Black Flag Imperial Stout - Beer Valley Brewing Co.

whatthehull

California

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Snifter

A - pours a deep dark brown/black, one finger very tan head and very little lacing

S - molasses, a light vanilla, tons of roasted/toasted malts, slight booze, very nutty, slight dark dried fruits, huge coffee, a nice slight hop, very nice very dark chocolate, wood, soil and some anise

T - very bitter chocolate, nice sweet booze, roasted nuts, toasty malts, nice citrus rind bitterness, vanilla, nice coffee and molasses

M - full bodied, decent balance, medium plus acidity (from the coffee), nice complexity and very long finish

D/O - huge, huge stout. Booze doesn't seem as high as it is. Tons of bitterness, coffee acid and sticks around for a while. If stouts isn't your thing, look else where

Final thoughts - $9 a pop and 11% abv. This beer smells amazing tastes swell and will age very, very awesome!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 03:46:30 | More by whatthehull

casapy

Idaho

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

05-23-2013 18:38:16 | More by casapy

rolandboy

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

04-05-2013 03:14:39 | More by rolandboy

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -21.3%

03-23-2013 17:53:42 | More by ejimhof

ant880

New York

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

02-19-2013 18:44:52 | More by ant880

vcoggins

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

02-14-2013 16:16:52 | More by vcoggins

Miruguy

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

02-09-2013 14:33:21 | More by Miruguy

carteravebrew

Colorado

2/5  rDev -47.5%

02-07-2013 19:31:36 | More by carteravebrew

tbeq00

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

02-07-2013 04:51:29 | More by tbeq00

fivetime

Idaho

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

01-21-2013 19:56:12 | More by fivetime

Jason

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

01-12-2013 05:52:09 | More by Jason

4ster

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5%

12-09-2012 18:53:06 | More by 4ster

janubio

Spain

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750 ml. bottle, bought in 2d2despuma in Barcelona. Black colour with a big brown foam. Smell of coffee, liquorice and chocolate, with spiciy notes (pepper, nutmeg? Full body, thick palate. Taste of coffee, liquorice, bitter almonds and spices. This a great one.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 11:29:11 | More by janubio

suspect

New York

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle (vintage 2011 fresh hop edition) into a Central Waters snifter. Thanks to mrmarmot and my friend Chris for bringing this back from the left coast.

A: Deep dark black hole of a color. Mildly aggressive pour leads to a thick, mocha colored head with the consistency of latte cream. Thick sticky lacing.

S: Big boy beer and you can tell by the nose. The 11% is chomping at the bit to get at your liver and you can tell. It's got a big nice malt backbone and the hops certainly add a bit of character as well. Plenty of cocoa and bitter coffee ground notes in the nose.

T: Nice mix of grains, molasses, cocoa, burnt coffee. ABV is a bit more blended here.

M: Big bodied beer, coats the mouth with what I can only imagine is the same sticky oils coating the glass. A touch overcarbonated or it may have gotten a higher score.

O: This is a solid Impy Stout. Pretty smooth, pretty easy drinking for an 11%-er. A good beer that I would definitely recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 01:56:45 | More by suspect

Vancoubeer

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

11-22-2012 02:23:54 | More by Vancoubeer

jmccraney

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +11.5%

10-31-2012 04:47:56 | More by jmccraney

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Darker mocha colored 2 finger fluffy thick head fades fairly slowly, nice layered lacing, pretty much pitch black beer.

Nose big dark malts, chalky chocolate and bakers dark choc, light roast, some black patent malt, lots of levels of chocolate, and even a little creamy but mostly powered chalky like, some bitterness from roast and light earthy hops. Some caramel and vanilla even.

Taste chewy oats right off, then loaded chocolate, lots of various choc with powdered cocoa, bakers choc, light malted milk ball even, bit of vanilla and caramel too. There is a bit of roast and coffee but barely, and hint of black patent or other black malt, light salty briny like flavor, and fair amount of bitterness thanks to the charred malts and some light earthy chewy almost spicy hops. Pure rich dark malts mostly. Finish is drier but still a bit sticky and sweet, thick rich and syrupy with long lingering layers of dark malts coating my mouth, lingering chocolate, light roast, caramel and light earthy hops with decent bitterness.

Mouth is fuller bodied, rich slightly creamy, thick, good carb, just a bit of warming booze, and would be better if not for the syrupy sticky long finish.

Overall pretty good, this has nice chocolate, dark malts, nice hops, a bit creamy and rich, not overly burnt or briney, booze of hidden well too. Only real problem is the sticky syrupy finish but that can be expected for a beer of this caliber.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 13:46:16 | More by jlindros

harpus

Alabama

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

10-16-2012 16:33:40 | More by harpus

Glibber

Idaho

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

10-07-2012 02:40:07 | More by Glibber

cycoduck

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

09-22-2012 02:43:02 | More by cycoduck

Soneast

Wisconsin

2.5/5  rDev -34.4%

09-02-2012 23:21:56 | More by Soneast

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

08-21-2012 21:27:40 | More by t0rin0

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

08-12-2012 21:34:30 | More by Mebuzzard

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black Flag has a menacingly opaque appearance, a warning sign for a stout that is over 11% alcohol and over 100 bittering units. Equipped with darkness and an ink-stained foam that gloomily adorns the glass like cobwebs, it looks daunting enough to instill cowardice in the fainthearted (and excitement in the stout lover).

I thought it a tad funny that the brewery sprawled "American Style" across the label in bold, capital letters. It starts to make more sense after smelling it though - the hoppiness not only towers as tall as a coast redwood but also inspirits the leafy, resiny characteristics of the forest. It is herbal and minty, exquisitely blended with a coffee-and-cream roast.

Black Flag drinks something like a gourmet Oreo cookie that's been injected with pine serum, flower petals and citrus piths. With the oiliness and bitterness of coffee, the richness of a chocolate truffle and the delicate sweetness of Madagascar vanilla, it is a full-bodied, fulfilling stout that is, frankly, ridiculously too quaffable for its (supposed) strength.

The combination of Warrior, Chinook, Columbus, and Cascade leaves hardly any stone unturned in the realm of hop flavours. From sticky, sappy resins to sharp-cutting citrus to leafy, botanical florals, there isn't a single part of the palate untouched by some form of hoppy taste or texture. And all this despite the use of ample roasted and dark malts.

Black Flag is hidden treasure. Like most Oregon microbreweries, Beer Valley brands are rarely found outside of the state (and is easy to overlook within it). Rest assured, however, it is pure gold and every bit the beer as Great Divide's Yeti or Founder's Breakfast Stout (both of which it reminds me of). A stout to truly shiver yer timbers! Damn fine grog!

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 22:44:49 | More by biegaman

katan

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2008 vintage - how did this one get lost in the cellar?

A - Pours black - simple - no highlights. Mocha colored head formation, about 1 to 2mm - lots of lacing.

S - Bittersweet chocolate, a little bit of roast. Overall fairly restrained.

T - Starts off light, sweet, smooth, some chocolate flavors and just a hint of grainy/husky flavors. Mid-stream brings it into balance, a little bit of bitterness but not much hopping. Still very chocolate like. Finishes sweet, sticky, and a hint of alcohol in the aftertaste.

M - Full bodied with light to moderate carbonation. Very sticky, huge malt bill here. Alcohol warmth is there but light for a 11% beer.

O/D - A worthwhile stout - I like it. Now I wonder what it would have tasted like if I hadn't let it age so long. Not very filling, a surprise for the size of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 20:35:53 | More by katan