

m - Full bodied stout and low to moderare carbonation. Thick and chewy; very nice mouthfeel. The only thing holding it back from a higher score is that the alcohol is still a bit present in the taste.

o - Overall I really liked this RIS; one of the better new Troegs beers I've had in a while. Loads of chocolate to it and a nice sweet taste. It is a strong beer, and the alcohol is present in the taste, so it is a sipper for sure, but it is very good. Would definitely get it again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2013 18:04:57 | More by mdfb79

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.24/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Piper's Pub the other day.

The beer pours the expected blackish brown color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is attractive and impressive as well, as I get a considerable amount of vanilla, coffee grounds and dark chocolate, along with a hint of licorise. The flavor profile replicates trhe nose pretty closely in this moderate sweet stout, though there's some bitterness and light licorise in the finish that helps to counter that sweetness somewhat. Mouthfeel is fairly full, with a long, soft, almost creamy finish. Alcohol is well integrated into the flavor profile, though you can tell it's up there.

A very nice effort from Troegs. Very tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2013 17:01:23 | More by johnmichaelsen

TWStandley

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on draft at The Grill Next Door - Haverhill, MA.

Poured a jet black color with a burnt mocha one-finger head.

Smell is dominated by dark fruits and sweetness. A bit of chocolate and licorice mixed in as well.

Almost identical to the smell is the taste. Very sweet yet hearty. Lots of dark fruit tastes backed by some hop bitterness and chocolate notes.

ABV is not apparent in the taste. Thick but not too syrupy.

Overall, a treat. Would like to see this bottled.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 02:14:59 | More by TWStandley

russwbeck

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer pours out jet black with a finger or so of brown head. The head lasts a long time, coating the inside of my glass as it goes down. 4

S: The smell is very sweet, and much more complex than I was expecting from a Scratch offering. Sweet chocolate, licorice, dark fruits, some roasted malts, and even a faint citrus aroma from the hops. It's very inviting and I have a hard time taking a sip because all I want to do is smell it. 4

T: The taste does not disappoint either. The sweetness is kicked up even more, with a bit of heat from the alcohol at the end. Chocolate helps the beer ride into the sunset on your palate, apparently like our existence as the name would exist. Roasted malt makes an appearance as does some molasses. The roast really attacks the palate right in the middle and lingers throughout. 4

MF: Full bodied and carbonated well. The hit of booze reminds you that this is not a beer to be messed with, but doesn't hurt the drinkability. 4.5

O: Best Scratch beer since the #55 Double IPA. Really knocked this one out of the park Troegs. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 02:48:56 | More by russwbeck

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.11/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from tap into pint at south park tavern Dayton. Pours a deep black with tan lacing. Nice roasted malt and chocolate vanilla aromas
Taste is silky chocolate and roasted malts. Hints of vanilla and a slight hop bitter finish. Its really smooth and easy drinker but hits hard. Nice brew id get this again for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2013 21:20:17 | More by DrinkSlurm

GregSVT

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a dark brown with a big brown head that fades to a ring and leaves a good amount of lacing on the glass.

S: The nose has a nice amount of cocoa, molasses, and citrus from the hops.

T: The taste is similar with nice notes of cocoa/chocolate, molasses, a bit of vanilla, and some citrus on the finish.

M: The feel is creamy and on the fuller side of medium.

O: Decent beer but could use a bit less citrus from the hops. The mouthfeel is really excellent on this one though which makes the chocolate flavors come forward a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 22:41:32 | More by GregSVT

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on 2012-12-28 in Hershey, PA at the brewery. Note, this firkin is part of the Full Moon series. From the Troeg's website:

"Well folks, it appears that the Mayans were full of it. Yes indeed, the planet is still intact, so what better way to celebrate than with a few firkins of our Doomsday beer? We will tap the first firkin of ¿Impending Descent? at 3 p.m. on Friday, December 28. We’ve doused this already outlandish beer with even more goodies to intensify the flavor profile – vanilla beans, Mexican cinnamon, and a fruit blend of cherries and raisins prepared especially by our chef. Don’t wait for another Mayan faux pas. The earth survived… and so did the moon!"

A - Very dark brown with a 1.5 finger fluffy brown head and good lacing.

S - Quite different than the original batch with a big dollop of raisin bread added to the abundant aromas of dark bitter chocolate, dark roasted grain, and hop spiciness.

T - Toasted raisin bread plus cherries and vanilla to compliment the original dark and semi-sweet chocolate, very dark roasted grain, vegetal, char, figgy pudding, molasses, expresso, and roasted bitterness. Finish is quite a bit sweeter than the original.

M - Thick body and light-medium carbonation. Creamy, rich, a bit too syrupy.

O - I enjoyed this holiday-themed twist but preferred the original significantly more.

Serving type: cask

12-29-2012 21:49:12 | More by Tucquan

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. Black with a angry looking dark mocha head. This maintains a big robust look to it. Smells of chocolate, vanila, acrid roast, dark fruit and spicy alcohol sweetness. The nose is very heavy with that dark fruit character. The taste is similar, with an aggressive mix of citric bitterness, burnt roasted coffee and pithy dark fruits. Sticky notes of chocolate, vanilla and caramel add a bold balancing nature to this. Feel is medium bodied with a firm carb that blows up a bit but is undercut by some chewiness. Alcohol adds a warm spicy sweetness to the flavor profile but is never overly hot feeling. That 11% is really well hid here and adds just the right amount of character to this. This is definitely brash and a bit unrefined with its flavors (especially that roast) but it still managed to stay mostly smooth and balanced for the size and aggressiveness of it. This is an interesting take on an Imperial Stout that seems to change every time I have it.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 17:58:14 | More by Kegatron

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.01/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle received via Growling at the Moon. Thanks for the brew, Dan!

Poured into an imperial pint, formed a 3/4"dark brown head over the opaque dark brown/black brew. Thick head fades ever so slowly, with leggy slow-falling lace. Aroma is green hops, dark sweetness, and alcohol.

Taste starts rich and darkly sweet, a peek of fruit in the middle, and aggressive hop bitterness and boozy alcohol through the close. That said, the flavors, which assertive, do all blend together nicely. Mouthfeel is slickerly smooth, and drinkability is way too easy for what this brew is. Scary good brew, a pleasant treat.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 00:15:02 | More by ppoitras