Narragansett Private Stock: Imperial Black Steam

Narragansett Brewing has been trying very hard lately to up their game from being just a brewery that makes cheap adjunct lager, to a brewery that makes both easily accessible beers and rich full flavored beers that are both drinkable and complex. For the winter from their Private Stock collection comes an Imperial Black Steam beer. Steam beer is one of the few styles of beer that is indigenous to the United States, being traced back to somewhere around 1860 as a beer made with lager yeast but fermented at higher temperatures.
Narragansett's version is the strongest steam beer I've had before, and is definitely the only black version. The smell is wonderful roasted coffee, with some chocolate and a bit of anise star in the background. First sip is an excellent mix of smoke and chocolate and some burnt dark bread. The mouthfeel though is somewhat lighter than I expected despite it's color. At 9% alcohol I expected some burn but it actually finishes very smooth. While I've been a fan of Narragansett beers, this is their most complex beer I've had from them and will be great again on a cold winter night.