Old Heathen Imperial Stout
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into oversized snifter. A - Opaque black with some light making it's way through on the edges. A quarter to half inch of head rises; mocha colored with just a twinge of purple. Retention is fairly short though a little lace is left behind. S - Immediately there's a rush of dark fruits; raisins and plums are most evident. There's a good deal of sourness present as well leading into some toffee and butterscotch aromas. Milk chocolate and just a hint of coffee grounds find their place as well. T - Old Heathen tastes pretty much like it smells. Sour dark fruit (currants, plums, raisins, dates) kick in first followed closely by moderately strong notes of caramel and toffee, though the sweetness is somewhat subdued. Notions of licorice mingle with the fruit flavors. Mid palate the sweetness tapers quite a bit giving way to a good deal of lactic-esque sourness. Sourness quickly turns into bitterness accompanied by roasted flavors like burnt toast and stale coffee peppered with milk chocolate. Bitterness leans towards the burnt side with a touch of alcohol peeking through in the finish. Everything about the taste has improved as it's approached room temperature. M - Medium to full bodied with a soft carbonation but still enough bubbles to keep it from being a syrupy mess. Extremely smooth. D - Though nothing has jumped out at me about this beer, Old Heathen has been an enjoyable RIS. My biggest shock is how dramtically the taste improved as it warmed just a few degrees. Quite complex and devoid of overly roasted and burnt flavors that (to me) limit the accessibility of others in the style. Not something I would personally want to throw back all night long, but definitely one of the more enjoyable examples of the style I've had in a while.