Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

4.48/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “ENJOY BY” date is “12/28/12.”

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is very dark brown leaning toward black. Two fingers of dense, cappuccino-colored head dissipated very slowly.

Smell: Lots of west coast citrus and pine; mostly grapefruit but there is also tangerine and orange. Very invigorating. Dark chocolate and sweet caramel are also present. There are also faint roasted malts and molasses.

Taste: It offers a very strange and tasty flavor experience. At first it seems the hops are about to slam my taste buds. But just about the time I expect them to become overwhelming, they are balanced by the dark malts. Everything plays a minor role: hop citrus, pine, and the dark malts. The mouthfeel is much like I expect from a pale ale, and a slight, boozy sting is pervasive. As it warms, the hops leave an earthy, grainy aftertaste.

Drinkability: Excellent. This is something I will definitely drink again.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 05:32:41 | More by TheQuietMan22

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-dark brown black color with a nice tan head and good lacing

S-citrus, pine, dark roasted malt, grass

T-dark roasted malt, pine, slight citrus and coffee, nice bitter hop finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp with slight alcohol burn

O-a flavorful black ale, my favorite of this style

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 22:26:16 | More by MDDMD

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

4.55/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A 22oz bottle with a BB of Oct 27th 2012. Bought recently from Trembling Madness in York. As always, I love the labelling and the self-indulgent tirade that accompanies it....

Poured into a Duvel tulip (twice). A deep ruby hue; appears black unless held to the light. Produces a vast head of creamy beige foam with great retention - this slowly subsides to a surface layer. Aroma of overwhelmingly resinous hops, with notes of pine, grapefruit, orange peel and citrus. This is underpinned by hints of sweet roasted malt, yeast and a warming whiff of booze. Though in all fairness the aroma is all about the hops - incredible!

Tastes of super-intense hoppiness with a restrained dark malt character and a knock-out bitter finish. Notes of pine, resin, grapefruit, orange peel, citrus oils, roasted malt, mild caramel, faint earthy yeast and stewed hops. Slightly sweet, with a hint of alcohol in the background. A forceful and astringent bitterness upon swallowing - deep and spicy. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with a peppery dryness. Good body, though perhaps a little insubstantial for the strength/flavour. Highly astringent - dries the palate completely. Aftertaste of pine bitterness and fruity aromatic hops, along with a hint of sweet, dark malt.

Wow - what a beer! I think this might be my favourite Stone brew yet. Incredibly hoppy, although the malt provides good balance while lurking discretely in the background. The aroma and flavour are peerless. Amazing - I don't think I could recommend this too highly. Form a line, hop-lovers! Self-righteousness shall be yours...

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 02:47:38 | More by jazzyjeff13

GMB

Japan

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale pours a coal body that turns dark mahogany when held up to strong light. The sticky, craggy head rises slowly and falls even more so.

The nose is an enticing mix of roasted grain, dark dried fruits, and resinous and grassy hops.

The first sip explodes on the palate. Up front there are nearly bitter roasted malts, followed by earthy and resinous hop-flavors. Thick molasses, herbs, and pine come to mind. As the aroma hop flavors begin to settle, the bittering hops begin to show themselves, recalling to the fore the roasted malt flavors that had since receded a bit. As these flavors withdraw, the alochol, whose characters are nicely integrated here, slowly creeps up to round out the beer's flavor. It brings with it the sweet flavors of dried fruit (prunes and unsulphured apricots come to mind). It also calls back the grassy hops and roasted malts, complementing the former with floral notes and balancing the latter with sweetness.

As the beer lingers on the palate, bitterness and roasted flavors begin to take over. At first I detected very little citral flavors. But as the beer's bitterness and sweetness develop, and as the dominant grassy character of the hops gives way to citral and floral notes, the beer's aftertaste changes from one of grassy herbs and dark dried fruit to fresh grapefruit.

Some have called Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale's flavor muddled. I disagree. Though they are many, the beer's flavors works well and complements each other. Though I would not call this beer balanced overall, there are areas of balance and counterpoint in its complex flavors, which take time to develop. Sip slowly.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 21:24:41 | More by GMB

UCLABrewN84

California

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best by 12/28/12.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, and some citrus zest aromas. Taste is much the same with a mild roasty and citrus zest bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp but medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 22:32:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

AmitC

Indiana

4.68/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Awesome beer. Had it at a tasting.

Pours heavy dark brown with a good amount of head. Leaves a lot of lacing. Decent amount of carbonation as well.

Smell : Well very unlike a black ale, hugely filled with hops, floral and piney. A little bit of roasted malt, coffee, porter type of smell.

Taste: Here lies the magic. The bitterness is not at all felt but you know it is bitter, very bitter. Hops are huge. All sorts of taste, very complex, yet delightful. It has a lot of piney, spicy, citrusy, floral taste. A little amount of porter like taste and some grapefruit. Awesome.

Medium to full bodied beer. A good presence in the mouth. Mainly, a bit oily of course but good feel, nonetheless.

Sublime, it truly is. Stone, as usual, never disappoints. Not only that, it over delivers all the time. Excellent stuff there. Highly recommended for hop heads for winter drinking.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 01:14:27 | More by AmitC

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a nigh-black with three fingers of tan frothy head that lasts for three minutes and leaves behind some lovely patterns of lace. Medium body and carbonation levels, smooth texture and a nice hoppy crispness to the finish.

Smells of a wonderful blend of blackened roasted malts and fresh juicy citric hopping of both oranges and grapefruits. As the glass warms, resinous hopping aroma joins in as well. The flavor is slightly more roasted-focused than the nose is, but that is not to say that the hopping is not well represented. There is plenty of piney goodness to go around. It overall keeps very dry and ABV is about 75% hidden. (There is a rising warmth in the background, but mostly the orange peel hopping is made fruitier and richer by the ABV presence, which is a good thing in my book.) This is one of the best Black IIPAs out there on the market IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 17:43:10 | More by WastingFreetime

Roose13

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Closest color to black without being black. Huge head on the initial pour, beige in color. Head drops to a centimeter and lingers throughout the beer. Lacing is beautifuk

S: Not a huge fan of the smell of black IPAs. Citrusy, which I do like. But the hoppiness isn't one of my favorite smells in a beer. To each their own.

T: Strong. Roasted malts, very very hoppy, which I enjoy now and then. These beer is so bold and robust in flavor that a big-time hophead would love this.

M: Easy to drink in terms of texture but the intensity of the hops and flavor make you really sit back and enjoy it.

O: Excellent beer. Not something I will drink often (may enjoy as the weather really turns cold). Stone is awesome. Need I say more?

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 03:55:50 | More by Roose13

tony223366

California

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not really sure how I've gone this long without reviewing this!

A: Stone never really does disappoint me in this category. The color is about the darkest brown you can imagine. 3+ fingers of a light tan, fluffy head. Great retention and nice lacing. All kinds of bubble sizes. Just a beautiful beer that I can't wait to drink... again!

S: Oh man this smells like a hop bomb (that I know it is). Lots of citrus, just pure... dank hops. There are some sweeter notes from a roasty malt presence too. Almost burnt coffee-esque. A great aroma that is so inviting.

T: Huge, huge hops. I mean slap you in the face hops. Really resiny... piney hops. Some citrus too. The malts come to play in a smokey, roasted malt sort of way. Some coffee. Just a hint of the coffee. But it's really hard to taste anything but those hops. Hugely bitter finish. Lots of heat from the alcohol, but it's totally welcome!

M: I'm totally digging this mouthfeel. It's so smooth and has great body. It's not nearly as slick as I would think, given the hops.

O: A solid beer in this category. Definitely not much in the way of balance. But that's ok, because it's damn good. I'm frequently at a toss up between the well balanced American Black Ales or the hop heavy ones. This is one of my favorite hop forward ones.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 04:58:56 | More by tony223366

chrisbru

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

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Very dark with a nice, think light-colored head. Color is a nearly opaque black, with a hint of amber and transparency near the top when held to the light.

S: Delicious smell, with hops being the most prominent. There is also some citrus and a hint of grapefruit and sweetness.

T: This is a wonderful tasting beer - It's been about two years since I had it for the first time (I moved back to Iowa and it just today was distributed) and it remains as good as I remember it. Very hop-forward with some malt follow-up. There are several other flavors present as well, possibly floral and pine.

M: The mouthfeel is great, with a forefront of bitterness and a great aftertaste. It makes me want another drink before I put the glass down. It feels medium to light, despite its dark appearance. Very pleasant.

O: Overall, I really enjoy this beer. It's much more hop-forward than I remembered or anticipated when I purchased it, but that was a pleasant surprise. This is one of those beers with enough complexity that I am confident I will discover more flavors as I come back to this beer over and over again. At 8.7%, the booziness is present but more subdued than I expect for a beer of this gravity.

Being my first Stone beer in nearly two years, its too early to say how it stacks up with the rest of their lineup. However, the price is great ($10.99 for a 4-pack) and I imagine this will become a part of my regular drinking lineup.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 20:07:21 | More by chrisbru

tectactoe

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours nearly pitch black with a thinner body than you'd expect from this dark color - similar to that of IPAs, and not super-thick like stouts and porters. Looks great - thin layer of off-white head that settled down rather quickly but left very nice lacing along the glass when I was finished. The nose is loaded with hops, pines, oily resin, a touch of citrus, and dashes of roasted malt, which is probably what gives this beer its fantastic color. Upon first taste, the hops immediately jump out and jab your tongue with a huge pine-tree bite. Halfway through the sip, as the beer warms up in your mouth, the roasted malts start to come out and mellow out the hops, performing a balancing act with them that works quite nicely. Your tongue is left with an aftertaste of floral greens and toasty malt and barley. Very smooth on the body, and overall pretty thin, with a fairly high amount of carbonation that goes hand in hand with the initial hop bite. Mouth is left somewhat dry and sticky - keeps you coming back for more.

I love this beer because it's so unique - it's almost starts off in your mouth like an IPA then transforms into a porter right in front of your palette. One of the first brews I ever had from Stone, and it surely did not disappoint. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 11:47:39 | More by tectactoe

RussBecker1

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a very very dark brown, not opaque, but damn near close. A nice burnt caramel head lasts for a good amount of time, and produces a substantial amount of lacing from the moment it hits the glass.

N- Precisely what I would describe a black ale's nose as. The hops hit you first and make their presence known, but the roasted malts smoothen it out a good deal, and give you the first taste of what an ipa and stout would mix like.

M- Much creamier than I have had in black ales. It gives the feel more of a lighter stout than anything else which I have not yet had in many other black ales.

T- Great example of a black ale. The hops are there the malts are there, and as big of a beer this is, the flavors meld very nicely on the palate leaving it both complex and accessible.

O-American black ales have always been one of my favorite styles, as counter intuitive blend of bitter citrusy hops blended with the sweeter smokier stout has always created a very intriguing flavor profile. I would say this is either my second or third favorite black ale behind Coasts' Event horizon, and potentially Southern Tier's inequity. This Stone brew, relies heavier on the stout side of things that makes it more unique than other brews and for many, a great intro into the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 23:38:38 | More by RussBecker1

BrewDocCT

4.55/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle (glad this one is in 4 packs now) into my Bell's pint.

Appearance is black. Black coffe black. Some light barely squeezes through.

Smell is floral and burnt.

Taste is jarring. Smacked with hops. Finishes with a coating bitterness and awesome roastiness.

Mouthfeel is sticky and resinous.

Overall just a great beer. One of my favorites. Stone really nailed a 'style' that can be hit or miss.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 20:52:51 | More by BrewDocCT

ZethOfTheNorth

Louisiana

4.7/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle bought for $5.79. Best by 11/10, so this should be pretty fresh.

A: Very black, dramatically so. Disappointingly small head that's gone almost immediately. Like many IPAs, doesn't appear very carbonated.

S: Full, fantastic pine and citrus hop aroma. Despite its appearance, I don't get a trace of roasty smells, just hop glory.

T: Wonderful. Pine and soft tangerines. Significantly bitter. Very long taste.

M: Heavier than Stone IPA, but not the heaviness of, say, a porter. A bit of a prickle also.

O: This is unlike any other beer and is remarkably affordable given its quality. In a lineup that ranges from good (porter, pale) to incredible (IPA, IRS), Sublimely Self Righteous is maybe Stone's apotheosis.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 15:32:15 | More by ZethOfTheNorth

Celtics76

Rhode Island

4.25/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It’s 7:30 – time for Jeopardy and a sophisticated drink to go with it.

I poured this bomber into a Sierra Nevada balloon glass. It’s extremely dark brown in color, almost black. There was about a half inch of slowly dissipating head. Eventually things settle down and we’re left with a bubbly film across the top.

This has a distinct pine scent, with a hint of caramel. Very nice. The flavor is piney as well, with a touch of caramel malt. Also a slight “roasty stoutiness” to it, which I like. There’s a moderate hoppy finish. Not too bitter though. Heavy lacing throughout - the sign of a quality brew.

Not sure why this is classified as an American Black Ale, it’s more like a Double Black IPA to me. And a good one at that.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 13:09:19 | More by Celtics76

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from the bottle into a a globe shaped glass. Best by 12/28/12.

A- Very very dark brown with some red hues shining through, big frothy mocha colored head with big bubbles on top that left lots of cascading lace

S- Huge, huge piney hops, roasted malt, some citrus. Not very complex but very strong and I love it

T- Big piney hops, tons of bitterness, pretty big woodiness, lots of roasted and burnt malt

M- Very dry, creamy and smooth mouthfeel, moderate carbonation

O- This is seriously one bitter and dry beer, which is not surprising from Stone. This is like a black IPA version of Ruination. While the flavor profile has some differences from 15th Anniversary Black IPA, both are among the driest and most bitter beers I have had.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 03:57:35 | More by Hoptometrist

Damian

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Drank from a 1 pt. 6 fl. oz. bottle purchased at Julio's Liquors, Westboro, MA
Enjoy by 10/27/12
Drank from a pint glass

The beer poured a dark chestnut brown and was topped by a two-plus finger tall crown of tight, bubbly, cocoa colored foam. Excellent retention. The head slowly faded to a thick cap. Spotty blocks of lacing stuck along the glass.

The aroma was remarkably hoppy. Candied orange peel was most noticeable. Somewhat grassy. There was a generic, sweet fruitiness that was well matched by a dry, powdery yeastiness. The malts were practically nonexistent. If I tried hard, I could pick up a touch of roastiness, but perhaps that was just my imagination.

Like the nose, the flavor profile was dominated by hops. In this case, however, the hops were much more bitter and punchy. A touch of roasted malts and cold coffee appeared on the front end before the hops took over. The hops had an orange peel-like flavor initially. As the beer moved along my palate, the hops intensified, turning super dry, pithy and grapefruit-like. The beer finished bone dry, super bitter and resiny with strong notes of pine needles. While the flavor profile may not have been my cup of tea, I was amazed by how well this beer buried its alcohol prowess.

The mouthfeel was a bit thinner than anticipated with a very fine and mild effervescence. The liquid felt surprisingly watery for the style.

Had I not been able to look at this beer, I would have sworn that it was an IPA. Neither my nose nor my palate could pick up any more than an inkling of roastiness or malty sweetness. Personally, I would prefer a bit more balance, but what can you expect from Stone?

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 03:12:35 | More by Damian

lordofstarside

Nevada

4.68/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had many times before, first review of it
Bomber to snifter, best by 10/27 date

Beautiful bottle work with a signature long narrative on the back.
Pours pitch black with a finger of a light brown head. Excellent lacing, great retention

Aroma of coffee, hops, and chocolate. carmal malts shine through with a hint of aocohol

Taste is very bitter, strong hops, coffee, toffee, and the caramel malt all blend together well. Hints of vanilla come through on the after taste. Very good

The feel is probably my favorite part of this beer. Very creamy and smooth, goes down quite easy. Little carbonation to get in the way of the taste

Over all this is the beer getting me interested in black ipas. One of my favorites, will continue to be one of my regular pick ups

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 06:52:43 | More by lordofstarside

flayedandskinned

California

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Best by 6/20/13
Poured into the Dogfish Head/Sierra Nevada IPA Glass

Appearance: Pours a super dark brown, almost black until the light hits it and some nice ruby highlights appear on the outside edges. The beer has a gorgeous, 2 to 3 finger khaki head that has amazing head retention and plenty of lacing.

Aroma: Huge, dank hops right upfront; grapefruit, pine needs, peach and even some hints of lemon zest. There are some notes of chocolate, vanilla and slightly roasty malts that lay just under the mountain of hops in the nose.

Taste: A pungent explosion of grapefruit and pine as soon as the beer touches your tongue. The oily, resinous hops sustain until about the middle of the taste and the rich, lush and very chocolate forward malts kick in and mellow out some of the harsh, very bitter hops in the off dry finish. Long, lingering notes of baker's chocolate and bitter citrus are left on your palate. The is a light alcohol presence that becomes more apparent as the beer warms, but it intermingles well with the bitter hoppy finish.

Mouthfeel: Very rich and has a full, somewhat creamy body. Moderate to high carbonation, which is very appropriate for the style.

Overall: The quintessential black IPA. I remember first trying this black IPA several years ago and being absolutely blown away, because not only did it possess the bright, hop forward and citrus-y flavor profile of an imperial IPA, but it also had the appearance and chocolate-y and slightly roasty malt characteristics of a great and smooth porter. Nowadays, it seems like more and more Black IPAs forget to include the chocolate roastiness of Porters in their taste. Sublimely Self-Righteous certainly doesn't succumb to this pitfall and definitely earns it's namesake year after year.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 07:00:09 | More by flayedandskinned

jtierney89

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pretty clear dark dark brown beer with a half inch of mocha head. Wow super hoppy nose. Citrus grapefruit and pine. Some sweet caramel malt comes through as the beer airs out.

This is one of the most deceptively colored beers. Really tastes like a standard double IPA than a black IPA. Deep roasted malt comes through a touch in the beginning of the sip but huge resinous hop presence comes through almost instantly. Despite the massive amount of hops and big bitterness pretty good balance, a bit of detectable alcohol. Touch of malt but this beer is a big hop show case. If you love double IPA's you'll love it because big pretty good tasting and pretty standard. However for such a dark beer the malt really doesnt play as much of a role as you expect it. Good but I was expecting much more, especially at the price.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 23:05:59 | More by jtierney89

brentusaurus

California

4.63/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber poured into duvel tulip

A: Pours a nice brown, nearly black in the glass. Nice tan head with decent lacing, this is one of the best things I love about Black IPAs.

S: Roasted malt, citrus and pine

T: Much like the nose, deep malt toastiness with orange citrus that shines, great flavor combination

M: Great body, bitterness not too high, nice creaminess, another thing I love about the black IPA style, and stone doesn't disappoint

Great beer, one of my favorite Black IPAs, definitely the benchmark for the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 07:14:33 | More by brentusaurus

lillieja

4.75/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark with a slight amber hue. Meduim head.

Smells of roasted malts and chocolate followed by the piney hops.

Tastes like it smells, roasted malt and hops.

Full body with medium carbonation.

I love this beer. Certainly my favorite black IPA I have had to this point. I will drink this again often.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 03:16:59 | More by lillieja

Popp24

California

4.48/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Coffee espresso look to it.

S - Roasted flavors and subtle hop aroma.

F - Nice roasted flavors with a nice hop after taste.

M - Very nice. Smooth as silk.

O - This is a very tasty black IPA and one of my favorite's for the style now.

UPDATE: 9/4/12 - I have drank this beer a few more times since this review; once on tap and a couple bottles. I really like this beer a lot more than my original review and it is probably one of my favorite black IPA's now. I have updated my scores and review accordingly.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 20:53:10 | More by Popp24

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-dark brown with a thick tan head

S-smells much like an IPA. Weedy hops, pretty good. Strong scent. 

T-comes in with a very bitter taste of citrusy hops and just a touch of roasted grains. Almost exclusively an ipa. Not much darkness in the taste at all. 

M-medium creamy carbonation with a watery finish

O-This really is an ipa with a dark color. It's possible that due to that, this is one of my favorite black ales out there. It's drinkable and tasty and not at a terrible price.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 02:34:33 | More by AdamBear

Brubaker

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- Pours black with a 3+ finger light mocha colored head. Slight deep red hues on the edges. Slight head persists.

S- I could smell it the moment it was opened. On closer inspection the intense spicy hops are first immediately followed by strong malts. No alcohol in the nose.

T- First flavor is sweet as it roll over the tongue. The fruit & flower of the hops fight the coffee roast for second. Alcohol pops in for third flavor. Then the hop bitter show up forth. The coffee comes back fifth surrounded by sweet, bitter, & alcohol persisting for a very long time. The roast & bitter accumulate as one drinks.

M- Smooth in the mouth. Fine textured with light but prevalent carbonation.

O- Wow! That's enjoyable. Great range of big flavors as equally balanced as 3 UFC fighters playing King of the Hill. This is good for any occasion.

Would Drink
Would Buy
Would Make

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 18:42:24 | More by Brubaker