Samuel Adams Longshot Five Crown Imperial Stout

Samuel Adams beers are by the Boston Beer Company of Boston, Massachusetts.  This 8.9% ABV beer is part of Samuel Adams Longshot homebrew contest, where each year they choose several home brewer's recipes for their Longshot release.  This is the recipe of Joe Formanek, and is a Russian Imperial Stout.


The beer pours dark black like used motor oil.  There is a tall head of dark brown foam.  The aroma is dark roasted malt, chocolate, some coffee, with a creamy element as well.  The taste is somewhat sweet and tangy, then a wave of very dark roasted malt with coffee and dark chocolate, then a dry and semi-bitter finish.  The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, a tad thick.  This is a complex and good tasting stout.  I like that it has bitterness on the finish to cut the sweetness and finish dry, but its only drawback is that it has perhaps just a touch too much bitterness on the finish.  However, overall this is a very nice stout.