Founders KBS

After missing out on this beer at the store and several local tap houses I caught it at the oldest beer bar in town.  It was well worth tracking down and making the trip just for a glass.  Very dark, served in a large tulip glass the aromas shifted from a hint of bourbon to chocolate.  A smooth full body mouthfull.  There where so many flavors coming accross that it took a long time to get through them all.  It reminded me of the scene from Charlie and the Chocolate factory where the girl takes the gum and new flavors come to her as she chews.  This beer was like that, every sip brought a new flavor and insight.  When this gets bottled again I won't be missing out.  It is well worth hunting for. 

picture to follow. 

Dark Intrigue

Victory Brewing took their Storm King stout and aged it in Bourbon barrels.  Great stuff, rich, malty, chocolate undertones, hints of coffee.  Not overly sweet, a bit "boozy" but not overly so.

Southern Tier Java-Ah

An Imperial coffee stout! More like a moca-coffee stout. Strong chocolate,  slight coffee, and a hint of caramel coming out. Nose is full of sweet malty chocolate and coffee. Not overly sweet dispite the high ABV. As with any stout very little hoppiness. Thick creamy dark head. 10.6ABV.

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

A great imperial stout. Rich malty gold here. A thick dark head. No overly sweet alcohol, even at 10.5ABV.. For a lover of stouts this a must.  It is hard to find here in Portland, ME. RSVP is out. The brew store on Forest Ave. has a few. I have not checked Downeast Beverage.  Good luck finding it, I will be hunting for a few to cellar.

This was an interesting stout.  Undeniably strong.  Rich and malty with hints of chocolate.  The Anise was overpowering though.  As long as it was ICE cold then the anise was just another flavor that didn't linger. The second pouring (can't fit a whole 22oz in an American pint) was a bit warmed up and that ended any enjoyment out of this.  All you could taste was anise, it was like drinking a pint of strait jagermeister. So if you enjoy anise and want to experiment a bit then pick this up, just make sure you keep it COLD!

Fishermen's Brew Pumpkin Stout

The nose has hints of pumpkin spices intermingled with those typical malty stout notes. The flavor at fridge temp was full of malty caramel and chocolate but missing that pumpkin spice. I did enjoy it overall and the scents of pumpkin spices taunted me while I drank it.  I still am thinking of buying a full six pack to try at basement temps. Thank you to Jake and Kristen for the sample!

Stouts

A great imperial stout. 9% ABV. Dark and rich. Not overpowering with the alcohol.  Dark malts of caramel and chocolate sneak out on the tongue.  Nice malty bitterness at the end. Dark foamy head. This is a top 5 for  imperial stouts for me.