D.O.R.I.S. The Destroyer Double Imperial Stout - Hoppin' Frog Brewery

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.16/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

From notes. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip.

My pour is a burnt char mahogany black color with a nice creamy mocha froth on top.

The aroma hits hard with smooth dark chocolate, roasted malt, some espresso, and a bit of smoke.

As this was tasted side by side with BORIS, it is interesting to see the distinction between the two. Overall, this has a fuller and less bitter flavor. It is not too far on the sweet end of the spectrum either. The roasted malt and dark chocolate flavors are allowed to shine through without having any cloying aspect to the flavor. Some smoke, creamy espresso, and a bit of dark fruits add further depth to the flavor.

A big, thick, viscous body really adds to my enjoyment of this beer, accounting for a slightly higher score than BORIS. The carbonation is about the same; they both have moderately full, creamy carbonation that works well with the beer.

Overall, I found this to be a well-made, balanced, and enjoyable full-bodied imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 03:38:47 | More by KickInTheChalice

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.26/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bomber into a snifter, the beer pours a thick, viscous, jet black coloring with a thin, foamy, dark brown head that quickly settles out on the surface. Aromas of biscuit, dark baker's chocolate, coffee, toasted grains, a hint of smoke, and some earthy/woody tones. Booze hints on the nose, also. Flavors are extremely rich, with a base of dark, bitter baker's chocolate and a hint of bitter, roasted coffee. Ribbons of earthy and woody tones throughout, with a vanilla and molasses highlight, also. Very reach and smoothly blended. There is some bitter hopping that cleans the palate nicely at the end, which is an impressive feat given how rich and robust everything is. Roasted grain highlights show through every once in a while, too, which also helps to balance the rich and dark flavors. The aftertaste is rich chocolate and molasses, with a touch of smoke and bitter hops. Slick, smooth finish with a rich, robust linger that coats the palate and the mouth. Very strong, but surprisingly drinkable. This beer definitely opens up as it warms. Wow.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 23:29:46 | More by GarthDanielson

kguard

Iowa

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a straight black, thick cloud. Head dissipates rapidly.
Lots of sweet roasted malts, cooked sugar, and some dark chocolate.
I didn't pickup much beyond roasted malt and cooked sugar.
You notice the hop bite and chewiness. Coats the mouth but quickly goes thin.
I don't drink many DIS as it takes me forever to drink. This is a great brew that is good to share.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 03:58:56 | More by kguard

yamar68

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to alelover for this treat!

Among the darkest beers I've seen... solid black body showing zero clarity and producing an intimidatingly dark chocolate brown head. Booze legs paint the glass along bits of quick lace.

The oatmeal usage is still quite apparent right out of the gate. Fudge and brownie, oats, cookie dough... the sweetness is as minimal as you could ask for, given these descriptors.

More of the same. Chocolate chip cookies, mild alcohol warmth, thick fudge brownie, nice dry hop bitterness fends off an otherwise unavoidable dessert quality. It's a bit reminiscent of Ten Fidy in a number of ways. I'm really enjoying this one.

Thanks Joel!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2013 03:32:41 | More by yamar68

PicoPapa

Connecticut

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

22oz bottle. Pour looks like used motor oil with a half inch of dark brown head that dissipates rapidly. Minimal lacing. The aroma is very sweet with lots of oatmeal, vanilla and dark chocolate. Hints of earth and coffee. The taste is sweet dark chocolate with some roasted malts and burnt coffee. Notes of vanilla and sweet oatmeal but this beer is mostly dark, dark chocolate and roasted malts. Sweet but not overly so. Boozey and rich. Silky but heavy mouthfeel. Slow sipper all the way, best paired with a glass of water. Overall, this is a big, rich stout that may be a bit overpriced but is still very good.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 02:29:46 | More by PicoPapa

hackmann

Michigan

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: pitch black body; no head; a little dark tan rim; syrupy legs on the glass with each sip

Aroma: dark roasted notes; dark roast coffee; roasted grains, smoky, dark 70% chocolate like;

Flavors: just like the nose; the flavors come together for a great imperial stout; on their bottle they say ‘will overwhelm, satisfy, and destroy your taste buds…;’ I’ll just say that it satisfies my taste buds.

Mouthfeel: no carbonation; the alcohol spice tingles the tongue but it is not overwhelming; nice alcohol warmth on the finish; bitterness is pleasing and under control with hint of toasted caramel in the background; oily, slightly syrupy but not overpowering, full body

To the Point: a very pleasing Double Imperial Stout; a great sipper

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 23:52:50 | More by hackmann

jsulko

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber poured into a snifter glass.

Pours a dark black with a dark chocolate head that is very slight.

Smell is strong with chocolate and a slight coffee smell.

Taste is roasty malt with hits of a bitter chocolate coffee taste. slight alcohol burn on the finish with a slight bitter afterbite.

A very strong stout with some interesting flavors. Another winner from Hoppin Frong

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 03:25:09 | More by jsulko

mhksuccess

California

3.84/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a FFF teku glass
it pours pretty dark and pretty much no head
smell is of rich chocolate, coffee, and smoke
taste was of a roasty stout and a bit smokey on the back end
i find it not as much of a traditional RIS or oatmeal stout
due to the extremely smokey flavor on the back end which
I was not a big fan of
this beer was ok nothing that I will seek out again as it tended to be too smokey for me

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 14:40:39 | More by mhksuccess

dar482

New York

4.36/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I had this at Torst in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY.

This comes in a very deep black color as expected with a dark brown head.

The aroma has a roasted malt and sweet chocolate. Rich toffee and caramel sweetness.

The flavor is creamy strong roasted malt and burnt coffee or espresso. It's a very deep and rich beer.

There is a boozy middle and finish. It is a big roast and dark rich beer bomb. A full beer. Not for the weak palated.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2013 07:24:20 | More by dar482

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

3.54/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber bought for $12.99. Poured into a chalice.

An average beer. One I would prefer to avoid considering the availability of some many above average beers. Unlikely that I will drink again unless someone convinces me to re-review.

A - Poured a reddish black (almost black), viscous, beautfitul dark reddish brown thin head which disipates quickly. NIce brown lacing.

S - Heavy dark chocoloate aromas, roasted malts, some alcohol(-).

T - Dark roasted coffee, some dark fruit, very light sweetness, slight coffee bitterness in the finish, alcohol.

M - Smooth, creaminess, but some excessive alcohol hotness (-).

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 01:36:16 | More by Sludgeman

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured bomber into 34oz mug. Darkest pour I have ever seen, jet black with a thick, dense dark brown head that doesn't go anywhere, leaving lots of lacing. Smells of chocolate, bourbon, sweet malt and coffee. Taste is bitter baking chocolate, some bourbon sweetness in the middle, and ending with a coffee bitter aftertaste that swing in way late, rounding out nicely. Insanely delicious, with one of the fullest mouthfeels I've had. This is definitely a "double oatmeal RIS". This is now one of my favorite stouts. Incredibly well-done!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 00:06:25 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.61/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big high five to yeahnatenelson for this!! 2011 bottle I think, perhaps 2010?

Appearance. Pours very viscous and black with a thin espresso foam head that fades quickly to a collar that leaves some decent lace.

Smell. Sweet dark chocolate and coffee with a little molasses and a bit of licorice. Smells delicious!

Taste. Coffee, molasses, dark chocolate, espresso and some smokey dark malts, and just a little nice citrus hops. Fantastic stuff.

Moutfeel. Full bodied and fairly viscous, lower carbonation.

Overall. A really nice big stout that seems perfect with this age on it. I'd like to try a fresh one, but doubt it's going to be better than this with a stronger hops presence.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2013 03:04:03 | More by Rutager

KFBR392

Illinois

4.21/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Pitch darkness on the pour. Very thin to no head on the pour. Low carbonation but enough to be noticed. Looks like it has got some pop!

Smell: Dark chocolate, deep caramel, toffee, sap, rich maple syrup, yum lots of awesome things going on here. I would say the toffee and thick caramel stand out the most here. Not as traditional as one would expect from a RIS but still very good.

Taste: A heavy creamy caramel hits on the nose. The body consists on a perfect combination of milk and dark chocolate. There is a dry bourbon aftertaste which really makes this beer stand out.

Mouthfeel: Certainly covers all corners of the palette. Sticky caramel and toffee last for a very long time.

Overall: I really liked this brew. Balanced and brought all the aspects you would look for in an imperial stout. I've put off trying this one for a while but am glad I got around to it.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 01:58:53 | More by KFBR392

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Picked up from House of 1000 beers the other day.

The beer pours the expected blackish brown color with good head retention and fair lacing. This loooks like the sort of beer that has seen some serious barrel aging. The nose is attractive and complex, as I pick up considerable molasses, dark chocolate, vanilla and coffee grounds. The flavor profile replicates the nose, but there's some roasty notes and licorice on the long, somewhat hoppy finish. Mouthfeel is fairly full in this one, and the finish is quite long, with some noticeable burnt toast and coffee grounds as well. The latter counter the modest sweetness in this beer quite well, as does the bitterness at the ever end. Alcohol is noticeable, but is not at all intrusive in this beer.

An impressive beer, and one that I think would probably benefit from some additional aging in the keg or bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 12:33:10 | More by johnmichaelsen

weonfire

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Jet oil murk. maybe a mm of mocha head around rim. super thick. zero lacing.

S- Really nice. Chocolate, toffee, expresso, slight roast, faint hops, coffee

T - Goodness. wow. initial- sweet roasted chocolate, carmel and coffee- this is excellent. finish - hoppy with a side of smoke (but not that bad porter smoke taste), and a pinch of excellently place booz

M - Very frothy and creamy, but not the super velvet feel. pops in mouth.

O - Really impressed. The hops added in the finish was an excellent addition to the already super B.O.R.I.S. Very impressed with Hoppin Frog. highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 21:51:10 | More by weonfire

cjgator3

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle

A- Poured into a tulip glass. Pours a thick dark black color with a small tan head that quickly dissipates into a thin ring of lace around the glass. This beer is pitch black, no light getting through this glass.

S- The aroma is dark and roasty with espresso, chocolate, hints of hops and some alcohol coming through in the nose as well.

T- The taste pretty smooth up front with a lot of dark roasted malts. However, the espresso, bitter-sweet chocolate, hops and warmth from the alcohol creates a lingering finish. Many layers to this one, good stuff. Dark, roasty, strong, bitter.

M- The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, D.O.R.I.S. is not very feminine like her name suggests, she is one mean bitch with a lot of punch (I mean that in a good way). Overall, I drank this one fresh and really enjoyed it. I would be interested to see how this baby ages as well. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 03:05:46 | More by cjgator3

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

2012 bottle.

Holy motor oil! Wicked viscosity with a smooth thick pour. Head was mocha brown, that's how dark the foam was. It's gone now. A ring remains.

Tempered earthy hops, coffee, unsweetened chocolate, maltiness and roast, and some breadiness. Not sure the aroma developed much after the hops started to fade.

Some coffee, milk, creamy caramel, earthy hops, savory malts, dark roast, light butterscotch, floral herb, and hints of blackberries. Honestly, it's mellowed and decent, but not in the 'wow' factor.

Full-bodied and somewhat oily. Carbonation is sneakily feeding the feel. Rich and big, but smooth.

A nice stout. I might have missed the boat on freshness, but I wanted to see what this originally hoppy stout would become.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 04:58:18 | More by thecheapies

JamesShoemaker

New York

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured into my snifter. This is one of those beers that's available to me all the time, so it's taken a lull in the seasonals for me to buy a bottle. A little pricey at $12.99 per bottle, but certainly not outrageous.

A - wow. I don't think I've ever seen a beer pour this black. I read a lot of reviews that say "motor oil" in describing stouts, and this one is the closest I've seen to that. Jet black on the pour, no difference settled in the glass. Dark brown foam, very, very little head.

S - big alcohol is the first thing on the nose, coupled with a lot of roast. I've heard this beer described as hoppy, so I was expecting a little of that from the smell, but it's mostly burnt. A little too harsh for me, but not unpleasant.

T - smooth transition from smell to taste. Booze on the front and relentless roast throughout. It tastes like a barbeque smells. I suppose there is some hoppy bitterness in here, but it could just as easily be attributed to the burnt taste. Certainly interesting, but not my favorite by any means.

M - bitter and alcoholic, too syrupy. If there was carbonation to speak of, I honestly think it would ruin this beer. As it stands, it coats the mouth (which is a little unpleasant), but it's not good or bad one way or the other.

O - a decent brew. I had BORIS when I first got into craft and I didn't like it very much, but now I'll have to revisit it, since it appears to be better than DORIS. It's a little pricey for what it is, but it might be worth putting away for a year or two.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 01:36:19 | More by JamesShoemaker

JackieTH

Minnesota

4.21/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours thickly like burnt-up used motor oil black with a quarter inch of rich mocha foam, looks delicious. Smell is roasted malt, dark chocolates, caramel and trace vanilla. Taste is similar with heavily roasted malt and a semi-sweet chocolate presence then subtle vanilla, oak, grass, figs, oatmeal and caramel adding complexity. Creamy luxurious mouthfeel with a nice carbonation. Finish is figs, chocolate and roasted malt, lightly sweet but overall very clean with bitterness from chocolate. ABV well hidden. Delicious, flavors continue to develop as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 02:03:04 | More by JackieTH

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.09/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

D.O.R.I.S. pours flat black with barely any foam at all. What little tan foam appears disappears quickly leaving no lace on the glass.

The aroma is subtle but has nice notes of roasted malt, chocolate, pine, nuts and some dark fruit.

Each sip of this full bodied beer is smooth, creamy with mild carbonation. The flavor is rich with malty notes of chocolate, roast malt, molasses, and dark fruit (raisin). A fair amount of oak and vanilla are also present. It finishes mildly bitter with some grassy hop notes.

This beer gets more flavorful as it warms. Great mouth feel and rather easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 00:34:58 | More by WanderingFool

ksimons

New York

3.99/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours inky black with just a very thin layer of tan head

S-smells nicely of roasted malt, dark chocolate, espresso, and molasses

T-more roasted malt with a bit of a smoky charred flavor, espresso bitterness, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate to give some mild sweetness. Light alcohol warming.

M-full body, light carbonation, left with a burnt flavor in the mouth

Overall I think this is a pretty good RIS, but leaves something to be desired. Nice big body and roasted flavors, but maybe too much char. So good but not amazing.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 22:52:27 | More by ksimons

Dope

Massachusetts

4.19/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle is approximately 1.5 years old.

A: Pitch black, used motor oil black. Big, dense dark brown head that's almost as dark as the beer itself. Fades slowly but leaves pretty much zero lacing. Good head retention at least.

S: Oh yeah, big roasted malt aroma. Heavy on the dark chocolate with some coffee taking up the rear. Some creamy oatmeal mixes in too. Get a little dark fruitiness too. Decadent.

T: Dark fruits up front, then heavy, heavy dark chocolate. The chocolate rich and almost bitter it's so dark. Decent char and some coffee backing it up in the middle. There is a little oatmeal smoothing everything out but not as much as a "real" oatmeal stout typically does. Finish is bitter dark chocolate, a little acrid char and more dark fruits. Long lingering roasty aftertaste.

M: Thick, heavy, viscous, like cold motor oil.

O: This is a really heavy RIS with strong, strong roasted malt character. I wouldn't mind a little more oatmeal smoothing it out further but it's still viscous and creamy. Overall it's pretty mellow, no super sharp flavors. Just plain decadent and heavy, like slightly watered down brownie batter. Some barrel-aging to cut the thickness and lend more complexity would probably make this beer absolutely amazing. I wonder if this beer fresh would have a stronger hop character that would help break up all the heavy roasted malt.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 04:40:29 | More by Dope

bamadog

Kentucky

4.26/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I picked this one up almost a full 3 years ago and wanted to give the copious amounts of hops to mellow as I'm not a huge fan of overly grassy, hopped up stouts -- I like the smooth and sweet maltiness with the bitterness coming from roastiness, not necessarily the hops. Review is from notes taken on 2/1/2013 and poured from the bottle to a pint glass.

Appearance: Pour is thick and viscous -- looks kind of like spent motor oil, so that's always a good start. The head, if you can call it that, is scant at best -- starts out very short (perhaps 1/4 finger deep) and it fades to nothing other than a thin wisp and thin ring around the surface. However, it should be noted that it may be one of the darkest brown heads I've come across, up there with Huhnapu. Body is entirely opaque, of course.

Smell: Earthy and dark, burnt roastiness is there, but to my surprise, that even after nearly 3 years the grassy and even slightly citric hoppiness still plays a role in the scent. Bit of a bittersweet chocolate, like bittersweet baker's chocolate; touch of alcohol, but it's subdued by the robust scents that come before it.

Taste: Pretty solid, but I can't imagine drinking this one fresh as that would probably ruin it for me. The hops, with their potent presence still lingering manage to blend in with the roastiness and strong burnt malts and even touches of smoke; alcohol is there as well, but more in the background as, much like the scent, the other aspects are very robust and overtake it (which is pretty cool and it makes it that much more drinkable).

Mouthfeel: I'm surprised how lively the body is for as thick as it is and for how long it sat in the bottle - plenty of carbonation still bubbling through this one keeping the palate prickled up; a thick and sticky coating is left on the roof the mouth, but it's kind of loose and it drips off after a moment or so; belly is left quite warm from the alcohol combined with the stronger carbonation.

Overall: Very good, pretty drinkable for such a large stout. I like that the roastiness and even the lasting hops allow it to maintain a sensibility of earthy bitterness and not become sickly sweet. Hoppin' Frog does a lot of beers very well, and this one is no exception to their practice.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 03:52:23 | More by bamadog

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

This is actually my first day in court with this one. Excited!

Split with my wife for dessert. Served in a Cigar City snifter.

A: Poured out with pretty much a motor oil consistency, with a head that was but a mere shade or two lighter than the liquid below it.

S: Not extremely powerful, but potent enough. Milk chocolate, a hint of coffee, and a tinge of sort of Belgian-like dark fruit component.

T: Very bitter and hoppy, all wrapped up in a milk chocolate cocoon. Additionally, there is almost sort of a red/amber ale sort of undertow that added some hoppy excitement.

M: Like I said, this was bitter, with a snot-like consistency. The carbonation was low, which was perfect for this style and the lacing pretty much non-existent.

O: Excellent beer. I agree that Hoppin' Frog is often well deserving of its criticism of overcharging, but I bought this one for between $10-11 and it was worth every penny.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 23:31:17 | More by Chaney

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a Victory tulip

A- pours black with a half finger dark brown head. Looks pretty nice

S- heavy roasted malt and chocolate aroma in the nose. Smells great

T- tons of bitter chocolate, roasted coffee, and dark malts. Wow. Awesome

M- thick, viscous, and huge body

O- delicious beer. BORIS is great, but DORIS might be a slight above, especially with a little age on it

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 20:48:14 | More by bigfnjoe