Well balanced Russian Imperial Stout with mahogany-hued motor oil-like viscosity places bittersweet cedar-smoked oats-charred dark chocolate frontage and sticky anise resonance ahead of rich vanilla-tousled coffee-roasted espresso bittering. Bourbon and sherry illusions pick up steam for 9.2% alcohol-infused heavyweight.

Creamy black chocolate rampage picks up emergent hop-charred coffee-roasted cappuccino bitterness for relaxing 2008 version (bettered by marvelous ’12 offering). Lactic mocha influx overwhelms black cherry puree expectancy and dry raisin-prune undertone of robust black-bodied heavyweight.

Excellent frothy Imperial Stout retains soothing up-front lactose malt richness as creamy caramel-burnt black chocolate and vanilla sweetness contrasts charcoal-embittered black coffee slipstream above residual oats base. Blackstrap molasses sapping, cedar-chipped bourbon-Scotch slip and pureed black cherry subsidy thicken velvety smooth backend.

Cherished frothy-headed mahogany-bodied Imperial stout retains bittersweet molasses-thick chocolate-coffee robustness. Dispersed espresso, cappuccino, and mocha resonation picks up black Sambuca motif. Toasted hops encrypt tertiary Black Forest cake, burnt cedar, and sticky anise illusions. Rich java finish reminiscent of black coffee left on the burner.

Creamy full-bodied 2002 edition contains hefty 9.4% alcohol rate, retaining powdery milk chocolate opulence and richly aromatic molasses malt enhancement. Black currant, vanilla, prune, and raisin variance muscles through sugar spiced fizz hedging too close to cloy. Yet this Russian-styled heavyweight finishes with an absorbing espresso coffee lift that turns to cheap cognac or cherry coughdrop.

Excellent Russian Imperial contract brewed by High Point Brewery (makers of fine Ramstein wheat beers) holds its own against heavy competition. Persistent dried-fruited roasted chocolate malts gain brown-sugared maple molasses sweetness that envelops sticky anise, chocolate liqueur, chicory coffee, vanilla bean and clove illusions. Minor burnt oak dryness evens out thick-bodied ebony-hued stout. Brewery defunct: 2016.

Initial ’03 version of Great Lakes Blackout Stout strikes good balance between burnt coffee sourness, roasted chocolate sweetness, and black licorice sashay.

Creamy mocha essence enriches soured chocolate and overripe prune. Pours like thick volcanic lava, earning its eruptive namesake. But bloated carbonation subdues frothy tan stout.

Deluxe velvety version of Fat Dog Stout provides revelatory chocolate-espresso confluence, hop-charred toasted oats relevance and underlying hazelnut roast, finishing with a mild bourbon warmth. Vanilla extract, burnt caramel, cocoa bean and milked coffee illusions sweeten the load. Soothing fruited maple sugaring lingers on ensuing sips.

Promising oak-aged oatmeal stout assimilates creamy milkshake up-front. Oaken vanilla bean bittering tucked beneath smoky oat-charred chocolate malting. Tertiary black cherry, anise, and hazelnut illusions enrich bottomed hop-roasted charcoal-burnt ashen peat earthiness.

Smooth midnight black Imperial Stout with hefty 8.7% alcohol boozing stays rich and creamy. Hop-charred toasted oats reinforce roasted coffee bean bitterness, thickening black chocolate subsidy and tertiary cola-hazelnut-walnut conflux. Raw molasses, cocoa, and black licorice illusions deepen complexity.

Impeccable black-bodied stout brings sweet chocolate overtones to expresive espresso bittering, judicious vanilla creaminess and rich nutty bottom. Tertiary prune, golden raisin and black licorice illusions complement strong mocha malt pungency. Arguably the finest Imperial available.