“Dark and thick, our 2022 Imperial Stout is reminiscent of old timey chocolate milk, where they used to melt bars down and add cream right into the cauldron. Built upon this sweet base are layers of heavy chocolate, coffee, and balancing booze on the back end. The fourth beer to be released upon the world in our straight Imperial Stout series is a nod to the skeletal rider upon the Pale Horse, wielding his scythe. Death, the fourth and final of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: As expected it’s as black as midnight with a firm brown head. Excellent retention and healthy lace as it ebbs.

Aroma: Just a straight up hostile and vicious old-school style Imperial Stout. It’s throwing out everything from heavily charred malt, burnt wood, dark chocolate and coffee to some lighter and more congenial vanilla sweetness, burnt caramel, toffee and white marshmallow. Some more delicate hints of ash, chocolate powder and black forest cake just for extra measure!

Flavour: Man these guys really know how to brew a killer stout! We’re loving the old-school, peeled back nature of it…brimming with heavily roasted malt goodness – bitter dark chocolate, cocoa powder, burnt vanilla, toffee/treacle, espresso coffee, ash and a soft smoky note. It doesn’t wither either…this bloc of robust and fiery flavour surges into the charred and warming finish.

Mouthfeel: Dense and viscous, full bodied and with low-ish Co2. Although it weighs in at 12% ABV the booze is pretty well behaved.

Overall: Well what can we say, Deeds keep producing in the Impy Stout department. When they brew base versions like this it’s no wonder their BA versions are the best in the country.