Central City Brewing Imperial Porter

Central City Brewing Imperial Porter. 9% abv. 60 IBU. Black in color, with two+ fingers of rich tan head. Superb retention and outstanding lace. Nose of heavily roasted, almost burnt malt, dark chocolate, vanilla cookie. Front taste of bittersweet chocolate, black coffee, bitter earthy hops, sour fruit back end. Aftertaste of burnt dark malt, pungent bitter fruit, espresso, notes of vanilla, with banana peel on the sustain. Medium-full body. Mouthfeel is warm, creamy, silky, astringent.

This is an outstanding beer that was nearly derailed by a couple of flaws. The high points are the exquisite head and body, the complex and inviting aroma, and the rich taste of dark chocolate, coffee, and roasted grain. The low point is the aftertaste, which starts fine but quickly becomes overly bitter and roasted/burnt, saved only by its pleasant sustain. During the start of that aggressive aftertaste, I briefly wondered if my bottle had expired - it's never a good sign when one wonders that. Still, worts and all, this is a superb imperial porter, one that offers more character than many in its category. Highly recommended.

From the company:

"Deep aromas of roasted malts and bakers chocolate combine with a silky full body, leaving you wanting more."

[centralcitybeer.com]

"This original release of this was a 2011 draft-only batch and is retired. In 2013/2014 bottled beer (also on tap at the brewpub) with a black label was the Bourbon Barrel Imperial Porter, but the label was not clear about that. The Autumn 2014 bottling (red label) is the return of the non-bourbon version."
[source: ratebeer.com]