Full Sail Brewing Imperial Stout
Full Sail’s 2010 release of their Imperial Stout is the second product I’ve had from their Brewmaster Reserve series. I loved the Hop Pursuit I had earlier in the year and this stout from the other side of the beer spectrum is just as good.
I bought this brew last month at some point and have been sitting on it for just the right moment — a cool evening late last week. Coming in at 8% ABV, this offering from the Oregon brewer is heavy on an earthy, roasted malt and chocolate mix and drinks smoothly with a full mouthfeel.
Appearance
Like most imperial stouts this one pours nearly black with a rich brown head that faded slowly.
Aroma
The nose on this beer smells delicious. The presence of roasted coffee and chocolate dominate the nose while hints of licorice and vanilla sit in the background.
Taste
This is pretty tasty brew. Roasted malts come in with a nice rich chocolate presence right from the first sip. That initial smooth and rich character slowly transitions to a light hop bitterness in the late finish that balances out the rest of the beer quite well. This is a full beer to say the least, though certainly not the thickest I’ve had. The higher ABV adds a light booziness as the beer warms in the glass.
Overall
I enjoyed this beer thoroughly. It’s a well crafted imperial stout that’s easy to drink and well balanced, but doesn’t really go beyond that in terms of the style. There are a few other stouts I’d probably pick up before this one if I saw them sitting side-by-side on the shelf. That said, I will most likely be picking up more of this beer for cellaring purposes — it’s hard to beat the price for a pretty tasty beer.
Rating: 3.5/5