Imperial Stout can be a little like the big guy on the football team who's really just a Teddy Bear. Sure, it seems big and threatening but underneath it's sweet and approachable. Sadly, that's not what we get here. Here, it's just a bear. Like, a real one. And it's upset.
The beer pours an opaque, dark brown with a thick, brown head that fades pretty quickly (not surprising in an imperial-strength beer). The aroma is simple and clean with prominent roasted coffee notes and some light toffee.
Where things start to go off the rails is in the flavor. It's mostly alcohol – not terribly hot or solventy but definitely boozy. There's only moderate roast, and the alcohol flavor (sweet, warm) masks the rest. You just can't taste much else.
Sadly, this beer wasn't particularly enjoyable. There aren't any obvious production faults, but there's not much to recommend here either. With so many exemplary options in the stout category, I doubt many would double back for another pour of this one.