Legend Imperial Stout

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

One of the beers that I brought with me to tailgate at the Oakland Raiders home game vs. the Chefs. My brother is as big of a beer geek as me, but the guy just doesn't rate. Too bad. Anyways, the bottle got some strange looks by fellow tailgaters, who had the typical BMC/Heiny/Corona/Pacifico garbage. They were very interested in what it was, so I was happy to expound on the virtues of great beer.

Anyways, the beer itself was very nice. While nearly as huge as some of it's imperial stout bretheren, this was excellent just the same. A nice roasted malt, chocolatey nose, a touch of vanilla with enough floral hops to make you notice. Appearance...jet black. It would have received higher points for better lacing and head formation, but still..it looks exactly like an impy should. Flavor is full on roasted malts, dark chocolate with subtle vanilla and pine. Finishes very dry. A tasty impy stout.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours a pitch black with a large, long-lasting tan head. The aroma is anise and espresso with a good bit of dark chocolate. The flavor is more of the same. Backing it all up is a bit of buttered toast from the diacetyl. This was a bottled version and diacetyl seems much more common in their bottled beers than the beers I had on tap at the brewpub. The diacetyl really works with this beer, though.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

I had this beer at my "local" when I'm in the Hampton Roads area, The Taphouse Grill in Ghent. The servers were quite pumped about this one. And while I appreciate both their pub loyality (and yes, this really is the only tap left on Earth to get this beer, or so I was told) and their enthusiasm..., I can't nearly buy off on this beer from Legend.

Looks pretty bad-ass.... Very *very* black in body, with a nice rocky head of foam. Nary a single beam of light shone through this beer when held to the light.

But with the rather nuetral aroma, the overall flavor profile to me didn't scream "Imperial Stout, mother-f*%cker..!!" In fact, it didn't say much of anything to me, except a slight holographic whisper of "I"m trying to be big n ' bad, but I don't know how. Help me Obi Wan...." Okay, okay, I just made all of that up. But the meat n' potatos of what I'm getting at stands -- this is no Imperial Stout/American Double Stout. Just not big n' brawny enough, IMO.

So what does that make this? Well, a fairly decent Export Stout, would be my best guess. Not nearly "wine-y" enough to be an Imperial/Double Stout, and too roasty and "Nestle Quick" Chocolatey for much else.

All too muted and staid for a style that should either balls-to-the-wall over-the-top, or at least complex and perhaps wine/sherry-ish. This is little more than a bigger -- but no means "BIG" -- Export Stout, that personally found to be a bit on the dull side of things.

Congrats to Legend for 12 years of business. But please, if you wanna go big, you gotta go "BIG", or not at all...
//TB

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

Poured an opaque black color with a small, tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of pine, roasted malts, chocolate, and floral hops. Taste of smoke and chocolate, some light citrus, grassy hops, and a dry roasty finish. Alcohol was well hidden.