Aliferous Imperial Stout

Review Date 2/23/2026 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Imperial Stout   Brewery: Fire Maker   Country: USA   State: Georgia   $ Per OZ: $.90 (D)   ABV: 14%

Almost three years ago, I hit the Fire Maker brewery in Atlanta as part of my annual birthday pub crawl. My kids were with me and handled the driving, and a fun time was had by all. One of the more memorable beers on that stop was a barrel aged version of their Aliferous Imperial Stout. They did not have the straight version on tap at the time, though I later picked up a bomber bottle at Total Wine. At least, I am pretty sure I bought it there. I might have bought it at the brewery, but I don’t think so

Anyway, my bottle of Fire Maker Aliferous Imperial Stout was brewed in 2022, so it already had a little bit of age on it when I bought it. Then I read this on the label:

Cellaring a beer allows for a new, complex flavor palette to come through. While it is not an exact science, cellaring a high gravity beer can allow for certain flavors to shine as others dull over time.

Beer is meant to be enjoyed fresh, so we recommend trying a bottle first and saving one to cellar.

Hey Fire Maker, if you only knew how much you were preaching to the choir. Nobody has to tell me twice to age a beer, and if you can’t age a 14% ABV imperial stout like this one, what can you age? To be fair, I only bought one bottle, but again, I did have the barrel aged version fresh on tap at the brewery.

The label also says:

This beer is the epitome of darkness. Aliferous demands respect with its full body and massive flavor profile. Coffee, milk chocolate, sweet cherries and dark chocolate are all over the nose and flavor that create a brew worth savoring now or cellaring for increased complexity.

I do not recall what I paid for my bottle of Fire Maker Aliferous Imperial Stout, but it is actually on tap at the brewery as I type for $9 the 10-ounce glass. The label says this beer is made with coffee, milk chocolate, sweet cherries, and dark chocolate.

Fire Maker Aliferous Imperial Stout pours to a jet-black color with a thick creamy tan head and a nose of dark roasty coffee and chocolate. Taking a sip, the beer is full in body, thick and rich in mouthfeel. It bursts with dark roasty cocoa notes, black coffee, espresso, caramel, a hint of dark cherry fruit, and a long dry roasty bitter finish.  

The beer does not seem to have changed all that much with age, I did notice the cherry fruit seems less apparent, but other than that all the flavors remain potent. The roasted notes seem stronger, although when I drank this fresh the barrel aging may have masked them to a degree.

I enjoyed every sip of this treat and will be back for more. I think it is better straight than barrel aged, and the aging only makes it more of a special reward.  Do not miss it if you ever have the chance to try it.

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??