Vortex II - Pisgah Brewing Co.

pixieskid

France

2.94/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Given to me by my cousin as part of a wedding present; didn't have the chance to try it while stateside so I brought it back to France. Didn't know anything about it but was happy to try it, looks as if this one is fairly well known/of interest. Unfortunately, it seems I got a bad bottle...it was a drainpour.

Pours proper stout black with a decent tan/offwhite head.

Nose, roasty and cardboard like; uh oh.

Taste; muddled roasty and chocolate, cardboard and a hint of cherries.

Mouthfeel; a little syrupy and thin but at almost 12% that is understandable.

Overall; always a bummer when this happens, I hate lugging bottles that end up having problems. Took the proper precautions I always do when traveling with beer, so seems like I just got an oxidized bottle, bummer.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 07:16:51 | More by pixieskid

blackie

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

cask serving upstairs at Thirsty Monk

a: served in a short chalice, sporting only a thin ring, pure black in color

s: first aromas are dark cocoa, espresso, molasses, deep caramel, and earthy roast, sweetly aromatic but not overdone, sugary dark fruits - fig, hop aromas tend towards pine and earth, very smooth and balanced

m: carbonation on the lower end, as expected with a cask serving of course, body medium-full, silky smooth

t: immediate flavors of dark chocolate covered espresso with sweet underpinnings of dark caramel and molasses, fig, nice dark roasted malt, malt forward but certainly not too sweet, lots of complex toasted and roasted character, hop flavors of earthy pine impart a mild bitterness to the long finish

o: a tasty RIS for sure, plenty going on, in great balance between roast and sugar, and the cask serving compliments the beer well, alcohol totally hidden

Serving type: cask

04-06-2013 19:59:31 | More by blackie

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.55/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

January 2009 release acquired from mikesgroove courtesy of the Little Guy 2 BIF, so a big “Thank You” goes out to him. Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep black color, with a large foamy beige head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma dark fruit, licorice, roasted malts, some chocolate, some coffee and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts with a hearty roasted malt character followed by some flavors of licorice, dark fruit, chocolate and coffee. There’s a mild hops presence but not much balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp but not very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, deceptively strong kick, decent representation of style, there are definitely several other beers in the style that I would choose first.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 05:59:38 | More by TheManiacalOne

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

2.58/5  rDev -35.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I’ve had this bottle in the basement for two years or so and tonight for Todd’s fortieth seemed like the prefect time to pop this one. She poured a solid black with a monstrous tan head that took forever to recede. From the first pop of the cap we are disappointed with the beer. There’s an earthy funky fruity aroma with a hint of roast that fills my nostrils. The flavor is tart and fruity with a bit of nasty funk. Medium to light body with an insane level of carbonation and a slick tart mouthfeel. Obviously there is something wrong with this bottle, and I’m quite disappointed I’ve held on to this so long. So my first Pisgah beer is infected, well that sucks.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 05:18:38 | More by johnnnniee

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

32oz growler from Ale Yeah (Roswell, GA). 8.99. Served in a Red Brick snifter.

Pours cola rimed black with a quarter finger pale tan head.

Smells like dark chocolate raisin bread.

Taste is huge bitter chocolate and coffee charred malts. Molasses, dark fruit, leather and currants. A noticeable booze bite but not even close to what I expected for 11.7% abv.

Medium full body with moderate carbonation. Long burnt bitter cocoa finish.

I've had some pretty good beers from Pisgah but this is by far the best. A well done complex RIS. I hope to find this again sometime.

Serving type: growler

10-25-2012 13:12:52 | More by ThickNStout

chinchill

South Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A full pint served at the brewery.

Pours nearly black with a dark tan head.
Sweet aroma with only a hint of alcohol; the high ABV is also very well hidden in the flavor. Some dark fruit in the taste; more in the nose. Plenty of dark roasted malt but only mid-taste on. Good sweet-bitter balance.

M: medium-full body with medium, low carbonation.

O: a rather average RIS

4 3.75 3.75 4 4

Serving type: on-tap

09-29-2012 23:08:57 | More by chinchill

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle into a tulip glass. 2009 bottling, which I believe was supposed to be infected.

Pours black with a finger of rich dark mocha head. This maintains some thin creamy froth that dots the sides of the glass with robust swathes of lacing. The aroma has quite a bit of dark fruit going on, along with notes of roasted coffee, tangy caramel, cocoa, and light earthy citrus. This has got some flavor but they aren’t exactly blowing up in the nose.

The taste is more dark fruit and a flush of roast across the back. Chocolate sweetness hangs on the edges and I’m even getting a little bit of leftover citric fruit here, although the hops seem overall pretty faded at this point. That dark fruit flavor just dominates this and is what mostly hangs in the finish, with a tart pithiness that lingers. The mouthfeel is full bodied, with a firm creaminess that expands outward into the mouth. There is maybe just a touch of warmth to this but man; this is unbelievably smooth for an 11% beer. I guess the age has done this some good.

Well if this was infected, it was one of the better infections in a beer that I tasted. I find it hard to believe that an Imperial Stout could have THAT much dark fruit character, even if some age had exacerbated that particular characteristic. But anyway, the extra tart dark fruitiness of this actually didn’t really turn me off from this as much as I thought it would, as this overall came off to me like an Imperialized version of a Cherry Stout. I do have to give respect to the smooth drinking nature of this for the size though. Just crazy. Anyway, if you have any left in the cellar, I’d say that they are actually still drinkable to a point but I know that I’ll be seeking out another vintage of this down the line to get the full Vortex II experience.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 17:39:11 | More by Kegatron

mdfb79

New York

4.23/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

From 06/09/12 notes. A 2010 vintage bottle I got in February 2011, been wanting to crack this for a while. 22 oz. bottle into a tulip.

a - Pours an almost black brown color with one inch of dark tan head and moderate carbonation evident. Looks like a big, great RIS.

s - Smells of roasted malts, choclate, bready malts, coffee, light dark fruits. Very nice and balanced nose; I like it a lot.

t - Tastes of roasted malts, sweet chocolate, coffee, vanilla, dark fruits, bitter chocolate, and cream. Again, everything is balanced and very nice.

m - Medium to full body and moderate carbonation. Body is very smooth and creamy; awesome body. No heat at all; very surprised the ABV is 11.7% ABV.

o - Overall I liked this beer a lot. It looks great, has a fantastic mouthfeel, no heat at all, and is just very balanced all around. Probably not the sexiest pick since it is not barrel aged or have crazy ingredients added, but it is a great balanced RIS. I have one more 2010 bottle I will most likely be opening in the early fall as it is drinking great right now.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 17:23:36 | More by mdfb79

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle from a kind BIF soul whose name I seem to have misplaced, my apologies to you sir. Pours black, very black indeed with a moderate brown head. A few splotches of lace adorn the glass.

Nose is excellent! Mocha, molasses, plums, raisins and a bit of leafy greens.

Mmmm, this is my kind of imperial stout. Rich and sweet, creamy with a fair amount of dark fruit. The alcohol is quite evident, but manages to be smoothly integrated with a molasses/maple syrup boldness. I wouldn’t say it is overly complex, but it has enough going on to keep it interesting all the way through. Warming improves the beer and allows some of the roasty character to develop. Good beer, I am disappointed in myself for losing track of the sender of this fine brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 02:03:07 | More by twiggamortis420

bamadog

Kentucky

4.38/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I managed to pick this little number up about a year and a half ago, and I'm feeling the need to crack into it. Review is from notes taken on 5/28/2012 and poured from the glass to a snifter.

Appearance: Pour looks a little viscous as it hits the glass with a glug, and of course, it is near black in color and entirely opaque; starts with a 1/2 finger dark brown head, but it fades just about immediately to nothing other than a thin ring and faint island of skim on the surface;

Smell: Potent, to say the least -- the smell wafts out of the bottle at the crack of the cap; plenty of big chocolate that comes across as syrupy and dark/bittersweet; bit of a ripe dark fruit aspect as well adds to the sweetness; there's a touch of roasted coffee-like malts in there, but wow, the chocolate scents really dominate.

Taste: Taste is solid and definitely a big chewy stout -- tons of the syrupy chocolate and a bit of a dry, bittersweet cocoa powder as well; the roastiness comes in better in the mouth than in the nose, and it definitely adds a roast and more bitter balance to the sweeter notes of the malts; some of the dark ripe fruits (perhaps cherry?) blend well, and interestingly enough, the alcohol is pretty well masked in my estimation, just shining through at the back of the throat.

Mouthfeel: Body is medium/heavy in terms of weight, and leaning towards the heavier side of things; body is thick and a little chewy; massively thick and sticky coating is left all over the mouth, leaving the teeth feeling gritty; belly is left warm from the size of the beer.

Overall: I wish there were a couple more of these in my closet, but I'm glad I cracked it when I did. Excellent scents and flavors, big and heavy mouthfeel, this would be an excellent accompaniment to a dessert, or simply serve as a dessert on its own. The only thing that would slow me down on it is indeed the weight and size, but for an RIS, drinkability is still solid.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 01:23:44 | More by bamadog

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4.43/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 22 oz. bomber bottle split and shared with a friend. Chilled and poured into two Sierra Nevada tulips. I have heard that bottles of this may be infected, so my fingers are definitely crossed.

Appearance: Dark brown to midnight black in color. Pours a nice one finger, brown head that sticks to the glass nicely.

Aroma: Roasted coffee beans and smooth milk chocolate dominate. Some nice backing of molasses and dark fruits. Very sweet and nice. No hints of sour cherry at all.

Taste: Big sweet chocolate really takes over. Lots of roasted coffee and molasses in there as well. Really sweet, borders on cloying, but just bitter enough. Caramel and dark fruit round out the flavor. Definitely appears tis bottle is just fine and drinking awesome.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied and very creamy. Carbonation is on the low side, but still extremely drinkable.

Overall, a really tasty, chocolately stout that definitely filled my expectations. Glad to see this bottle was not infected. Really delicious and complex. I would definitely give this a shot again.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 03:43:39 | More by Gosox8787

biglite351

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -30%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A - Considerable red around the edges with a short tight light brown head.

S - Light scent overall; malt and sour prune

T - Candied chocolate, old prune, malt and something that I can not put my finger on.

M - Thick but only a medium coating and only a hint of tingle on front of tongue.

O - Not really up to snuff. Pass probably.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 03:02:37 | More by biglite351

GregSVT

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a dark brown with a small brown head that fades to a ring leaving no lacing on the glass.

S: The nose has big aromas of dark fruits, chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, and chocolate. The chocolate is really the main smell and it smells delicious.

T: The taste has more cocoa than chocolate and also has nice dark fruit, fudge brownie, and brown sugar flavors as well. Not quite as complex as the nose but it's tasty.

M: The feel is a tad bit on the thinner side of medium but the alcohol is no where to be seen.

O: I'm impressed by this one and would love to have a few more to drink throughout the year. The chocolate flavors really make this highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 03:08:19 | More by GregSVT

yourefragile

District of Columbia

2.65/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle served in a snifter.

Pours a dark molasses brown with a large frothy mocha head that quickly dissipates with minimal lace. Tart, berry, tang, etc dominate the aroma with light cocoa and roast malt in the background. Flavor is more of the same, tart berries and mild vinegar sourness up front but not quite as strong as the aroma. From mid palate to the finish with the non infected, horrible parts of the stout. The finish is actually pleasant and long lasting with cocoa, roast malt, and dark chocolate. Bummer, this beer could have been nice.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 01:22:27 | More by yourefragile

jegross2

Illinois

3.13/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewing the Vortex II from Pisgah Brewing Company. This bottle is two years old.

Score: 61

01/09 vintage bottle served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 01/19/12. You can see my roommate in the background!

Appearance: Mostly opaque dark brown, almost black, color with red/caramel highlights at the top of the glass when held up to light. Pours maybe one finger of bubbly/creamy dark tan head that settles into a decent lacing. 3.5/5

Smell: Lots of tart berries fruit here, which is not right because this is a Russian Imperial Stout. This one has to be infected. Interestingly, however, the infection makes the aroma interesting for a sour ale. The front of the nose is a little pungently sour, but then it mellows out into a pleasantly tart berries and fruit aroma with some light chocolate in the background. 3.5/5

Taste: Taste confirms infection. This is now a sour ale, and not a very bad one either. Not puckeringly sour. Flavor is mostly sour berries mixed with light amounts of semi-sweet chocolate. Some tart fruit in there too. Finish is lingering sour berries. Gag reflex is triggered at some point as it approached room temperature. 2/5

Mouthfeel: Light-medium bodied, high-medium carbonation. Sour, but not puckering, finish. 3/5

Overall: An infected Russian Imperial Stout turned into a decent sour ale while cold, but I did not like this warm.

Recommendation: I cannot say whether the beer is normally worth trying, as this is my first experience with Vortex II, but an infected bottle is not worth seeking out.

Pairings: Chocolate cake (the infected berries and chocolate flavor would pair well).

Cost: Unknown.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 18:05:48 | More by jegross2

ChadQuest

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Black with a thin brown collar, some browning around the edges, not super thick on appearance but some legs.
The aroma is pretty nice, the coffee blends in with the chocolate rather well, and a really dark pomegranate and currant note is here too.
On the palate there is the noted coffee, seems a bit over extracted in flavor, semi-sweet dark chocolate covered dark fruits, and added in new at this point is some clean alcohol to add another dimension.
Mouthfeel is pretty creamy and full bodied all around, with just some alcohol and coffee acidity cleaning it up.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 01:28:30 | More by ChadQuest

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - pours a pitch black with a thin tan foam that quickly faded
S - chocolate, vanilla and caramel, there is a nice roasty aroma
T - nice roasty flavor, im picking up mainly chocolate and vanilla beans
M - smooth and creamy with a very mellow and calm carbonation.
D - very easy to drink and quite enjoyable. I hope to get another sometime.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 05:23:43 | More by mikereaser

RocPorterFanatic

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Rich brown pour with thick, creamy, tan, head. Looks like carbonated molasses.
S - Dutch Cocoa, coffee and vanilla extract aromas. Pretty well rounded.
T - Nice roast coffee, almost espresso. Brown sugar and slight rasin sweetness. Alcohol warmth chases and blends it all together.
M - Very carbonated, keeps the beer from being cloying, cleansing the palate after every sip.

O - Good beer. Alcohol is very present, which I find to be a key to the style. This is the freshest I've had it. I prefer a little age on it to mellow the stronger flavors and let it blend together a little more.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 01:24:48 | More by RocPorterFanatic

robwestcott

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thanks to thagr81us for this one. sent a few months ago, opened tonight.

poured cold from the bottle a dark cola black to a founders brewing goblet with a hint of a short lasting mocha head

aroma of sweet, creamy espresso roast and chocolate in the wayback.

wow. this is a good one. i can only guess that the coffee has settled down in the last few months its been on my shelf, but still. nice espresso balanced up alongside semi sweet hot chocolate. maybe a hint of dark fruits hiding in the back.

big bodied, low carbonation, smooth, sticky and slick. the abv is in there, but there's not much heat here.

overall - very enjoyable. good RIS, bordering on great RIS. nice balance of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2011 02:14:51 | More by robwestcott

GeorgeAldi

South Carolina

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice dark hue with decently dark lacing. Dry cocoa and big malts on the nose, maybe some vanilla, but its faint. The stout was a bit drier than I thought, likening it more to other stouts, but with more of a full flavored palate. well balanced for the higher alc %. Probably just needed to age this one a bit more before tearing into it.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 21:35:09 | More by GeorgeAldi

cosmicevan

New York

4.43/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to alewatcher for hooking it up! Been looking forward to this one. Served in my Southampton oversized snifter.

a - poured a shiny dark brown but settled much darker in the glass with a crazy amount of fizzy looking bubbling all along the glass and the surface. The head was gone before the bubbling on the glass side. Lacing was also very slick and not RIS like.

s - as soon as the bottle opened the smell jumped from the bottle. Deep chocolate, dark fruit, and very nicely roasted malts. Big and bold. Very appealing.

t - wow, that is fantastically delicious. The chocolate is big and bold and dominates. The other flavors are there, but this beer should be called hershey since it is THAT chocolatey. Some dark fruit in the background.

m - super thick and rich without being sludgy or too much. Leaves a soft alc tingle and a chocolatey coating in my mouth. Silky.

o - overall this is a bit one dimensional by being a chocolate bomb, but it is so damn tasty. I am not a huge chocolate fan, but I love this beer. Really worth seeking out in my opinion. I absolutely loved this one. ISO more.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 00:09:29 | More by cosmicevan

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into tulip. From notes

This beer pours a common black with brown edging. Produces about 1/2" of light tan bubbly head that dissipated quickly. Minor lacing. Smell is a roasty chocolate, molasses and charcoal. The taste is a nice chocolate, coffee with dark fruits (figs, dates, raisins). I also pick up a good dose of green apples, interesting and good. Mouthfeel is medium heft with a creamy consistency. Overall a good beer. A lighter stout that isn't a sipper and the ABV is hidden very well.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 18:02:53 | More by OakedCanuck

titosupertramp

Tennessee

4.22/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very dark brown, near black with brown at the edges when held to light. Finger or two of brown head that recedes, leaving a slight film and next to no lacing.

S: Very faint at first, but once the smell opens up, it's quite nice with chocolate, coffee, caramel, dark fruit of some kind and there's something spicy here..cinnamon maybe.

T: This is a tasty beer. Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, dark fruits of raisins or plums..figs? What I like most about this beer is that it's strikes a good balance between the sweet and roasted flavors. Also, the alcohol is nowhere to be found in the taste. Very well done here.

M: Good for the style. Rich, smooth and full.

O: Vortex II seems to have a mix of scores on this site for one reason or another, but this bottle did not dissapoint. It's a very well balanced and crafted beer and still amazes me that it's 11.70%ABV...not hot in the least.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 00:26:23 | More by titosupertramp

fsvan

Tennessee

4.22/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber into Dogfish Head signature glass. Big thanks to Titosupertramp for opening this guy with me. Review from notes.

A- Black. Completely black. Some head.

S- Chocolate. A big semi-sweet fruity smell. Like chocolate covered cherries? Or raspberries? Very unique, and very good.

T- Follows the smell. Big chocolate flavors, and the sort of sweetness next. Again, like chocolate covered fruit. Very, very unique. I've never had anything quite like this. Very good. I bumped the score a .5 due to this beer being so unique.

M- Nice, mouth coating stout. Not too big. Not too small.

O- Don't know that there is much to say that I haven't. This is a very good, extremely unique stout. My first Pisgah beer, and I would love to try more based on this. Thanks for the chance at this, Tim. Splitting each of a Darkness, Smoke, and Vortex II is one hell of a way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon. In the words of the great 20th century philosopher O'Shea Jackson: "Today was a good day."

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 03:50:48 | More by fsvan

beerenjoyer1

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I bought this beer at Peabody's in Boone, NC. The appearance is dark with little foam if any but that is ok. The smell is good and fresh and is full of Chocolate, Malts, Hops, & alittle spice. The taste was awesome, full of fresh robust flavor: hops,.chocolate, a little coffee, and a hint of.spice. The mouthfeel is excellent with full flavor and a hint of alcohol. It tool nearly and hour to finish the 22oz bottle. Overall this is a grear beer and I will be getting more of this beer when I get back to Boone in August.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 22:20:08 | More by beerenjoyer1