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I feel like a stout tonight. And I’d really like to have a flip-top bottle. Oh, hey! Lookie here!:

Tonight’s beer review is Drake’s Imperial Stout. Drake’s Brewing Company is located in San Leandro, CA. I think this is the first Imperial Stout I’ve reviewed. It won’t be the last. I really enjoy the big ol’ malty dark beers. I’ll just tell you right now, this one is no exception. It really hit the spot tonight. How so?

I lifted the lever on the stopper and was greeted with quite a treat. Aromas of dark roasted malts and chocolate mingling lightly with hops scents. This is a very pleasing, yet powerful smelling brew.

It pours a dark, dark brown - almost black. Streaks of ruby appear along the edges if the light hits the glass just right. It built a pretty big dark tan head that lasted a long time. I had to wait to taste, but when I did…

It was worth the wait. This one is a keeper. The flavors in this puppy are big and impressive, but smooth. Chocolate,roasted malts and a bit of coffee seem like they’ll stay forever, but then the hops come knockin’ and join the party. I get some citrus type notes and some pine with a touch of bitter to finish things off. Very well balanced. A real pleasure. All flavors are intense by themselves, but are proportioned so well, they really combine to form a smooth, very drinkable stout that weighs in at 8.75% ABV. Very nicely done.

The mouth feel is on the light/medium side for the style with a bit of a creaminess. Carbonation is subdued.

Overall, this was quite a treat. It doesn’t really beat you over the head with roasted grains, although they are definitely there. The softer chocolate malts are able to play a big role. And the hops are used perfectly to balance things off nicely. This beer may be a source for more flip-top bottles for my homebrews. (Well, maybe not. A quick scan of the brewer’s website and a glance at Beer Advocate, and it looks like this one won’t be available any more. Bummer, I really like it.)

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