Alone at Last...
Written: Mar 27 '00 (Updated Mar 28 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A rare dry Imperial stout
Cons: Dopey-looking label
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| beerfly's Full Review: Weyerbacher Imperial Stout |
After years of living under cover of raspberries, Weyerbacher's Imperial Stout is standing tall, broad, and beefy. I've always been a fan of this Easton, PA brewery's Raspberry Imperial Stout, which I will review in due time. But while the fruit beer was fabulous, I always wondered what the big impie base would taste like on its own.
We found out last year: fantastic! The beer pours thick and black, with a tight, tenacious head the color of coffee ice cream. It is vaporously aromatic, sending up thick clouds of burnt malt, coffee, and toasted graham that almost seem to ease open the mouth for that first swallow. I got plenty of roasted malts and dark caramel, but none of it cloyingly sweet, only dryly sweet in the way of a digestive biscuit. The finish is laden with more dry malt and finally comes up with some full hop bitterness.
Many American-brewed Imperial stouts are huge, some are wildly over-hopped (in true American micro style), and most have quite a bit of residual sweetness. Weyerbacher's is the only American impie I've had that tends toward the British classic, Courage Imperial Stout. While there is none of the tarry character that makes the Courage so intriguing, the Weyerbacher is definitely a dryish beer with faint vinous overtones. The dry malt finish puts me in mind of ground-up graham crackers, without the sugar. This is very much an adult beer, completely unsuspected under the fun fruity face of the Raspberry Imperial Stout.
This is a beer to be sipped by itself, or perhaps as a complement to a dark dessert or a spicy cigar. Don't think that's limiting; it makes a fine focus for your attentions by itself.
Look for Weyerbacher beers in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This brewery is finally getting some respect, and it's good to see. They've worked hard on constantly improving their beers, though all they had to do to this one was lose the fruit.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
beerfly
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Member: Lew Bryson
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 82 members
About Me:
One bourbon, one Scotch, one beer, eh? I'll take Kentucky Spirit, Scapa, and HopDevil.
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