Fish Tale Poseidons Imperial Stout

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

Well, holy shit. I've been sitting on two bottles of this since the first week it hit the shelves up here waaaaaay back. 2006 Vintage - will it have gone bad? Lets find out. Nope! Wow. I can't wait to do this review so I can just sit back and enjoy.
Black, good sized cap created - dark brown and quite thick with good retention and some sticky, spotty / ropy, silty lacing. Every swirl creates a new lavish carpet of foamWhat would have this been like fresh? The aroma just waffed everywhere: initial impression is quite strong: oak, red licorice that might lean towards a mellow version of cherry Halls, chocolate, creamy, figs... this is making me drool... I don't smell the alcohol but it smells like there would be alcohol. I'm trying hard to define the malts, which are there, but they have mellow so much. Sure there is some roasted malts here but... crap... what is this aroma reminding me of? Some sort of orange as well - I think I could come up with scents forever. The taste is just great, even with the straight up bitterness followed by roaming alcohol. The tons of malts that I thought I would find get steamrolled over by the yummy sweet fruit. Ah, there they are... roast and chocolate all at once. Smooth, bitter chocolate, figs, grapefruit hop lingerings, some coffee, more alcohol hotness... well shit, I'm fairly drunk and I'm rambling adequately. Even more very bitter chocolate in the finish, licorice as well along with an aftertaste that can only be described as the worlds more appealing ash tray. ahahahha I just discovered if I pour the second half of this 650ml bottle into my glass from about 6" away that it creates an estimated 4" cap (if I scoop up the overflow back into a much larger glass). Now the appearance is a 10! I gotta remember this.

After letting the last half sit for quite awhile i've disovered that i can barely type anytmoer. I like this beer alot aside form the overuse of hops.. still, it makes it wahhat it is. Good tasty fruity front that ends in bitterness and lingering coffee. I need to eat some food

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

Bottle courtesy of CBA: Poured a deep black (not pitch black) color stout with a good foamy head with some good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of black chocolate with some bitter notes. Taste is also dominated by some nice rich chocolate notes with some bitter notes at the end. Body could be slightly fuller but the creamy texture and the chocolate notes are well balanced.

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

Marked as bottled in November of 2005 (I think as it was purchased June of 2006), Sampled September 2007
Pours with a somehow dense appearing, initially three-finger thick, light brown colored head that sits atop a a simply black colored brew. The aroma smells of dark malts with notes of chocolate being initially most apparent. This is joined by a concentrated note of burnt fruit aromatics that lean towards cherries, figs and prunes. Roast malt notes of blackened grain, a burnt acidity as well as some rich, almost peat-like, salty smokiness. Dusty, toasted / roasted grain notes and deeply browned bread crust round out the finish of the aroma. I really like how the concentrated, roast fruit notes intermingle with the harder black malt notes; this really serves to hold the burnt grain notes in check and makes for a nicely balanced aroma.

Sweet, but this is held quite well in check by the menagerie of dark malt notes. The dark grain adds a touch of acidity to the beer, which in combination with the malt sweetness, accentuates a nice fruit character. Roasted fruit notes of prunes, dried figs raisins and a somehow significant, yet at times fleeting cherry character are all quite noticeable and play a prominent role in the flavor profile. The sweetness adds a sort of cola like note to this beer at times as well. The finish is all about the roasted grain; slightly astringent, burnt, with a sharp, burnt grain acidity and an espresso like finish; these notes are note dominating in any way and in fact provide a nice, balancing finish that prepares one for another sip of this brew. This is surprisingly light feeling (I have a feeling it has lost some heft over the years) for an Imperial Stout, though it does have a significant heft to it and it does tend to coat the palate quite well. Hints of salty smoke character are also found in the flavor, more towards the finish, but definitely at a fairly subtle level. The roast malt character manifests itself up front as a chocolate note coupled with a smooth chocolate liquor like thing.

This has held up amazingly well so far. I have a feeling it has mellowed some, but it is not showing any signs of oxidation yet. Really I like how well balanced this beer is; this is still rich and thick, definitely a sipping brew, but it is not so much so that it is a challenge. This is quite good, quite tasty and definitely something I am enjoying on this warm fall night.

Purchased at: Papago Brewing Co, Scottsdale, AZ

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

22oz bomber: Pours a rich black ale in the glass with a surprisingly small tight-pored sticky mocha cap...but the lacing is great. Aromas: bittersweet chocolate and cascade citrus. Profile: Rich silky creamy mouth feel....exceptionally smooth... big malts, not overly astringent from black malt charred husks...chewy malts with judicious hopping to allow the malts to show but still balance...mid palate the bittersweet chocolate decernment sinks in with some light bittering and dried fruit phenols ( like figs or prunes) ...then off to the finish which is long rich in cocoa malts and wet with a tinge of citrus from the hops. Impression: This has to be one of the smoothest, approachable big bodied Imp-stouts I have ever had. A tad 2 dimensional but very drinkable. Rich, creamy, filling, satisfying and it completely hides its alcohol .

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle, poured a deep dark black color, rather thin initial off-white head, diminishing quickly to nothing, very thin (1mm) halo ring around the glass edges, that's it. Lacing is minimal. The aroma was piney hops, licorice, chocolately roasty malts. The flavor picked up, impressed more than the aroma and appearance: deep roasted malts burried under a firm piney hop presence, yet this is also has a sweetness to it, maybe more sweetness than expected from the initial hits of roast (almost burnt) and hops. Chocolatey slightly lactic notes come out in the aftertaste, dark fruits only mild, figs probably most detectable. Alcohol hides and sits wonderfully in the background. Mouthfeel is amazingly moderate (not thick or sticky) for the style, pretty likeable, although not motor oil sticky impressive if that's your thing. Having this in June, I'm diggin' the mouthfeel and body. A nice concoction, not world class, yet good stuff.

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

"Spawned" Nov06. Wonderful impy! A little thin on the pour, very little head but what's there leaves its traces on the sides of the glass (a point off for lack of head, but that may be an anomaly). Color is black, blacker, blackest. Rich, roasted malt aroma with chocolate, toffy and brown sugar notes. Thick and sticky mouthfeel, and the ABV leaves the lips a-tingle. That said, the alcohol is hidden nicely among the complex flavors that leap to the palate, but I do feel the heat rising and the sweet buzz of an extremely well made, high ABV stout. Could drink this one repeatedly, and probably shall, after my next trip to Discount Liquor... right up there with my faves of this type! Heddy, come here and let me open one of these for you :o)

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

Pours black with mahogany showing through on the edges, a thick frothy dark tan head of foam. Aroma is strong dark coffee, burnt chocolate, roasted almonds, and black pepper. Flavor starts with roasted almonds, smoky espresso, with some light toffee. Roasty burnt coffee and dark chocolate follow, before finishing out dry, with loads of roasted bitterness and some light citrussy bitterness. Long lasting aftertaste of bitter coffee and light vanilla hints. Interesting RIS, seems much bigger than it is at 8% abv.

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

Spawned on Nov of 2005, I believe, 12 oz bottle. Pours a very dark brown with a quarter inch head that fades pretty slowly. The lacing is very thick and quite sticky. This isn't quite as dark as most of the Imperial/Double stouts that I've seen. Smell; lots of dark roasted malt and coffee aromas. There's and underlying sweetness, with molasses and toffee with some dark fruits and nuts thrown in. Taste; the roastiness is just as strong in the flavor as it was in the aroma with coffee and roasted malts. After the roasted flavor a sweet molasses and a little chocolate come out, and some dark fruts make an appearance. The finish has a bit of an alcohol kick to it, but it doesn't take over at all though. Mouthfeel is maybe a touch thin for an Imperial stout, but it's still thick enough to let know that you are drinking a stout. Drinkability is good, as this seems to be disappearing quickly. I just finished shoveling the 3 foot snow drift in my driveway, and this was a pretty good beer to relax with afterward, and to ease the pain in my back a little.

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

Pours a dark black color, with chocolate milk colored foam. An inch of creamy foam that hangs around leaving lacing trails on the side of the glass. Just the slightest ruby red shines through whenm held to the light. Lots of complex aromas come from the glass, dark rosted maltiness, chocolate, smoke, coffee. And the smell doesn't disappoint as simlar flavors are there in the taste as well. Charred malt, chocolate, dark caramel. As it warms slightly the roasted barley comes through even more. Alot of hoppy bitterness keeps everything in check. Very well balanced and tastey. The mouthfeel full and smooth, just enough to coat the tongue. Definatley one to sip slowly and enjoy. Very impressive, and although my first sampling of the RIS Style (which keeps it away from any 5s), it has become my personal benchmark.

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

Black, black, black oh my god is this stuff black it’s a black whole sucking in all thing color leaving nothing but blackness around it, capped off with tall and thick brown head, the head phenomenal retention and left curtains of lacing behind. The aroma is amazing Rich dark roasted coffee mixed with rubbing alcohol (not really a fan of this) and strange sent what can only be described as bitter milk chocolate (is that even possible?!?!?!?) Fawk I’ve been sniffing now for 20 min. I can’t get enough of this sent the rubbing alcohol has vanished now, great strength to this aroma not to strong and no problems detecting it. Oh so good thick and creamy feeling, so much intense flavor, smoky dark roast coffee and bitter chocolates, so very malty. Insane bitter after taste, intense flavor this is a stout.