Eel River Organic Raven's Eye Imperial Stout

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

Sep. 2016: 650 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 9.5%. Black colour, large tan head. Lovely aroma of roast malts, oak, oaked red wine, liquorice, chocolate, prunes, mild coffee. Slightly sweet flavour with the same elements as in the aroma, the roast malts, coffee and chocolate notes come forward stronger now, also hints of vanilla. Moderate hops (28.5 IBU). Warming mouthfeel. Excellent beer.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

Pours black as night with a moderate head that fades fairly quickly. Not too bad for such a high abv beer. Smells of licorice- dry, not very sweet, chalky, and earthy as well as molasses and a late hit of chocolate. The taste is richer and dryer than the smell suggests, with the molasses and licorice notes downplayed, but more of a chocolate presence, with a fudge-like finish. There are also some berry notes that complement the chocolate notes. Pretty nice overall.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

My, my the cost of sin is going up, $6.25 for a almost "black as sin" brew. I say almost because I have seen darker beers, so maybe this is more like a 11 pm color. Flavor is good, kind of a nicely burnt toast, well hidden alcohol, slight carbonation. Mouth feel is a bit thin and a intensity of flavor and aroma could be a bit more bold but is sufficient.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A richly dark black colored ale. Small tannish soapy textured head. Not much hang time. Not much lacing, just a thin ringlet. Dark fruits and roasted malt in the nose. A thin to medium bodied. Some carbonation. Some smoothness. Cocoa, roasted malt and sweet dark fruit are in the tasting. Generally a good stout, just doesn’t have the Imperial profile.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

i'm actually surprised at the high 3's and lo 4's. we had a 22 of this beer alongsode some of the cream of the crop impy stouts last night, and in comparison it flat out sucked. it may have done better by itself, but still... looks like a porter (sorry, i like my impy's to look like motor oil) and has a weakish but non-offensive roasted malt aroma and flavor. for an impy it sucked...it would be an ok porter.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Poured into a pint glass from a 22 oz. bomber. I could not find a freshness date. The pour is a deep, dark brown with ruddy undertones. Two fingers' tan head are gone quickly and leave little lacing. The nose is roasted, chocolate, some dark fruits and a bit of alcohol. The taste is more of the same with some added grassy and earthy flavours. Overall, the taste reminds me of licorice. A mild bitterness is present throughout the sip. The mouthfeel is a little thinner than I expected, but there is a nice amount of carbonation. Drinkability is good. The 9.5% alcohol is well hidden, but one can tell this is an alcoholic beverage. Though there is room for improvement, this is a solid brew. However, I'd be more likely to buy this again if I found it in a four or six pack (which is a moot point in Miss. at the moment).

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Found this little gem at Ledger's in Berkely. New Years Eve was as good a time as any to pop it open so I shared it with a few of the guys. The beer pours out a deep black hue, with a nice one-finger thick khaki head. Perhaps a more agressive pour would have resulted in a thicker head, but I was happy with what I got. First aromas I got were dark roasted malts, an impressive display of hops, a good dose of coffee and molasses. Mouthfeel was nice, but with the alcohol burn I'd prefer it to be better masked. Still, it's nitpicky. Flavors were chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, molasses and just a touch ashy. If it were any more ashy I don't think I would have enjoyed it nearly as much. Finishes a bit hot.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours black with a thin dark tan head that dies down to almost nothing. Aroma is a little on the weak side, milk chocolate, espresso, rum, and some molasses. Flavor starts with some roasted chocolate, then becomes increasingly roasty with coffee highlighting. Caramel and sweet milk chocolate are present midpalate, but are in the background of the dark roast bitter coffee. Finishes a little dry for an RIS, with some smoke, anise, rum, and a long lingering black coffee and burnt toast flavor. Different, but in a good way. Lots of emphasis on roasted barley, which I like quite a bit.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

Dark brown color, creamy head. A full-bodied nitrogen-conditioned Russian Imperial Stout. Deeply roasted malts. Nice hop balance. Chocolate and coffee flavor. Very smooth taste, Nice flavor. Big and expansive. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and very smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter. No alcohol bite despite a 9.5%. Excellent stout.