Judge's Review: 90 Rating - Legion by Community Beer Co.

Legion by Community Beer Co. is being evaluated as an Imperial Stout (category 20C) per the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines.

This beer pours a very dark brown color with opaque clarity do to the color. Orange hues are apparent when a light is held up to the glass.  A velvety, mocha-colored head with moderate retention persists. Overall, this Imperial Stout has a fairly light and airy aroma for the style, consisting mainly of dark chocolate notes of light intensity with subtle dark roasted undertones.  Very low earthy hop notes hide behind the malt. Esters are reminiscent of prunes and are moderately low in intensity. Wisps of alcohol are apparent as the beer warms. On the sip, the dark chocolate notes are more apparent and moderate in intensity, followed by the prune-like esters and a note of pleasant ethyl alcohol. Hop flavor is not evident in this beer though apparent moderate hop bitterness is. As the alcohol dissipates, the malt sweetness becomes apparent and is moderate in intensity though, as the beer warms, the residual sweetness becomes even more apparent. A few seconds after the swallow the use of the dark grain becomes evident and helps to ground this beer out; the balance in this beer is aided by the alcohol and the roasted grain, and a touch of sticky sweetness is left on the lips as well. This is a full-bodied beer with ample carbonation, which lends to a very creamy and smooth mouthfeel. A pleasant warmth is noted in the mouthfeel, which is not harsh or hot as well as a touch of pleasant astringency from the grain bill that adds to the overall quality of the beer. Overall, this is a well done and pleasant Imperial Stout. Though I found it to lack the flavor and aroma intensity and depth of some other commercial examples, I enjoyed the balance of this beer with respect to the interplay of the malt, alcohol, and roast character. A touch more dryness in the finish would benefit this beer as well.