Brewery – Fifty West
Beer – Ghost Of Imogene
Style – Imperial Stout
ABV – 11%
IBUs – 90
A hauntingly delicious Russian Imperial Stout named after Imogene Remus who was murdered by her bootlegger husband, George Remus, in nearby Eden Park. This beer is a thick-bodied, malty blend of dark chocolate and burnt sugar flavors. Sweet enough to raise the dead.
First released as number three in the Remus’ Revenge Series of beers from Fifty West, Ghost Of Imogene has seen not only a few fun variants over it’s years, but it’s seen some recipe changes as well that not only boosted the abv of the beer, but brought a new smooth roasty character to the party, too.
We’ve seen whiskey barrel aged, rum barrel aged, bourbon barrel aged versions of Imogene, and they’ve all been delicious, fresh and cellared… It’s a beer that every time I get a sip of it reminds me of the dark, delicous side of Fifty West that I fear too often get’s overlooked.
The story of this one is briefly outlined in the description of the beer above, but I encourage everyone to get online sometime and read not just about George Remus (who once owned the building that now houses Fifty West’s brewpub) but of his wife and her murder. It’s the stuff that writes movies when the story is told.
My Thoughts On Fifty West’s Ghost of Imogene
This beer pours big, dark and heavy. It hits your glass and you get a moment of noticing the deep brown tones in it before it takes on a deep black opaque color as the glass fills. The head on top is dark brown, like chocolate, resting right on top.
Aromas are packed full of light tobacco and dusty roasted chocolate notes. This one is a real treat as it warms up. I get some dark fruity notes, and some real earthiness that starts to come to life.
The taste brings together that big roasty chocolate with a slight bitter chocolate flavor. The dark fruit comes back into play and balances it all out. There isn’t hiding the high abv – this beer isn’t afraid to strut it’s stuff and hang it’s had on boldness.
