25th Anniversary Imperial Stout - Lakefront Brewery, Inc.

Ri0

Wisconsin

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A – A nice deep almost obsidian hue with no light coming through. A nice rich dark almond head sits atop and dissipates into a thin ring around my snifter. No noticeable amount of lacing.

S – A good wiff gives me baker’s chocolate, cocoa nibs, and a very faint fruit smell. Hints of vanilla and malts also present.

T – The taste surprised me as I wasn’t expecting it to be so rich with chocolate cover cherry flavor. I really enjoyed drinking this and the cherry became even more noticeable as the beer warmed and calmed the chocolate bitterness. It is not dominate cherry flavor, but it tastes great with the chocolate.

M – A nice rich creamy mouth feel. I didn’t find it too thin for a stout. I did not pick up any booze for a 10% ABV beer.

O – This was a very nice surprise from LFB, and is a very nice attempt at a stout. I wish they would make this a winter seasonal as another beer I would buy from them.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 23:58:52 | More by Ri0

barrelofbastard

California

4/5  rDev +2.8%

05-18-2013 20:24:18 | More by barrelofbastard

NSK79

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -10%

05-17-2013 19:48:21 | More by NSK79

eliz108

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

05-17-2013 15:14:53 | More by eliz108

plumcrazyfx

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +2.8%

05-15-2013 20:48:44 | More by plumcrazyfx

Mike

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +2.8%

05-15-2013 00:05:03 | More by Mike

guityler83

Wisconsin

3.99/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25

A: Motoroil black, not a speck of light shines through when held to a lamp. Dark chocolate head that pours a meager half finger in size and quickly falls away only leaving a ring around the edge of my snifter.

S: A subtle sweet mocha and gingerbread aroma comes first as the beer warms sour cherry comes out

T: Cocoa nibs, gram cracker and sweet cherry on my first impression. A small amount of spicy hop bitterness as well. Warming up the beer becomes more complex and the cherry becomes mellower. There is a roastyness in the beer aswell but with so much going on in the malt profile in this beer its hard to distinguish the flavors im tasting.

M: Very low carbonation with a big body and a wee bit of warming alcohol. Lingering cherry driven astringancy that comes of almost chalky (subtle however).

O: I think this beer will age well and the harsher flavors will mellow out even more then it did after warming it up. As is, the cherry vibe i'm getting is dominating my pallet and coming through as a bit astringant.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 02:19:21 | More by guityler83

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.86/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Picked this up at Top Hops a few weeks back, hoping that this would be as good as the Wisconsinite or the Local Acre Lager. Although there are so many beers in this category that stand out from the pack, this wasn't one of those particularly worth seeking out. With that being said, this was a good offering to enjoy if the high alcoholic content wasn't enough to seem offsetting!

The pour to this was dark with a pretty dark with a head that was present but not strong and hardly any lacing to be seen. Not much of an aroma here, which was odd given the prevalence of alcohol and espresso in the taste. That was backed up by a lot of dark fruit like cherry and fig, currant, pumpernickel-like spice, and grainy, powdery chocolate. The carbonation was present and light and the strong, boozy licorice-like mouthfeel stuck around for quite a while in the aftertaste. There was a lot here but it all worked together with the alcohol tying everything in together pretty nicely.

I only bought one bottle of this and that was enough for a sitting. It didn't have anything to do with the taste, but just with the overt strength of this beer. While it's not as roasted or thick as other American Double/Imperial Stouts, I was pleased with how this turned out and enjoyed sipping on it. It was creamy enough to be smooth and go down easily, even though there was quite a bit to ponder as I slowly sipped it. Worth a try for anyone who likes a dark beer with good Belgian notes to it.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 20:38:21 | More by JerzDevl2000

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

05-08-2013 03:20:19 | More by DoubleSimcoe

jplopez21

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.8%

05-07-2013 03:48:14 | More by jplopez21

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +2.8%

05-06-2013 22:17:17 | More by kylehay2004

sweemzander

Illinois

4.24/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Thanks for sharing Chris!

(A)- Pours practically pitch black in color with some good tan froth and minimal lacing behind it.

(S)- A nice and rich chocolatey and raisin profile. Ever so slight hints at roasted caramel.

(T)- A nicely rich raisin and piney citrus meets bitter cocoa and subtle sweet caramel.

(M)- A good carbonation level. A nice bittering effect meets roasted but sweet malts.

(O)- A really nice balance of bitterness meets sweet roasted malts with a nice carbonation level. Always been a fan of Lakefront and this definitely works for me!

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 17:32:08 | More by sweemzander

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours viscous, jet black and completely opaque with a half finger mocha head that immediately settles into a thin, lasting ring. Minimal spotty lacing left behind.

Slightly smokey, roasted dark malt aroma with strong chocolate and coffee character. Hints of ash, charcoal and burnt toast followed by dark chocolate powder, used coffee grinds, oatmeal and licorice. I usually like smokey aroma but this smells more burnt than anything with a bit of chocolate.

On the lighter end of medium body with a blend of smoke, deeply roasted malt and sweet chocolate. Very dry and bitter but never becomes overly acrid with ash, burnt toast, oatmeal and stale coffee beans. This is countered by a much sweeter chocolate presence than anticipated. Hints of caramel, toffee, silky dessert like chocolate and lactose sugar. There's also some licorice, dark fruit and boozy sweetness rounding things out in the finish. The high ABV is nicely masked and the sweetness in the finish make it easier to drink but its still a little heavy on the smoked/burnt malt for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 08:32:58 | More by corby112

Ego

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

eyes...
pours like oil, black with no foreseeable exit for light, epic black hole of a hue, dark tan head fades rather quickly converting into the familiar o ring, lacing is a bit spotty but this does leave a leggy trail of booze along the glass, not much else to report here

nose...
dark rum, sweet molasses, dry cocoa , vanilla extract, pretty subdued but very together, nice

taste etc...
moderately heavy mouthfeel with a nice kiss of carbonation spank, it motions in to coat your mouth in the after hours, slightly slick and oily, light booze infiltrates, slightly chocolate infused raisins and dry cocoa powder, very easy drinking, the real flavor seems to kick in on the aftertaste, a real feel of chocolate candy bar residue, this gets better by the sip

verdict?
damn tasty, sort of lulls you into non appreciation but then delivers in a stealth manner, really nice finish on this

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 04:14:11 | More by Ego

krl2112

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

05-04-2013 02:16:32 | More by krl2112

mychalg9

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.8%

05-03-2013 05:24:40 | More by mychalg9

BYOFB

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

05-03-2013 04:09:00 | More by BYOFB

sleuthdog

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured into Bruery tulip

Pour: Black beer with a two finger frothy light brown head. Lacing seems modest and alcohol legs are definitely visible.

Smell: Roast malts, dark fruits, some char, bitter dark chocolate like bakers chocolate. A faint whiff of vanilla and some molasses.

Taste: Up front I get the roasted malts, bitter chocolate with some bitter coffee and almost a hop like bitterness. There is some of the molasses and vanilla noted in the nose but what gives this a twist is the tartness that is tart cherry like. Finish is more bitterness with the roasted malts following through. This is almost like a chocolate covered cherry.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and creamy. Somewhat oily and slick.

Overall: I love me BA stouts but this is interesting and well done. Really find the tartness to make it more complex.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 01:02:52 | More by sleuthdog

shagens

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +2.8%

05-01-2013 22:03:51 | More by shagens

smooth_aleing

Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Didn't know what to expect from this, but was pleasantly surprised. Pours a great coffee-copper head, settling down with good lacing. Right away the nose is strong with cherries, brandy, and a hint of vanilla. Dried fruits and plums open up when tasted, with a nice, drawn-out espresso and dark chocolate finish. Beautiful deep black color, complimented nicely by the mocha froth. Good mouthfeel, nice carbonation. Overall a very good imperial stout, well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 18:50:28 | More by smooth_aleing

doucmehu

Wisconsin

2/5  rDev -48.6%

04-27-2013 04:22:50 | More by doucmehu

xdtfx

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.8%

04-26-2013 04:24:46 | More by xdtfx

mdfb79

New York

4.01/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 04/21/13 notes. 8 oz. pour on tap 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 very nice.

s - Smells of chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, dark chocolate, light vanilla, and some toasted malts. Nice nose.

t - Tastes of dark chocolate, roasted malts, sweet dark fruits, cherries, caramel malts, burnt malts, toasted malts, and some light vanilla notes. Slight step up from the nose for me.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Very light alcohol present, would have liked it to be a little bit thicker.

o - Overall a pretty nice stout, and definitely the best beer I've had from Lakefront. The description sounded great and it is very good, though the cherries and vanilla are pretty light, though they are present. Worth checking out and would have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2013 14:45:22 | More by mdfb79

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.24/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

No one at my local haunt knew much of anything about this beer, so I knew I had to take on the mantle of the guinea pig. It's a dirty job... This stuff pours a very deep black-brown topped by a finger of brown foam. The nose comprises perfume-y dark cocoa, a kiss of coffee, and a melange of raisin, Port, and plum that seems to wash o'er all in perpetual waves, allowing the usual stout notes only pockets of airy freedom. The taste starts off on a dash with the cocoa, some roasted malts, and a hint of vanilla. Still, with the heft of the beer, the taste is more of a marathon, with the prune-y and Port-y flavors holding tight with the early leaders near the finish line. It's better, but it's still odd, resulting in me thinking "It's just...lacking..." The body is a hefty medium, with a light carbonation and a thickly-creamy feel. Overall, this one just didn't do it for me. The weird fruity notes detract from what seems like something that could have been a pretty solid stout. This must be the liquid equivalent of those awkward anniversaries we often see on sitcoms and in classic comedy routines...

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 07:04:49 | More by TMoney2591

Mdog

Minnesota

3.96/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: Black, ok head.

Smell: Dark fruit, molasses, roasted notes, bit of chocolate. Lots going on, good smell.

Taste: Very fruity-dark fruits at first, then some sweetened chocolate, then back to fruity with a moderately dry chocolate finish. The fruit notes definitely take charge over chocolate and roasted notes in this beer.

Overall: Picked up one of these to try. It's probably the most dark fruit-forward imperial stout (that wasn't Belgian-inspired) that I've had. Chocolate covered cherries with very mild chocolate and strongly flavored cherries. Pretty good, interesting stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 16:33:23 | More by Mdog