Emelisse Imperial Russian Stout

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

April 2012: 330 ml bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 11%. Pitch black colour, low tan head. Lovely roasty and malty aroma, notes of coffee, liquorice, tar and oak. Low carbonation. Very roasty flavour, notes of strong coffee, English liquorice and malt sugar. Bitter finish, long bitter aftertaste. Not for the faint of heart.

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

Import from the SAQ (written 9.8% ABV on label). Pours a real dark brown colour with very little highlights. Big foamy deep beige head, with good retention and some patchy lace is left behind. Smells like a fruitcake with notes of coffee, roasted malts and molasses. Oily mouthfeel with a very slight dryness in the finish. Alcohol is very well-hidden. Sweet taste mixed with the bitterness. Hard to detect something really precise though, as it seems pretty complex overall.

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

Almost black poor with brown foam head lacing to glass. Heavy barley aroma with bitter hops taste. Long lasting aftertaste. Best beer I had in quite some time, Dutch product too. (Velp 201206)

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

A candy licorice nose with lots of tar. A rich black pour with head that doesn't last. Full body, enough fizz to keep it from being too cloying but it does cloy. Flavor is slightly reminiscent of DFH but more burnt and alcohol isn't as dominating. Nicely done, try it if you can find it.

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

Strong, oily aroma has roast coffee, molasses and miso components. It pours a deep, opaque sable just a whisker above black with a thick, fizzy and rather persistent light tan head. Rich, mouth-filling flavor has firm coffee, molasses, unsweet chocolate and nutty tones with hoppy and miso underpinnings, as well as quite an alcohol bite. Texture is smooth and thick, but tingly and lively as well, quite satisfying.

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

Bottled@Monks Café Sveavägen, Stockholm. Quite much pitch black colour with not too much head. Aroma is dark berries, roasted malts, some mild rubbery notes as well. Flavour is roasted malts, liquorice and some alcohol. Also some slight yeastyness and spices. Also coffee comes in rather strongly when it warms up.