We wanted something special to share with our friends and family for our wedding – something that we’ve never seen done before. So, we designed an imperial stout to be aged for one year, and shared on our Anniversary!

Brewer’s Notes

Dark, thick – wow! Very heavy, malt (liquid extract) flavor. Bitter back finishes dryer than expected. Very dark with dark amber on edges.  Hoping yeast will take hold, roast flavor totally overshadowed by malt.

4/5/2012 Dark, intense sweet and bitter flavors. Not drinkable. Fermentation has started!

OG: 1.132 @ 65F, target 1.113
FG:  1.040@ 65F, target 1.027

Fermenting Notes

Primary

4/9/2012 1.050 @63F

Lots of yeast still suspended. Still a bit sweet, but very good roast flavor is back. Strong alcohol back end – really happy!

4/12/2012 1.040 @ 65F

Still very sweet, fruity and alcohol nose.  Roast in back, but now dominated by sweet banana? flavor.  Racking to secondary.

Secondary

4/19/2012 1.038 @ 65F

Sweeter than I’d like, but no banana anymore.  Incredibly dark, thick.

4/30/2012 1.040 @ 67F

Not coming down any further. Flavors have mellowed considerably, leaving high alcohol content (12.5%) and taste.  Little to no aroma. Roasted malt on finish. Getting warm in kitchen, so kegging and moving to fridge.

Tasting Notes

5/1/2012

Kegged with an oak stave. In fridge at 50F.

5/8/2012

Tested, leaving oak in until the 10th.

5/10/2012

10pm, removing oak. On CO2 at 10PSI

5/27/2012

Bottled, used Home Brew Talk beer gun, worked reasonably well. Yield was 24 22oz + 2 12oz bottles.  Beer looked dark and sweet, but did not taste.

12/2012

We opened a 12oz bottle to test near new year’s. No tasting notes were made

6/29/2013

After one year, had bottle on our anniversary. Still dark and sweet, but the aging allowed flavors to meld. It is a very big beer. Some harshness from the oak, but very enjoyable.

Recipe