Lagunitas - Imperial Stout

Tonight I'm drinking the Unlimited Release Lagunitas Imperial Stout.  This beer is brewed by Lagunitas in Petaluma, CA.  According to the label, it's 'Doggone Good!', with 72 IBUs and 9.9%ABV.  There is also a little story on the label that I'll quote below:


"Having downed his forth Imperial Stout of theay, the wild eyed charlatan from Voldvostogniaky belched and hollered for the Czarina to enter his chamber and bend herself to his will. The economy was a wreck and revolt was just around the corner. Nicky the Czar dude was off playing soldier like any pale nobleman wioth a hemorrphagic skin condition would. Such were the final days of the old empire. Reactionary, decadent, sputnik, stroganoff, wierd, and drunk. But even as the proletariat countryside labored under inhuman conditions and a threat of being sent to futile war in the east, they wisely took the time to slam back an Imperial Stout or two. After all, life can be a real "suka", as they say in the old country. Big, black, bourgeois, bolshoy, belligerent, buxom, and scary - this is our version of the chaotic end of an era in a bottle."


The beer looks black....against the light, it's definitely black and doesn't let any of those protons through.  My pour leaves a thick layer of tan head with nice retention.  The aroma is full of plums, raisins, and alcohol.  It almost reminds me of a port wine.  Also a faint scent of vanilla in there.  


The taste starts off strange.  Then, it progresses to odd.  The finish brings a heavy dose of weird.  Honestly, even after 5 sips I still can't figure out what's going on with this beer.  I guess the first two things that come to mind are vanilla and candied plums.  Then comes a fairly hot dose of alcohol.  I'm not catching any of the roasty, coffee, chocolate malts that I expect and love in a big stout.  Instead, there is an overwhelming, and off-putting, bitter-sour alcohol.  The mouthfeel is pretty light and the carbonation is too high. 


Overall Rating:  I hate to bash Lagunitas, I'm a fan of many of their brews.  But this beer definitely falls at the bottom of the barrel - very disappointing.  I haven't sacrificed to the drain gods for a long long time, but that is exactly where this is going.  The fact that I feel zero remorse for this blasphemy just confirms it was the right thing to do.