On tap at Ambulance Brew House, tight bourbon-barreled stout  (with well-hidden 11% ABV) bursts forth with dark and brown chocolate richness. Serene bourbon vanilla warmth pleats creamy mocha frontage as well as oats-charred hop bittering, latent anise sugaring and dark-roasted coffee sentiment. Ancillary molasses, vanilla and coca nibs illusions increase fortitude.

On tap at Ambulance Brew House, modified Imperial Stout relies not only on expectant black chocolate creaminess, but also evenly spread anise sweetness, hop-charred wood dryness and black grape souring. A daring dark ale likely to impress some avid imbibers, though stylistically, its puzzling blend may not appeal to traditionalists.

Intriguing limited edition 2014 Imperial Stout recipe has changed little since ’05. Rich ebony-hued full body (with well-hidden 11% ABV) drapes creamy black chocolate malting and bittersweet coffee-cocoa-vanilla bean expanse atop ashen wood-toned hop char. Wavered bourbon tones penetrate the heavy mocha theme. Sticky maple molasses sapping surges over tertiary raisin, dark cherry, black currant and anise notions.

Commodious soft-watered medium body combines unusual adjuncts with stylish dark-roasted black chocolate malting and peat-smoked hop char. Brewers’ black licorice adjunct creates gentle anise spicing for Blackstrap molasses, and to a lesser extent, Belgian dark rock candy sugaring, affecting caramel-burnt dark bourbon, creme brulee, milked espresso and soy milk undertones. Burnt wood chaff, black tar residue and charred nut bittering contrast creamy mocha essence.

Swiss-styled Imperial Stout (with French-wined cuvee overtones) succeeds as its soured lactic mocha essence brings forth a somewhat unique flavor profile. “A crunch of bitter chocolate or a cigar” reads the label. Leathery oaken sourness infiltrates brown chocolate spicing, mild smoked mocha malting, tepid cocoa-dried bittering and wispy vanilla creaming. Earthen black tea peppers vinous grape undertones and murky dark fruiting.

Skeptical limited edition Imperial Stout spreads roasted chocolate nuttiness atop hop-charred bittering. Smoked mocha malting, burnt coffee souring and raw molasses bittering influence walnut-hazelnut conflux and tepid black cherry snip.

Inviting full-bodied dark ale (with mildly frothed creamy head) drapes light-roasted mocha malting atop brown-sugared maple molasses sugaring. Dried cocoa overtones lead the way, followed by brown chocolate and roasted coffee whims.

On tap at Three Wise Monks, bold 17th anniversary celebrator ransacks dark-roasted black chocolate creaming and wood-charred black patent malting with volatile sooty charcoal astringency. Mild black coffee stead deepens burnt toast acridity and hop-charred nuttiness. Anise, vanilla extract, raw molasses, cocoa powder and cola nut illusions seep into the burly mix.

Sludgily rich and immensely creamy high-gravity Imperial Stout (12%abv) magnifies chewy dark chocolate syruping with glutinous anise affluence, tarry molasses sugaring and densely compact roasted barley flakes. In the midst, fudgy chocolate-caked sweetness serenades black cherry, bourbon and burgundy sentiments. At the finish, hickory-smoked mocha malting spreads across tertiary chocolate eclair, chocolate truffle, chocolate liqueur and cappuccino undertones.  

Embracing a nuttier coffee affluence than Atwater’s Vanilla Java Porter, full-bodied dark ale layers caramel-burnt black patent malts, dark chocolate richness and coffee bean roast atop ashen hazelnut-walnut-cola conflux.  Raw molasses bittering and dark-roasted hop char advance malleable mocha mass.

Richly embittered full body tosses raw dark-roasted chocolate sludge and dry black patent malts at heightened oats-charred Blackstrap molasses influence. Dark-roasted hops coarsen harsh tar-like chewing tobacco acridity. Black coffee, dark cocoa, anise and walnut illusions add depth to monstrously robust dark ale memorializing dumbfounded doomsday prognosticators.