Smuttynose Imperial Stout

Last Sunday's visit to Wisconsin brought us once more to Casanova's in Hudson, where I concentrate on beers you can't get here. I felt fairly certain that Smuttynose Imperial Stout belonged here, and took back a bottle. Lo and behold, I had had it before, 11 years ago, and here are notes from July 2004:

Deep dark color, full-on blackness, good, toasty tan froth atop.

Aroma is wickedly twisted, rich and darkly delicious, full of anise, espresso, and more, roasty and redolent with all things dark and deadly.

Taste repeats all these things and more, thick and roasty, huge and at-large in the mouth.
A nearly perfect by-the-numbers Imperial Stout, and the numbers are spot-on, though, make no mistake! Yum, I'm saying, as the booze swills around me..yum, I says, and it's a delightful feeling, indeed. A top-notch example of the IS style...can't see a thing wrong with it. Smuttynose did it right, like they always do.

from the label: "Big, black and dominated by rich notes of coffee and chocolate. Drink it fresh for the hops or cellar it for a refined malty experience.