Magic Hat Thumbsucker

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

From a growler. Pours an opaque brown with very little head. Aroma is strong of whiskey. Flavor is sweet with an alcohol presence on the back. A really good beer. Thanks to Dansting for sharing the growler with me.

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

Growler from the brewery. Pours a dark brown color with a medium brown head. Nice strong aroma of bourbon and roasted malt. Full mouthfeel. Flavor is sweet with a bourbon finish. Hints of cherries in it. A very nice Impy Stout.

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

The body is nicely dark with an equally nicely dark head. The aroma is spiked with a noticeable bit of alcohol. Otherwise, it’s mostly a sweet chocolate in the aroma. The flavor is sweet, verging on rich with strong chocolate and caramel malt flavors dominating. Not a bad imperial stout, but seems lacking somehow. It could just be that it doesn’t cover the alcohol well.

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

black color with a muddy head. chocolates and cherries in the aroma. coffee comes in with the body as the cherries remain and the light chocolates remain. came from tha noog.

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

~ 2004 Vintage:
A special bottle, that Matt brought over to me and Karen's place last night for the ringing in of the New Year. And while I couldn't be happier with this gracious gesture, I think we both came to same conclusion, regarding this beer.

I don't get it.

Clearly well-made, with a solid appearence -- tons of lacing, and nice head retention. Strong anise, plum, and fruit-ish notes in the nose. Coffee? Chestnuts roasted on an open fire? A plesant medely of flavors, including some wine-like tanins (Shiraz, anyone?), vague apricot/peche notes here and there -- all swaddled up in the rather left-of-center approach with the malt-bill. Some candied almonds interspersed with rum, perhaps. Difficult to put your finger on, but fairly appealing, just the same.

But I think my confusion stems from the mouthfeel, and, to a greater extent, the drinkability -- or, rather, the lack of. For something only 7.8%ABV, this comes across way-too hot for my by-no-means-delicate palate. Its here where the bourbon makes it's biggest power-play -- and ends up entirely too heavy-handed for my liking.

I guess that if I was any sort of a fan of bourbon, and/or had any expierence with the Nailbiter Imperial Stout..., I'd be wetting myself in excitment over this one. But seeing as how I've been generally underwelmed with various whiskey-aged beers (e.g. this one is Magic Hat's Nialbiter Imperial Stout aged in Wild Turkey barrels, I'm told)..., I just don't get the hype.

A worthwhile beer, of course -- but just not my thing. You can have my next "Sosatel paltzeu", gratis....
//TB

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

This impy stout pours with a black as night body topped by a very thick, lasting, creamy head with good lacing. The aroma is bitter and slightly sour with notes of dark fruit, licorice and alcohol, as well as, bitter chocolate and a slight roastiness. The flavor is slightly sweet yet bitter and roasty with bitter chocolate notes, licorice and dark fruit notes and a touch of alcohol. Full bodied, smooth yet tingly on the tongue and warming.

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

Now THIS is an imperial stout. Who said an imperial stout had to have an ABV over 8%, or that an imperial stout has to have over 40 IBUs to be great? The BJCP? Good for them, I disagree, and this beer is the reason why. VT has a 8% limit on their beers, so this one had to be brewed at 7.8%. Of course, Magic Hat didn't let that bother them at all. This was definitely brewed to be stored and aged without any oxidation, as there was little air between the cork and the brew. Almost no carbonation, which made for an incredible smooth thick mouthfeel. Pours pitch black, at 172 SRMs, with small whisps of head, and almost no lacing. Aroma is chocolaty, roasty, and full of whisky notes. Damned promising, and appetizing. Flavor is sharpy at front, sweet, chocolaty, chewy, roasty, a tad smoky, with a load of great whisky flavor. I poured this at fridge temp, and drank it over an hour and half, letting it warm up to room temperature. I must say this got great as it warmed. Be sure to serve this near room temperature, that's where it really shines. Cask flavors really emerge, along with a warm/hot whiskey alcohol flavor. Hops really come through in the finish, as do a wood cask flavor. Stellar, truly stellar. I can really detect two different beers here, warm and cold. Both are excellent, although I prefer it warm. This could be my favorite imperial stout, fighting it out with Storm King and Stone.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

Poured pitch black with a large tan head which quickly diminished. Aroma of vanilla, chocolate, whiskey, and alcohol. Roasted malt, chocolate, some raisin, coffee, and whiskey taste. Not bad, but a very thin Imperial Stout.