The Pour: I felt like I was sitting underneath the car changing my long overdue oil.  This baby is black, really black.  A nice dark tan head comes to the surface of this viscous bubbling caldron of a beer.  The beer likes to stick to the glass and could be said to have legs a whole torso.  It’s obviously a big beer with a thick body, you can tell by looking at it.

The Nose: Big!  Larger than life is the nose of the beer.  Sweet roasted malts came to the nose along with strong tones of vanilla a Bourbon.  In fact, all the typical bourbon tones came through; Caramel was certainly not the least of these.  It was sort of like smelling a good Bourbon ball chocolate.  I knew immediately that there would be a sweetness and thickness to the brew.  Barrel char and oaky qualities were certainly present among the chocolate aromas.  A thick does of molasses like aroma was yet another quality and the beer was also dripping with dried fruits. Figs and raisons come to mind.  Needless to say, the beer was pretty redolent.

The Taste: What can I say, there’s nothing small about this beer at all.  Nothing really subtle.  It’s an in your face sort of brew.  The pretty hot alcohol of the bourbon was immediately present in the mouth and even makes it’s way into the nose.  Vanillas and a hint of oak cinnamon spice were evident in the beer.  Huge amounts of maltiness and a fair amount of residual sweetness held the alcohol in check.  Dried fruits gave a touch of port quality to the brew, while touches of smoke and burnt coffee made themselves known.  The mouth-feel was pretty full but needed to be in order to check the thinness of Bourbon.  A big dose of molasses tastes came to the for in the middle to the end of the brew, while it dried up a bit at the end.  This is a big beer with a lot of roast, strength and alcohol.

Overall, I love the beer.  Then again, I love Bourbon.  Then again, I love some residual sweetness in a stout.  Then again, many of the aspects of the beer play into things that I love.  However, if you don’t like Bourbon, hotter alcohol, and sweetness, you won’t like this beer.  I can certainly see how one might criticize the beer for having too much bourbon, alcohol, hotness…whatever you might call it.  Depending on your view, you may be happy or unhappy that you never try the beer.  Not to sound elitist, but most people won’t even have a chance to try the brew but, if you do, don’t miss out.  Give it a swing…it’s better than a stock market crash any day of the week.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction while remembering how much I love Bourbon Stouts: ★★★★★ 

Among Other Bourbon Stouts: ★★★★★ 

Among other ales while remembering that this beer is not for everyone but still very well done: ★★★★☆ 

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Olde Suffolk: This particular beer is aged for two years in oak barrels.  Greene King is the brewery that also makes Strong Suffolk, a 12% ABV monster that is aged for two years (minimum).  This one, however, is a somewhat moderate beer in that it is half the ABV of the Strong.  Of course, this is not moderate by typical English Ale standards.  I’ve seen complaints on other sites about this beer being $4 dollars for a single imperial pint.  All I can say is this:  What can you expect a beer that has been aged 2 years in oak to cost? Furthermore, one has to consider that a 6% ABV beer in England is taxed differently than a 6% ABV beer in the U.S.  We utilize a flat barrel rate, while their tax rates are based on ABV, which is why (especially) when you go to England, the beers tend to be lower in ABV.  At any rate, I think the price is right for this fine ale. Here’s why.

The Pour: Typical of English Ales, this beer had a beautiful and clean color, which bordered on a chestnut brown with some red tones.  The head was small but well maintained.

The Nose: As you may expect from a beer that is aged two years in oak, there was some oak on the nose. Banana, grape (gum-like) wine notes, and touches of yeast bite graced the nose of Olde Suffolk.  Malty sweetness also came to the fore as I stuck my nose deeper into the glass.

The Taste: Just as I noted the grapish wine-like notes on the nose, it came through in the taste.  The esters of phenol (banana) made their way, in a subtle way, to the palate.  The sweet malts created the impression of a fullness in the mouth.  I have to say that this beer was not nearly as dry as I expected it to be.  I don’t know if it was because of the juicy fruit tones or not, but it was pleasantly oaky…yet, not overly dry.  On the far finish, I noted a distinct vanilla quality that was absolutely delicious.  It was a long and lingering finish.

Overall, this is a complete and terrificly balanced beer.  It is worth picking up and trying.

Mike’s Rating for Olde Suffolk:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★☆ 

Among other English Ales: ★★★★¼ 

Samuel Smith’s Yorkshire Stingo- Any of you who have read this site for any amount of time know that I’m a Samuel Smith’s fan.  Their Taddy Porter has to be my favorite traditional style porter, their Imperial Stout is also one of the best traditional versions, and their Old Brewery Pale is delicious.  Overall, I really like their portfolio.  It seems almost crazy that I don’t try this particular selection, so I picked it up.  Like the last beer, this one is aged in oak.  I believe the oak they use is over 100 years-old, so it has plenty of character to lend.  The gestation period for this baby is a year, which leaves plenty of time to add character.  This beer is also heavy by English standard.  It comes in at 8% ABV.

The Pour: Stingo had a maple-colored body with a thin creamy head.  There was a hazy quality to the brew that I found intriguing.

The Nose:  Sourness from the oak aging was certainly present on the nose.  I also noted a strong fruitiness.  One such aroma had the quality of a raison/prune tone to it.  Some caramel as well as a wort (beer before it ferments) aroma wafted through the beer.

The Taste: The sourness that I noted in the aroma came through as an acidic sharpness in the mouth. There was nothing overbearing in that quality, but it was certainly distinct.  This beer was indelibly fruity in approach while the alcohol remained very restrained.  The caramel and wort tones also made a palate appearance, which reminded me that I was drinking an English Ale.  Stingo also slightly reminded me of drinking grape juice, which was especially reinforced by the residual sweetness.  Samuel Smith’s offering ended in a somewhat dry manner.  I found that as I let it warm, a bit of the oak really started making its way into the brew.  Maybe it’s worth drinking at 65/70 degrees.

Overall, I think this is a good beer, but I wouldn’t pay $12.99 for it again (taxes are the problem).  In fact, I might purchase three bottles of Olde Suffolk instead.  Still, never pass up trying something like this for yourself.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★¾☆ 

Among other English Ales: ★★★¾☆ 

Older Viscosity- I went and saved the beast for last.  This puppy weighs in at 12% ABV and costs almost the same as Yorshire Stingo.  This product is one by Port Brewing but is made at their Lost Abbey facility, as indicated by the cork cap.  I’m glad I was able to find this (at Whole Foods) because I’ve tried the Old Viscosity and enjoyed it.  Now it was time to drink the big version (as though the other was small).

The Pour: This beer is black.  Blacker than night.  What else could a beer that is compared with old car oil be?  There wasn’t a ton of head on this one, but I’m okay with that.

The Nose:  Bourbon, bourbon, bourbon.  I could tell this was going to be a hot brew when I smelled the vanilla, caramel, and alcohol on the nose.  The peppery oak was also a dominate trait on the olfactory side of this brew.

The Taste: I love a bourbon aged beer that has a ton of bourbon on it.  For that reason I loved it.  And for that same reason, you might not.  The bourbon can, ostensibly, be a little too hot for many people.  Hot alcohol, vanilla, molasses, caramel and biscuit qualities were all present in this brew.  I get the impression that biscuit tones are the only ones that were distinctly derived from the malt.  I’m sure the caramel could be viewed the same way.  However, the toasted and smoky qualities also reminded me that the bourbon was king in this one.  The swirl of flavor ended in a pretty dry and tasty fashion.

Overall, I think this is one of the better barrel aged beers that I’ve had.  I’m still a fan of Goose Island’s offering, but I would certainly not turn this down as a viable alternative.  If you like a bourbon beer, try this
Older Viscosity.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★¼ 

Among other Bourbon Stouts: ★★★★½ 

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All kidding aside, the Imperial Stout, authentically a Russian Imperial Stout, is not Russian, but was brewed to woo the imperial court of Catherine of Russia by Thales brewery.  Thales was bought out by Courage Brewery, and the beer, originally called “Imperial Russian Stout,” was renamed “Courage Russian Imperial Russian Stout.”  When Courage shut down, the Imperial Stout’s production was transferred to Sam Smith’s brewery in Tadcaster.  The beer, which in its prime boasted a 10 percent ABV, didn’t last long.  However Sam Smith’s began producing the beer again as interest in bolder brews began to revive in more recent years in the UK and abroad.

So in a sense, while the current version is only 7% ABV, one could argue that Sam Smith’s hold the title to most authentic Russian Imperial Stout by reason of lineage.  More info can be found at the Thales website.

The Pour:

Sam Smith’s Imperial Stout pours a smooth and jet black into the glass.  There is formidable head, releasing a explosion of aromas.  After the thick tan head dissipated, a stick lacing is left around the edges of the glass.  the head did not dissolve completely around the edges of the glass and as I drank the beer, a lacing pattern covered the entire interior.  The beer looked slightly oily as the light glanced off of it.

The Aroma:

A deep roasted aroma fills the air, bready grain, sweet chocolate aromas, toffee, and (unlike other reviews I’ve read) I picked up an a strong vanilla flavor.  In fact, it was so pronounced, I pictured the brewer pouring a little vanilla extract into the boil kettle.  Comprehensively, the aromas combine to produce a chocolate candy aroma.  I must pause to point out:  Most pale lager session drinkers would be freaked out by a dark black beer, expecting a bitter cold black coffee experience.  If only they knew what pleasant flavors lurked below the surface!

The Taste:

First off, the beer flows in to the mouth with utmost ease.  It is an exceptionally smooth experience from lips to esophagus.  The flavor is so similar to those present in the aroma, which is not always the case for me.  The vanilla flavor is so upfront, it is unmistakable.  Sweet, sweet malts never overpower the senses to be interpreted as sickening sweet, as the most subtle hops balance the beer.   Dark roasted malts dominate all others.  Fruit flavors were not very apparent in my opinion, besides a slight dried fig flavor.

Overall Thoughts:

This is a great, go to beer.  To be honest, I prefer some American incarnations a bit more (i.e. Old Rasputin, Dark Lord) as I think they offer more complexity.

Nate’s Rating

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★½☆ 

Among other Imperial Stouts: ★★★☆☆ 

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The Pour: Podge was in a thick, stubby Belgian style bottle.  It really is a little strange to see an Imperial Stout in a Belgian bottle.  Anyway, the pour was dark but still fairly light for an Imperial Stout.  At this point in the beer’s six year life, the carbonation was not (I’m sure) what it once was, so it had a small amount of head to show.

The Nose: Wine-like notes and sweet Belgian candy sugar tones were in the front of this beer.  It had a very juicy and fruit quality, which seemed to point toward a slight acidic sourness.  What would an Imperial Stout be without coffee or chocolate tones?  Podge had both of these qualities.

The Taste: Podge has undergone a complex process.  There is something like 4 yeast strains used at separate points and for distinct reasons.  I know that the beer got a fairly full amount of fermentation from these yeast strains.  In fact, the 10.5% ABV made its presence felt in the mouth.  The vinous (wine-like) red wine touches were pronounced.  The juicy fruits were almost currant-like.  Here is the real point of departure for Podge: it was slightly tart and acidic like a mild sour ale, which I’m not too accustomed to with Imperial Stouts.  Plenty of deep roast could be found on the end.  Chocolate and coffee were also notable tastes.

Overall, I have to rate this beer well.  I personally could have used a little more malt and less alcohol burn. However, this is a unique and well done version of an Imperial Stout.  Thin for some, perhaps, but that is what Belgian candy sugar does.  Basing one’s review of this beer along the lines of what Dark Lord or some other big Russian Imperial Stout is will yield a bad review for many.  In fact, I saw it called a “Russian” Imperial Stout.  Did the label say that’s what it was?  It is a strong big stout, so that is enough for some people to name it as such.

Some people really rail against Podge.  However, taking the beer for its place of origin, brewing philosophy, and interpretive value will yield a different attitude.  I read a review where a guy called this beer “insultingly thin,” as though they had made the beer for him and he was a magnate.  He rated it a D-… and added off with their heads (the head thing is a joke).  However, he obviously expected something that the beer was not.  Being open to trying a less than traditional stout might really help frame the discussion on this one.

Mike’s Review:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★¾☆ 

Among other Belgian Style beers: ★★★¾☆ 

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The Aroma: Yeti had a fat, black body with a rich, dark brown but quickly dissipating head.  It looked daunting sitting in the glass, like a Yeti looking for a chance to eat your camping family.

The Nose: Uh, oh!  I smelled quite a bunch of citrusy hops that I’m starting to loathe.  It’s not that aroma hops are inappropriate for an imperial stout, but why the same old citrusy hops?  Okay!  Let’s move on. Vanilla, coffee roast, dry oak and a tinge of sweetness floated up to my nostrils.  Those were redeeming.

The Taste: The dry oakiness and a big alcohol warmth came through pretty readily in Yeti.  Honestly, by the look of the beer, I expected a much fuller and bigger body than I got.  I suppose it seemed thin to me…at least in comparison with its visual aspects.  Coffee and hops, coffee and hops, coffee and hops. Those were the two qualities that dominated.  Worse yet, they were really citrusy.  Some of the other stout tones were made too subtle by how heavily these other qualities came through.  They finished bitterly in more than one way.

Overall, this beer was a big disappointment.  People can disagree with me if they want (beer advocate grades this with their ubiquitous A award), but the beer is not balanced…and even a beer like this can be balanced in its extreme qualities.  My expectations were very high for this beer; luckily, I’ve had better coffee stouts that didn’t make me want to abandon them altogether.  Even with the disappointment that I had, it’s not exactly Bud, Keystone, or even some micros.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★☆☆ 

Overall disappointment: ★★★★☆ 

Among other Imperial Stouts: ★★¾☆☆ 

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I’ve always found more traditional Imperial Stouts intriguing. For instance, I simply love Samuel Smith’s version. Don’t get me wrong, I still love an Imperial Stout that is 13-18% ABV and a beast of a beer. But some of my favorite varieties are the tamer versions (Bert Grant’s version is another example). Nils Oscar is of the more traditional stripe. It still weighs in at 7% ABV, which is still not to be meddled with. At any rate, I think it’s not too shabby a version of Imperial Stout.

The Pour: The color of this beer was more like a robust porter than a stout. Of course, one could make the argument that a robust porter is, in fact, a stout anyway. I say this partly because porter is a notoriously hard style to really define. I also say it because Stout is simply a “stout” porter, so the line can be a little blurry at times. Anyway, I’m content to call this a robust porter/light stout colored beer. In addition to the light color, there was very little head retention to this beer, which many stout drinkers prefer.

The Nose: Many Imperial Stouts tend to have a heavier hop quality on the nose, which I do not like (again preference). Nils Oscar was a not of this variety and got some kudos from me on this account. I caught touches of metallic qualities, a sweet roast and chocolate aroma, and hints of coffee on the nose.

The Taste: Sometimes I drink a beer that has very distinctive stages of flavor. This Imperial Stout had very discernible lines that took off like a 3-stage rocket. The first stage of the rocket was chocolate. It was not overpowering and the beer started off like it was never going to leave the atmosphere of normal flavor. But it really picked up steam when the first stage dropped off. The middle coffee tones really started to kick in and remained pretty well to the end of the beer. Toward the end of the sip, the rocket shot some biscuity tones into the tastemosphere, and it faded into a dry finish.

Overall, the beer was a delight to drink. The very distinct stages of Nils Oscar was very enhancing. Furthermore, the 7% ABV was not discernible, so the rocket was not that hot after all. This is one worth trying…time for lift off.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★¼ 

Among other Imperial Stouts: ★★★★☆ 

Among Ales: ★★★★☆ 

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Any time you have a beer that is 13%ABV, it is a big beer with which you’ve come face to face. How that 13% tastes depends on the drinker. I believe that I paid somewhere between $12-15 dollars for this 11.2 oz bottle (sometimes it’s hard to keep track, but I know that it was salty). Let me start by telling you that I wouldn’t pay to drink this beer again, but what a beer is worth is, once again, in the mouth of the beholder. Here is what I have to offer about Black Albert.

The Pour: A creamy, brown, and finely carbonated head sat atop this very dark, black bodied beer. This beer looked like the beer yard bully…it was intimidating in the glass.

The Nose: Black Albert had a smoky nose that was touched by the 13% alcohol. There was a sourish aroma that cropped up. Plenty of roast, a soy quality, and some hints of fruit were also very much present. I personally thought that apple cider was the fruit note that I caught.

The Taste: Like the nose, there was plenty of roast Black Albert’s flavors. The fruit and soy qualities were also a big part of the taste. A ton of coffee roast was the largest quality in the middle of this Imperial Stout. A semi-bitter acidic and dry finish was the final touch. There was also a nice lacing when I looked at the empty glass.

Overall, Black Albert was a good beer but not great. It was well over-priced for what the beer was. I suppose if the Black Albert were about half the price that I paid, I would get it again. It’s ultimately up to you if want to try this ale but I wouldn’t recommend it for the bucks. As we always say, there is only one way to find out, and that is for yourself.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★¾☆ 

Among other Imperial Stout: ★★★¾☆ 

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The Pour-This was a very dark beer, to say the least. A dark brown head was left atop this veiled night sky blackness of a beer.

The Nose-Dark grain aromas were prevalent on the nose of this brew. Alcohol could certainly be smelled alongside coffee and some fruity (berryish) qualities. Caramel and chocolate also made a very pleasant impression.

The Taste-As I sipped on the beer, it clung to the side of the glass because of its very thick and substantial body. Alcohol warmth and an acidic bite took hold of us all as we drank Plead the 5th. The chocolate and caramel that appeared in the nose really cropped up in the taste. A deep, dark grainy taste dominated the brew from start to finish. There was a long, lingering finish, which ended with dryness and chocolate milk aftertaste qualities.

Overall, this was a great beer. To me, it evoked flashes of the Bourbon County Stout that I reviewed on here not too long ago. I really do imagine that if this beer were put in bourbon barrels, it would be pretty similar to the Goose Island offering. Bourbon or not, get this beer and try it if you like a good stout.

Mike’s Rating

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★½ 

Among other Imperial Stouts: ★★★★¾ 

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Having gone to the festival, I think I can understand why Dark Lord is only released once a year. If I were one of the brewers, I would love to have something special like this happening only once a year. What an event, what a time! Now that I’ve settled down from the fun of the festival, I think I want to go ahead and review the beer.

Let me start by saying that I went thinking, “I’m determined to get through the hype and really see if this beer is as good as people say.” It is hard to divide the event from the beer, but here is an honest rendering of what I think about the product.

The Pour: Pouring this beer from the bottle is like draining oil from a car. It pours thick, it pours dark, and it pours beautifully. Needless to say, this beer is darker than dark. Blacker than black. There was not much left of the very dark brown head when I poured the beer, but I let that slide…just this once. I knew Dark Lord was thick when I saw it sticking to the side of the glass.

The Nose: There was some alcohol on the nose. I also noted an acidic, almost prune quality. Dark roasted, burnt grain aromas were prevalent, as well as plenty of chocolate, fruit, and some wonderful smokey, juicy, and metallic qualities.

The Taste: Wow! This beer had some serious thickness and mouth-feel to it. It had the consistency of an espresso, and a whole bottle might well serve as a meal. Some of smoke came through while the burnt roasted grain dominated the whole. The acidic juiciness and chocolate qualities were wonderful. We (my wife, Andrea, and brother, Rich) noted raisins and plenty of residual sweetness. Again, some of the acidity and thickness reminded me of espresso (not the flavor). Dark Lord is deceptively smooth for the strength and fullness that it possesses. So very good! If you are able to wrangle a bottle of this beer without risking an arm and a leg, you should do so. Hell! Risk at least one of them.

Overall, it’s an absolutely terrific beer for the dark beer lover. It deserves all the accolades that it receives.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★★ 

Among other Stouts: ★★★★★ 

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