Imperial porter? We all know
about imperial stout, but who ever heard of imperial porter? Full sail,
evidently, but what exactly do they intend this beer to be? A Baltic porter,
perhaps? Those are porters of strength approaching imperial stouts, but Full
Sail Imperial Porter is not quite that strong, having an original gravity of
1.075 and an alcohol content of 7 percent by volume. Baltic porters are bottom
fermented anyway and this is a top fermented ale.
This is definitely no imperial stout. So what is it? My theory is that as
imperial stout is intended to be the strongest and most robust of all stouts,
Full Sail intends this brew to be the strongest and most robust of all porters.
They may very well have achieved this, Baltic oddball variations excluded.
I'm popping open my last bottle of the beer tonight. Tonight is a cold and rainy
fall night that has come on the heels of a cold and rainy fall day. A big,
warming beer like Full Sail Imperial Porter really fits the bill and it's a
shame that it's only released in the early winter months of January and
February. Fortunately, this is a beer that will survive the test of time, so buy
extra when you see it.
Imperial Porter is dark black in color with a rich creamy tan head and a
powerful fruity hoppy nose. The incredibly complex palate features notes of rich
dark chocolate, espresso, prune, and pear. Mouthfeel is full and rich, and the
alcohol warms the tongue on into the finish where a balancing, slightly citric
60 IBU Willamette hop bitterness emerges. This is a wonderful beer which I can
easily imagine accompanying a rich chocolate dessert quite nicely.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For
reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.