It's been another five years since this guy last appeared on this blog. I wanted to see how Ireland's seemingly indestructible first imperial stout of the craft era was getting on.The brewery's branding has moved along so the glass is different but the beer still looked the same: a cola brownish black with a thin skim of beige foam on top. The aroma still has a slightly phenolic hit of TCP and marker pens, something I noted last time out so I'm not especially worried about it here.
With several more years of imperial stouts under my belt, what impresses me most is how dry it is: burnt toast and dry grass; not how anyone makes this sort of thing now. Secondly it's still pretty much totally devoid of off-flavours, with no more than a hint of sherry oxidation. That's kind of it, though. Looking back on my 2016 review I was awestruck by the complexity. This doesn't have that. It hasn't gone bad, but I think its peak may have passed. We've been left with a pint of earthy bogwater which is clean, but by no means a supreme imperial stout. Sic transit, etc.
I have a couple of bottles left, and with luck I'll get to them in due course, but I think this one's place as a special-occasion celebration beer is now lost, unless something else changes in it next.
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