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Black Tuesday

smellysell

Go Vols!!!
Joined
Jan 9, 2007
Messages
9,881
Chico sent this to me via Cali Mike a while back, and I finally got around to drinking it. I was about ¾ of the way through the bottle before I started filling in the statistics. 18.2%?!?!?! Holy balls!

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Style – Imperial Stout
ABV – 18.2%
Brewed In – Placentia, CA
Availability – Yearly Release

Score – 8.6/10

Appearance
I pulled this straight out of the cellar, which is a bit warmer than optimal with as hot as it’s been (probably high 50s), which is what I blame for the slow gush I got when I cracked the bottle open. Chilling it down a little bit would have remedied this I’m sure, so I’m not blaming the beer at all for it. A gushing imperial stout always catches me a bit off guard though (especially after I realized just how BIG this beer is). I like parenthesis by the way. 

Black Tuesday lives up to its name, pouring absolutely pitch black. The dark tan head disappears fairly quickly, and leaves just a bit of lacing around the glass.

Smell

There’s a whole lot of yumminess going on when I put the glass to my nose. Dark fruits, raisins and dates I would say, along with a massive molasses presence taking the forefront. There are also hints of oak and bourbon present, though they are much more subdued. There is also a hint to the gravity of this monster, giving my nostrils a very slight burn. There is a noticeable absence of any real roastiness, which I’m really digging.

Taste

Up front there is a graininess, that almost reminds me of Everclear, but it isn’t nearly as offensive. Actually, it’s very pleasant. The sweetness really picks up as it moves across my tongue, though the molasses and dark fruit from the aroma are barely perceivable. It finishes with a slight warmth from the alcohol, though considering the ABV, it’s is very subdued. The crystal malts, along with the dark fruit and graininess are still a bit muddled, but I’d really like to see how this beer comes together in a couple years.

Feel

I was a little worried after this bottle gushed like a mofo that it would be over-carbonated, but surprisingly the carbonation is perfect. It’s very smooth on the palate, and is not to chewy and not too thin. All in all, the body is damn near perfect.

Overall

Wow, I’m not used to feeling a little tipsy after one bottle of beer, but this one definitely did it to me! I really enjoyed this beer overall, though it still has a good amount of room to improve with some age I would bet. Thanks Chico for hooking me up! :thumbs:
 
I've read of other bottles gushing a bit when they were opened without chilling. I find it interesting that you didn't get much barrel character as this is supposed to have a big bourbon presence. I really want to track down a 2009 bottle as I hear it's very different from the last release.

I have a 2010 I bought from their online sale last November and plan to open it in the next few months most likely with at least one other person to help. :)
 
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