cupboard for a while, this time it was Night Stalker. It's nice big imperial stout at 11.7% that is unmercifully hopped with Mt Hood and Simcoe, producing a nice strong 60 IBU. It also has an identical malt profile to Bourbon County Brand Stout and its variations (2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, Debittered Black). Additionally, instead of aging it in bourbon barrels as the Bourbon County Brand Stout is, this is dry hopped to within an inch of its life, creating a quite different beer.The bottle I'm drinking was bottled on 6th March 2010, so it has had a good year to mature.
It's thick and viscous, as you would expect from an imperial stout, with a striking deep black colour, and a substantial fluffy tan head. Quite a hoppy smell, maybe some passion fruit, but mainly a rich earthy stout aroma, lots of dark chocolate and coffee, along with a mild nuttiness. The taste is an assault of bitterness with strong espresso coffee, and a potent hoppiness. It finishes with a lingering bitter aftertaste but with a slightly fruity edge, like grapefruit. The alcohol is quite prominent in the taste also. It's a creamy thick full-bodied stout, and feels quite lightly carbonated but it's just about right.This is definitely an American Imperial Stout, and one for the hop heads. I prefer my stouts with a little less of a homicidal bitterness to them but this is still a great beer and worth getting your hands on. It is interesting just how much more bitter this tastes compared to the Bourbon County Brand Stouts, considering the identical 60 IBU. I guess it's all in the hops.
