Vortex II - Pisgah Brewing Co.

Swimsum

California

4.1/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this in a trade with blkflg. Thanks again Ian. There is what appears to be a date about the barcode that stated 1/09 so if that is a date then this is two years old. Poured into Bruery tulip.

Pours out a nice black and settles midnight black into the glass. No light is getting through the body of this one. A dark tan head emerges from the liquid that is about half an inch high. It quickly recedes to a very thing ring around the glass. No lacing is produced on the glass as this one goes down.

This is a sweet one. Dark fruits explode out of the glass and followed up by some chocolate. Very sugary sweet smelling. Probably the sweetest smelling RIS I've ever smelled.

This is really fruity tasting. Perhaps it's plums or prunes. Really dominates the initial taste. Some roast starts to make its way though the fruits as it starts to warm up. Alcohol is well hidden on this one. I'm wondering how complex this one was when it was fresh or even with less age on it. The dark fruits really dominate now.

Very smooth with some noticeable carbonation. It doesn't coat the mouth as much as some other RIS's I've had but it has a very nice feel in the mouth. I would score this higher with a thicker feel.

This was a great tasting and drinking beer. Goes down really easy and I can't believe this is 11.7% because it doesn't taste like it at all. I would love to try this fresh to see how it compares to the aged version. I would seek this out again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 05:32:16 | More by Swimsum

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

Bluecane

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%

04-21-2013 06:26:44 | More by Bluecane

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev 0%

04-11-2013 03:12:03 | More by orangesol

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

Falcone

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

03-28-2013 02:13:04 | More by Falcone

Doodler

Colorado

4/5  rDev 0%

03-27-2013 03:56:03 | More by Doodler

Sparky44

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

03-25-2013 00:12:02 | More by Sparky44

mccallisters_dali

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

03-23-2013 16:26:55 | More by mccallisters_dali

GTB

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%

03-23-2013 00:04:56 | More by GTB

drumenigma

Massachusetts

2/5  rDev -50%

03-03-2013 21:00:44 | More by drumenigma

djrn2

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -6.3%

02-24-2013 01:15:10 | More by djrn2

KevinGordon

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

02-11-2013 13:49:32 | More by KevinGordon

DmanGTR

New York

4/5  rDev 0%

02-10-2013 15:41:28 | More by DmanGTR

jsteele

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%

02-10-2013 00:04:53 | More by jsteele

vande

Illinois

4/5  rDev 0%

02-02-2013 23:57:39 | More by vande

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

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev 0%

12-08-2012 22:10:01 | More by t0rin0

Riggsy

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev 0%

11-25-2012 20:55:36 | More by Riggsy

robmoak

Mississippi

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

11-13-2012 17:00:48 | More by robmoak

Robeerto89

Mississippi

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

10-29-2012 19:40:20 | More by Robeerto89

acurtis

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

10-28-2012 20:24:20 | More by acurtis

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

elkinbrown

Mississippi

4/5  rDev 0%

10-27-2012 02:06:36 | More by elkinbrown

jriggins6

Georgia

4/5  rDev 0%

10-26-2012 12:35:19 | More by jriggins6