Hey everyone, welcome back to the CSU-Pueblo’s weekly beer review. My name’s Eric and I drink beer. Let’s talk about it.
A long time ago, deep in the bowels of Mother Russia, trouble was brewing…or perhaps I should say brewing was the trouble. The empress of Russia, Czarina Catherine the Great, demanded British beer!
But alas the Baltic Sea, destroyer of dreams and men’s souls, separated these great nations and the journey was too long and fierce for even the boldest of British ale’s to survive. It was a dark era…but in that darkness, intelligent men worked furiously with only one thought in their mind. The empress will get her beer!
Their creation was a thing of legends. As dark as a winter evening, as powerful as a punch to the gut, the Imperial Stout was born from the forges of political turmoil and polished with the sweat of the common man! With twice the hops and a higher alcohol content, the Imperial Stout conquered the Baltic Sea and quenched the Empresses insatiable thirst. Finally, the world could relax again after work…
Alright, so maybe it wasn’t that dramatic, but you can thank the guys at beerscribe.com for that lengthy little history lesson.
As you may have guessed, this week’s beer is the Imperial Stout. More specifically, its Odell’s Imperial Stout, produced and bottled in Fort Collins, Colorado at the Odell’s Brewery. They make good stuff people. Support them.
When poured into a glass, Imperial Stout looks very much like flat Pepsi and has a weak, sticky tan head. According to human instinct, this isn’t the type of liquid a person would look at and consider drinking. Hell, I doubt they’d even want to step in it.
Thankfully, it smells better than it looks. With roasted hops and a hint of chocolate, it has a “holiday in a log cabin” kind of scent that appeals to the senses.
Flavor wise, it has a toasted caramel, slightly smoky flavor with a sour hop kick at the end. The body is not as heavy as I expected and though it’s a little bitter, it doesn’t detract from the more subtle flavors, such as hints of vanilla and chocolate.
It’s surprisingly smooth as well, even at its 8% alcohol content. Imperial Stout isn’t for everyone, but if you’re the type who laughs when people ask if you like cream with your coffee, this is definitely a beer you should try. At roughly $8.99 a six pack (sorry people, the price of hops went up) it’s a bit expensive, but in my opinion it’s worth every penny. Odell’s Imperial Stout gets a 4 out of 5
