Oil Of Aphrodite - Jackie O's Pub & Brewery

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

shared at hobo tasting 7.5 with calton, cam and zach, along with newcomer chad. served in snifters.

pours out like motor oil. thick, viscous with no real head but soo think and oily it was impossibly to look at it any other way then used motor oil, lol.

aroma is odd. lots of tobacco, popcorn, leather and hints fo really dark and bitter chocolate. unlike anything i had run across before it seemed to be soo heavy. really bitter licorice coming through now as well. interesting. as you take the sip the think feel washes over the palate. really a huge profile with notes of leather and tobacco are dominating along with a huge hit of like 95% cacao and licorice in the finish.

overall it was a very nice stout but put up against some of the others we had today, it could have been a bit better.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 02:01:50 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks for this one, Mark!

Pours black as night with a finger of khaki head. Surprising amount of nuttiness to this. Lots of roast and molasses in there as well. A nice dark chocolate note, maybe a bit of licorice and burnt sugar. The flavor has a bit more bitterness than expected. Plenty of roast, dark chocolate, and molasses notes. A bit of walnut is also there. Lightly creamy, too. Medium to full bodied with smooth carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 20:01:44 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

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

On tap at the Jackie O's 5th Anniversary party.

Pours motor-oil black with a pretty good head and a nice bit of light lacing. The aroma blew me away right from the start. There was some really nice roasted nut character along with some nice dark chocolate. There were nice notes of espresso and dark fruit underneath with just a touch of booze.

The flavor is equally as nice and quite complex. I was a bit fan of how everything came together and it had a nice kick in the end. Chocolate, dark fruits, and espresso danced and were further highlighted by a beautifully-thick mouthfeel. Just a hint of warmth in the finish. This was my favorite of the Jackie O's brews and I'm looking forward to hopefully trying this again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2010 19:19:23 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

3.83/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to DarthKostrizer for sharing this at his tasting.

Bottle # 115/192.

Pours an opaque black with a dark khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, ashes, walnuts, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with some cookie dough and cocoa flavors. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good stout for what it is but I think it tastes better than it smells.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 20:50:23 | More by UCLABrewN84

Mora2000

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to someone for sharing this beer. I think it may have been thirdeye11.

The beer pours a black color with a tan head. The aroma is very strong. I get a lot of walnuts as well as a lot of dark chocolate. Very nice. The flavor is just as good and a little bit more complex. I get a lot of chocolate and coffee as well as some oak and molasses notes. Very easy to drink for a beer that is 10 percent alcohol. Medium to thick mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 22:17:14 | More by Mora2000

MasterSki

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to Jason for bringing this to Bryna's birthday party last night. Was looking forward to trying the other Jackie O's offering released last week. Served in a Kuhnhenn tulip.

A - Pours with a dime of foam that quickly settled to a thin ring, leaving no lace. Pitch black body.

S - Intense dark roast, with a hefty amount of nuttiness. I'm not sure I'd identify walnuts specifically, as there's an almond/marzipan sweetness to it. There's a bit of smoke and toast as well.

T - Taste is quite excellent as well, with multigrain toast, baker's chocolate, and a nutty character that has a bitter aftertaste reminscent of Brazil nuts. Alcohol is masterfully hidden.

M - Lower carbonation, extremely smooth medium-full body, with minimal heat. Finishes slightly sticky.

D - This was quite excellent. I happily finished my pour and would gladly have had more if it didn't need to be shared with other party attendees. The surprise of the evening.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 04:37:03 | More by MasterSki

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a black color with a thin brown head on top. The smell of the beer was decent, it had a bunch of roasted notes to it with some light nuts in the mix. The taste of the beer seemed like most other stouts. There might have been some hints of walnut in there but nothing too impressive to me. The mouthfeel of the beer was smooth with a little bit of an oily texture to it. Overall I'm glad I tried it but I wouldn't have to seek it out again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2012 20:20:19 | More by Knapp85

mdfb79

New York

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From 03/27/11 notes. Brought to a DC tasting, poured into a tulip. Been pretty excited to crack this one open.

a - Pours a pitch black color, with one inch of tan head and light carbonation evident. No real lacing or head retention.

s - Smells of chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, tobacco, and smokey malts. Nice, and the chocolate is up front.

t - Tastes of sweet milk chocolate, coffee, bitter chocolate, roasted malts, toasted malts, and very light smoke. Pretty good.

m - Full body and moderate carbonation, pretty thick and smooth body. No alcohol heat which is nice.

o - Overall this isn't my favorite beer from Jack O's, but it is something I definitely enjoyed quite a bit. Lots of chocolate and roasted qualities mixing with like smokey malts. I was a little surprised no vanilla here, as most stouts from Jackie O's have some vanilla to it, but I guess that's because it isn't barrel aged. Something I would certainly like to have again.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 16:58:44 | More by mdfb79

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into a couple of tulip glasses. This is another one shared by the ever generous Stakem as part of a recent tasting. I didn't get a chance to grab the bottle # on this one but it's from the latest release.

Pours a dense black in the glass, with a thin ½ finger covering of fizzy dark mocha head. This maintains some frothiness on the edges, leaving back a good bit of spotty froth and brown oils down the sides of the glass. The aroma is thick with chocolate and smoky smelling roast. The walnuts aren't immediately identifiable to me but there is definitely an interesting nuttiness here that sets this apart. Some hints of molasses, brown sugar, and citrusy hops round out the edges of the nose.

The taste is similar, with a mix of acrid roasted coffee and sticky notes of dark chocolate and toffee. Pithy fruit and pine combine with the roast to add some lightly aggressive bitterness to this. The nuttiness of the walnuts is much more evident to me in the taste and really adds some uniqueness to the profile. This finishes dry, roasted, and warm. The mouthfeel is full bodied and definitely has some thickness to it in the mouth, courtesy of a chewy and syrupy feel that really accentuates those sweet flavors. That 10% ABV is not hiding at all, adding some beefy power to the body, yet keeping any stinging heat elements away from the other flavors.

They are definitely putting out some innovative beers at Jackie O's and this is a good example, as the walnut addition (even if you aren't super familiar with the flavor) adds a definitely interesting spin on your usual Imperial Stout. I'm glad I had the opportunity to try this one. Thanks again Adam!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 20:04:34 | More by Kegatron

HopHead84

California

4.1/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

8/20/2011

Enjoyed at Clusterfork #7 in a snifter. Thanks!

A: Very dark brown, bordering on black. There's a small light brown head.

S: Nice milk chocolate presence blending with dark. There's some cocoa with a faint nut note. Coffee is well integrated. Moderate roasted malt presence with a little earth.

T: Earthy dark chocolate with an upper low bitterness. Touch of molasses with accompanying anise and a moderate roasted malt profile. Alcohol is faint. 

M: Full body with moderate carbonation. 

Overall: An enjoyable Imperial Stout. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 09:22:02 | More by HopHead84

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle #172/192 care of csmiley. Thank you for the chance to try this brew.

Poured into a snifter, this brew appears dark black in color with a darkly tanned head that fades fairly fast. There is a spotty amount of lace that clings to the glass.

The aroma of this brew is dark and roasty smelling of minor notes of chocolate, citrus hops and a scent of nutty walnuts is included. This brew smells pretty fantastic and the walnut really comes through more than I was expecting. As it warms more of the citrus hop character comes forward accented by the alcohol presence.

The taste of this brew is dark roasty with an oily walnut flavor coupled with chocolate notes and a deep burnt almost drying roast to the finish. There is both an alcohol flavor and warmth that runs down the back of the throat. As this brew warms, the citrus hop flavor comes forward just like in the nose with a citrusy twang of flavor that is highlighted by the alcohol's presence.

This is one exceptionally smooth brew that is medium to full in body with a light level of carbonation. It is excessively drinkable for 10%. The walnut flavor in this brew was more evident than I was expecting. It really works. This brew is balanced very well with equal combinations of dark burnt dry roast flavor, citrus hops, alcohol and nutty flavor. I would love to get my hands on another bottle of this but at less than 200 bottles released...who knows.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 23:15:45 | More by stakem

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle 81/192

Poured into darkness snifter

Pours 1/2 finger of dark tan head. Color is black.

Aroma: Very rich and roasted with some sweetness. It has a coffee bitterness and the belgian candi sugar adds a layer of syrupyness. The black walnuts are a bit subtle here. It has a lot of chocolate as well.

Taste: A lot of roast and coffee shows here. Somewhat bitter fresh coffee. The black walnuts show more here, but I wouldn't have been able to pick them out, rather just a nut flavor to it. Chocolate and belgian candi sugar again. Somewhat sweet and syrupy but it works. Roasted malts with some caramel.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, and syrupy. Full bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. It ends with a lot of bitterness from the coffee here.

Overall, it is a fairly nice imp stout. It is syrupy sweet, but not overdone which I enjoy. It has a nice chocolate profile and the candi syrup adds a nice syrupy layer. Good and pretty drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 23:46:05 | More by mothman

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Massive thanks to mikesgroove for sharing this one with myself, beeruser, and funkydelic during Hobo Tasting #6! Batch #2! Served from bottle into a Bell's tulip. Poured black as night with a minimal brown head. Maintained minimal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, dark chocolate, caramel, and tobacco. The flavor was of sweet malt, caramel, and tobacco. It had a heavy feel on the palate with mild carbonation. Overall this was an excellent brew. This one was very tobacco heavy for some odd reason to me. It had a great aroma and pretty good flavor on this one. I couldn't drink a lot of this one due to the tobacco aspect present, but could probably drink an entire bomber. Definitely get your hands on this one, you won't regret it.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 15:22:52 | More by thagr81us

largadeer

California

4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks, Nick! Bottle 109 of 192.

Fitting of the name, it's oily and black as pitch, pouring with a dense frothy head that quickly disappears. Swirling reveals syrupy brown legs.

Huge chocolate on the nose, nuttiness, toasted malt, molasses. A lot of sweetness, but it's a good clean aroma.

Tastes good, too. Very chocolatey, nutty, not overly roasted and only lightly bitter. The body is extremely syrupy, this has a lot of residual sugar, a lot of molasses sweetness. The finish is mellow, toasty and nutty. A very solid imperial stout, though the viscosity hurts drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2010 05:43:23 | More by largadeer

jrallen34

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Drank from a bottle into my Darkness glass...Black beer with a light tan head, not much carbonation, no lacing and only about a finger of head that doesn't last to long...The aroma is great, roasted coffee with a great nut aroma to it, totally different than a brown. The nuts have depth, fresh and sweet...The taste is equally nice, nutty chocolate, roasty and smooth.

This is really good and worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2010 15:53:28 | More by jrallen34

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at the bottle release party, 4oz in a goblet for $3. In a contest against all the great barrel aged beers on tap this turned out to be my 2nd favorite of the day, a really outstanding beer.

It poured dark brown and opaque with a thick tan foam, even over the small pour. The beer smelled rich with roasted malts, and the addition of black walnuts came through nicely. It tasted a little sweet upfront, seemingly from malts, with a toasted flavor that I'm thinking is from the walnuts. It could be that the Belgian candi sugar provided the sweetness but it seems more malt-based to me. The aftertaste isn't as sweet, just long rich roasted flavors.

The body's on the thicker side, matching the big flavors and coating your mouth for lasting flavor. The only beer I thought was better today was the Bourbon Barrel Sweet Chocolate Love, but that beer would beat out most anything else too. Really good beer, my bottles are gonna have to wait for special occasions.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2010 01:39:45 | More by TurdFurgison

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big ups to Auslander for this beast. 750 mL bottle pours black and fairly viscous. Petit, but nice tan head leaves a great collar and spotty lacing.

Nose is almond nuttiness with rich chocolate. Big fruit - mostly figs - with a slight licorice aroma as it warms.

Taste is an outstanding combination of smooth chocolate, touch of roast and plenty of figgy-raisin fruitiness. Very slick and smooth mouthfeel. Sweet and bitter play off each other nicely...perfectly balanced. An excellent beer, I want to drink this again sometime.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 13:03:21 | More by twiggamortis420

FosterJM

California

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

743rd Review on BA
Bottle to snifter
22oz

Not sure vintage
Not sure BA who brought this

App- This was a very nice looking dark stout. An almost black stout with a lighter brown head and a little bit of streak.

Smell- A pretty customary stout nose with a lot of coffee, roast, chocolate. On the trailing whisps you do get a little nutty note as well as some caramel.

Taste- This was a pretty good stout. Had a bit of dark chocolate with some slight slight hop bitter. A little bit of roasted espresso and some dark malts.

Mouth- Medium bodied and medium carbonated, a little bit of chocolate roast remains.

Drink- This was a very tasty stout. On a day with two Jackie O's beers it was a good day. This stout was the opposite of the Black betty in that more bitter and a little more roast. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 22:07:52 | More by FosterJM

AgentZero

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Thick, black beer with a tan head that didn't stay for long, didn't leave anything on the sides.

S - Very roasted smell, black walnuts are somewhat pronounced and can be picked out if you're looking or them. Some bitter coffee with a bit of chocolate.

T - Roast, coffee, roasted nut taste. Slightly sweet with a bit of bittering from coffee. The sweetness and roast mix pretty well together.

M - Smooth, pretty close to full bodied, lower carbonation.

O - Good beer, addition of black walnuts is unique and gives this beer some distinctive characteristics. Good stuff, would have this again if I could get a hold of it.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 04:43:20 | More by AgentZero

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this beer from Auslander. Thanks Chris!

22oz bottle ('11 - 84/348) served in a snifter.

L - black with a small tan head that thinned to a ring leaving some thin film on the glass.

S - nutty, chocolate and roasted malt.

T - starts out sweet and nutty with roasted malt coming in to play finishing with some light bitterness and a chocolate licorice taste.

F - medium/full bodied with a smooth and creamy feel.

O - a good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 01:43:26 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this at the August 27th bottle release. 4 oz pour from a tasting snifter. Since all of the variants of Oil were quite similar to the regular, I'm using my review of the regular as a base and supplementing when necessary. I'm also not sure if this should be a separate listing or not.

4.5 A: Black. Came with just a touch of light brown head that left lots of lacing. The creamy nitro was evident in the little head that there was.

4.0 S: Rich, sweet malty base. Plenty of bittersweet chocolate and caramel. Moderate roastiness, toasty, with touches of coffee and molasses. The nuttiness from the walnuts makes this a special, truly unique beer. The candi sugar adds a final layer of complexity. This was a bit subdued compared to the regular, which is to be expected.

4.5 T: Full flavored chocolate, caramel, molasses, and a general neutral maltiness. A touch of coffee with a moderate roast. Again, the walnuts add a toasty nuttiness that I cannot get enough of. Pretty much the same as the regular. The nitro didn't subdue this much.

4.5 M: Heavier medium body. A bit more creaminess than the regular and a touch thicker, though this doesn't seem like full nitro. I hypothesize it is a blend.

4.5 D: Love the Oil. Love it on-tap. Love the variants, though nitro is far from the best.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-02-2011 03:03:32 | More by DavoleBomb

maximum12

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Great thanks to thethrone for hand-delivering this, amongst other good-looking & -tasting brews, at Darkness Day as part of an off-the-reservation BIF. Split with my wife.

Pours dark black with minimal, almost no frosting. Smell is nailed - walnuts. Really. Had plenty of beers that hinted at nuts, but nothing like this. Wow.

Oil of Aphrodite is what a nut brown ale should be. Nuts, nuts, nuts. Candied sweetness, bitter, bitter chocolates complement the nuts. Roast, too. Hopping bitterness slurves in at the end. Creamy smooth, warm.

Good beer. Massively original, but the walnutting lends this such a bizarre air that I find myself puzzled with almost every sip. Wild.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 05:27:38 | More by maximum12

ehammond1

California

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle (2011)

Acquired via trade
Thanks, MrHirschybar!

Dark black body with a moderately sized dark brown head. This beer looks shiny, dark, thick, and heavy. It's nearly perfect for the style--it's menacingly gorgeous.

A rich, inviting, decadent aroma. There's lots of chocolate and roasted malt with a distinct nutty element as well. There's also some dark fruit. Complete.

The flavor too is very nice, with lots of roasted malt, chocolate, walnut, and a hint of licorice character. Delicious.

Full bodied with low to moderate carbonation--creamy, decadent, luscious--just awesome.

An incredibly drinkable imperial stout with a unique and interesting walnut component.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 23:18:09 | More by ehammond1

nickd717

California

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Huge thanks to Ryan011235 for hooking up this tick.

Pours black and rather thick with a thick tan head good lacing. Serious viscosity.

The aroma is nice and rich. Big roast and nuttiness, anise, and hops.

The flavor is also rich. Big intense coffee and roast, dark chocolate, walnuts, molasses, and piney hops.

Extremely full and heavy on the mouthfeel with lower carbonation. A little too heavy for my tastes, as well as the tastes of most others who shared this. Almost like Guinness! (hahaha)

Intense beer, and a pretty good one. Not all hype.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2010 00:02:12 | More by nickd717

prototypic

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of csmiley. Many thanks, dood!

Bottle 178/192

Oil of Aphrodite lives up to its name. It looks like thick, black oil! Not a hint of light cuts through. Very ominous. Unfortunately, there’s not much head to discuss. Carbonation seems extremely light. A few, dark mocha colored bubbles collected on the surface, but fell very quickly. Lacing was very light and faint. Love the color!

The nose is very good. It kicks off with a really nice mix of barley, chocolate malts and roasted malts. The chocolate variety smells mostly like bittersweet dark chocolate. It’s not sweet at all. Roasted coffee and a light praline, nutty scent follows. Molasses is secondary, but complements the other scents well. Alcohol is masked well. I wouldn’t guess 10%.

The flavor is even more impressive. The base of roasted malts, barley, and chocolate malts is intense! It’s an explosive combo! The chocolate malts are definitely bittersweet and reminiscent of dark chocolate. There’s a sugary sweet, candied flavor that’s interesting. Praline nuttiness is quite strong in the mix, and adds quality character and depth. Secondary flavors include coffee, molasses, and black licorice. Alcohol is a little noticeable, but isn’t indicative of 10% territory. Finishes chocolaty, nutty, roasty, and a little sweet.

Oil of Aphrodite isn’t quite as thick or viscous as you might expect. Rather, it’s on the lighter side of a medium body and feels a bit thin. Carbonation is extremely light. It would benefit from a bigger body, but the carbonation does lend a little smoothness to the feel.

Oil of Aphrodite is a really nice release from Jackie O’s. The flavor is extremely impressive. I wasn’t sure how well the nutty aspect of it would come through. Loud and clear is the answer. It’s not perfect. I would prefer a few more bubbles and more body. Addressing those two shortcomings would improve it a little. Fantastic beer nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 02:45:31 | More by prototypic