Night Stalker - Goose Island Beer Co.

kbutler1

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Buster's on 28th on 10/28/09. Came in the GI Matilda "goblet"
Dark as night color with slight tan head with lacing.
Smell of coffee and chocolate notes. Tough to get a great smell at a bar cooking up tons of burgers!
Great taste, the abv is well hidden. slight up front hop flavor transitioning to a smooth heavy dark malt taste.
Heavy mouthfeel.
Very good overall! A bit pricey at $10 a pour but hey, you get what you pay for, right?

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2009 14:41:20 | More by kbutler1

MPLS

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I had been wanting to try this on tap around MPLS, but was unsuccessful in finding it, but alas Darkness Eve @ Stub n Herbs made it possible.

I opted for a 7 oz pour and seeing hundreds of dark beers around made me all the more excited and impatient.

A: Dark as a moonless night, slight mocha head...I imagine the pour had been sitting there for a while.

S: Smelled like roasted milk chocolate

T: Whoa, tasted like a magnified version of what I smelled. I sipped patiently waiting for the brew to warm. Oddly enough someone mentioned cantaloupe and oddly the hops give it a citrus character that I really enjoy, cantaloupe isn't out of the question, seriously. It's not just chocolate, as it warmed I got all sorts of flavors, yum.

M: Just like how I like my Star Wars...Chewy!

D: When will I ever find this on tap again, tell me.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2009 02:54:21 | More by MPLS

Mistofminn

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this at Stub and Herb as my second whale of a beer. 7 oz pour.

Color is pitch black with a small ring of brown sugar colored froth. Leaves a little lacing here and there.

The nose is very sweet, but it also has a woody character to it. Big roasted malt base that envelops the senses and commands respect. With all that being said, I almost found the nose sort of muted as compared to the taste.

The taste is just an amplification of the nose. Strong roasted malt base with a nice woody and earthy character. Very sweet and appealing. This is some tasty stuff. If I hadn't had this back to back with Bell's BA Double Cream/Expedition Blend the scores would have been even higher, but comparing this beer to that, this has flaws.

Mouthfeel is thick and chewy, yet smooth and creamy. Slick going down the throat. Drinkability is awesome, the alcohol is very well hidden, but there is a small warming presence.

A great beer that I would definitely have again. Solid stout from Goose Island.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2009 18:43:46 | More by Mistofminn

alcstradamus

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Original review was deleted but I remember the beer well enough that my sparse notes will do. Scores I entered are the same as my original ones.

This one poured menacing black just like an imperial stout should. Smell was not overly bold, but was a nice blend of hops and the usual big stout suspects. Taste was very hoppy, with a nice chocolate backbone. I was picking up quite a bit of wood which is surprising since I don't think this one touched a barrel. Mouthfeel was thick and creamy like it should be. This was a very fine beer that needs to be bottled.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2009 11:21:59 | More by alcstradamus

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pitch black topped by a cappuccino brown head. Aroma of hops is very powerful. Notes of dark chocolate, espresso, and alcohol sweetness push through the hop perfume. Flavor is very well balanced between roasted malt, alcohol esters, dark chocolates, and that wonderful hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is also very rich and smooth. Drinkability - I only give it a 4.5 because after I had this, the bourbon county stout, the imperial brown goose, and a coffee bender I stumbled a bit on my way down the steps. Otherwise - it would be a 5. No way I thought this was nearly a 12% abv brew! An awesome stout.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2009 03:03:33 | More by aaronh

homebrew311

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this at the Bad Apple in Chi, the whole bar was treated to any Goose Island offering thanks to a Goose Island rep. Nothing better than a free beer!

A: appears thick and black as night. Definitely lives up to its name sake. Need I say anymore?

S: Intense roasted malts and assertive hop character. I don't know which dominates. Malts at the beginning, and huge hops on the end. This beer smells like its going to be fun!

T: Wow! initial flavors are a nice sweet roasty imperial stout with a dominance of dark chocolate character. All things roasty quickly turn into fresh tasting hops. The dry hopping of this beer adds a one of a kind dimension. Doesn't remind me of other hoppy imperial stouts (like Old Rasputin or Storm King), this one is far more balanced. Everything is a ridiculously bold, but the hops play off of the huge malt character in an amazing way. This is incredibly complex and delicious. This is a world class stout!

M: thick chewy texture that is velvety and smooth going down. Real low on the carbonation which works well in this beer.

D: what's the abv here... 11.7%?!?! Are you kidding me? This is a huge beer, but comes in extremely balanced and the alcohol is not very detectable. Of course it is a like a meal in a glass with its thick chewy texture, but it is so well balance... this one is dangerously drinkable. The high drinkabillity comes at a price though as I have never seen a 8 oz pour of this under $7. I would love to see this bottled... hopefully the rumors are true.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2009 03:30:43 | More by homebrew311

will4240

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had on tap at the Happy Gnome, compared it with Southern Tier's Choklat as well as Founder"s Breakfast Stout, all three of which were world class.

A- Everything that one might expect from an Imperial Stout. One can hardly see through it even when held directly into the light. Black black black... One finger head that didn't exactly stick around. Good lacing throughout.

S- Fantastic... the usual chocolate-y coffee-ish goodness... Amazing to say the least...

T- Absolutely exceptional... Chocolate, smooth, wonderful... within my top five all time...

M- Although this is an imperial stout, it was in no way overwhelming in the mouth. Definitely should be considered full bodied, but at the same time VERY enjoyable.

D- HOLY BALLS, is this really 11%? I do not believe it... I could drink this all night.

An excellent brew by an excellent brewer. I prefer this over the BCS

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2009 06:38:16 | More by will4240

DawnL

New York

4.03/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Great tan head atop a jet black brew.

Deep roasted malts and hop character on the nose.

Coffee like with pine hops. Very intensely flavored. Bitter hops. Burnt character. Intense flavors collide on the palate like a typhoon. Beautifully balanced alcohol kick.

This is an overwhelming brew. What a complete knock-out!

This is a brew where one is truly enough, but in a very good, soul-satisfying way!

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2009 15:45:04 | More by DawnL

Florida9

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ GI-Clybourn

A: Served in a 10oz snifter. Comes with a minimal 1/8 inch of darker tan head. Dark black in color, but there is a little light sneaking through around the edges.

S: Dark roasted malts, coffee, bitter chocolate and a metallic off-scent that became more pronounced as it warmed.

T: Sweetness of prunes and plums mixed with dark roasted malts, cocoa, and the bitterness of unsweetened chocolate.

M: Heavy and bitter with a noticeably thicker viscosity.

D: The heaviness and thickness lend this to being more of a sipper, though that is to be expected. Overall a good stout, but between the odd metal smell and the cocoa bitterness, I thought this beer was just a little rough. In my opinion there is good reason why GI typically puts this one into bourbon barrels to mellow.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2009 02:23:42 | More by Florida9

mymrnngjckt

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

8oz snifter on draft at the Clyborn location of Goose Island. A very dark beer with about one finger of creamy light brown head. Caramel, coffee and oak notes in the smell. A pleasant burnt coffee taste with a hint of oakiness and heavy malt lingers on the tounge. Very pleasant to drink but very strong also. Took awhile to get this one down but I enjoyed every minute of it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2009 22:24:31 | More by mymrnngjckt

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.73/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Ginger Man. Pours black with hardly any head. Aroma of booze, sweet roasted malt, cocoa, and raisins. Flavor is sweet with toffee, lots of caramel, honey cracker, nougat, and raisin. Certainly very complex but I guess I just wasn't a fan of the flavors it had.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2009 01:37:08 | More by LilBeerDoctor

BeerBelcher

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

In a world sick with great Imperial Stouts (to include Bourbon County Stout), I thought this one was exceptional. I looked for evidence during my visit that somehow Goose Island had been tainted by their affiliation with Anheuser-Busch (InBev), but other than having Redhook ESB as a guest tap, I could find none. Instead, I found this beer, which was a really pleasant experience - massive, flavorful, but not overly taxing or intimidating.

As you'd expect, it comes served black, a little viscous, and with more head than quite a few other RIS's. Aroma is more hoppy than any other Imperial Stout I can remember - seems to me that RIS's are usually hopped heavily, but to me those flavors are usually lost amid the other roasty flavors. This one was a little lighter on the dark roasty notes, although they were still discernible. Flavor was not very boozy for 11.7% ABV. Mouthfeel was smooth but not syrupy. A very solid brew.

I would highly recommend this beer. I had this on tap at Goose Island (Clybourn).

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2009 00:38:30 | More by BeerBelcher

birchstick

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Kelleher's in Peoria, Il. This place never fails to serve up something ridiculous...

A - super black with a perfect one-finger, chocolate head. Looks intimidating, yet delicious all at the same time.

S - smells of dark chocolate, toffee, and sweet malt. Smells like a textbook RIS.

T - Dark chocolate with some hints of toffee and burnt malt. There is more chocolate than burn malt. This is a great RIS because the flavors are bold, yet not too overly unbalanced in one direction, albeit the chocolate is more noticeable than the malt.

M - smooth and full, great mouthfeel. Plus this was 11.7%? I wouldn't have guessed that at all.

D - This was an awesome RIS. It is not too over the top but extremely flavorful, but the abv forms a monster, making it hard to tame more than one. This is one of the best RISs I have had. Well-done Goose Island.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2009 06:30:55 | More by birchstick

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a pitch balc color, with a good sized mocha head. Great head retention for this beast of a beer. A few spots of lace. Good looking for sure.

A good whiff of chocolate at first. Some coffee notes, along with other roasty tones. I get a hint of butter in the nose as well. Some caramel and cream, along with a vanilla hit as well. Pretty nice nose here. Maybe a whiff of alcohol, but well hidden withing for the size of this one.

Roasty, with some chocolate notes up front. A fair amount of coffee. I still get a hint of buttery notes in this, along with a vanilla fade. Lots of residual sweetness here, almost too much for me.

Full body, with a low amount of carbonation. Not really creamy, but approaching. Alcoho is very well hidden for the high ABV. Very nice, but a bit sweet for me.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2009 02:43:03 | More by Bierguy5

dismal

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at Kelleher's Irish Pub in Peoria. The apperance was black, pitch black with a decent sized brown/dark brown head that pretty quickly went down to almost nothing. Left pretty decent lacing down the glass but nothing to much. The smell was mainly a hint of coffee, some chocolate and roasted malts. It wasn't strong or anything but was pretty apparent. Taste was similar. Coffee was strong in the taste but not overpowering and not all you could taste. Chocolate was there as well. Pretty "boozey". This is one of the few beers were I can say that, though it wasn't so boozey I couldn't handle it. When it warms up a bit is when is shines. Moutfeel is good, nothing spectacular but still good. Drinkability, well I could do a few for sure but one is good enough if I'm going to be drinking all night or drinking other things. Pretty high ABV that is somewhat well hidden but pretty apparent at times. I would definitely drink this again! I've had way better in terms of double/imperial stouts but still it's pretty good and worth trying if you have the opportunity.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2009 21:56:07 | More by dismal

Nickls

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

(From notes)

A - Poured with a generous finger of creamy/dense looking darker tan head; good retention. Dense jet black color

S - Some burnt sugar sweetness; roasted maltiness; coffee; bit of dark fruit; hops definitely shine through as well. A bit soapy and piney

T - Wow, this is one hoppy brew with the soapy and cedar-like flavors really present; bit of warming alcohol; then dives into the more stout-like qualities; roasted coffee and caramel really stuck out to me as well. Really balanced out all the great flavors

M - Thick, viscous, and a touch creamy at points; very subtle carbonation

D - Hugely drinkable against the style and weight; given the breadth and quality of flavors it makes for a wonderfully drinkable brew.

Overall, this is one great Imperial Stout. I think it defines the often used phrase "dangerously drinkable". Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2009 00:43:16 | More by Nickls

redmagik99

California

4.83/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at east village tavern. Black, nice head. Smell is absolutely bursting with stouty aromas of espresso, chocolate, roastiness. Taste has all that, some oakiness (not sure if it's oaked so I could be just imagining it), molasses, mmm. VERY balanced. As far as stouts go, I think it's more on the bitter side (relative to the style), but if you consider it on it's own, I don't think there could be a more balanced beer. Big beautiful mouthfeel. When you finish 12 oz of a beer this size in 20 minutes and are ready for another one, you can call it drinkable. I asked the bartender if she preferred this to the BCS, which was also on tap. She said the BCS was too sweet for her, and since I hadn't tried it before, she was nice enough to give me a little taste. And I 100% agreed with her. I probably didn't have enough to understand the true nature of BCS, but from what I did try, I clearly preferred the night stalker. This goes down with Abyss and Speedway as one of my favorite impy stouts ever. Get some.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2009 17:00:51 | More by redmagik99

Bung

North Carolina

4.63/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On draft at their Wrigleyville location. Poured jet black with brown accent and head. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, some vanilla/oak/booziness and pine. Thick oily mouthfeel. Tastes lots of roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, light barrel likeness. Hops come through in the finish along with coffee. A great example of the style, probably better than the Bourbon Country as far as being a great standard imperial without add ons, and I really like the BC.
Not going to knock it for the price, since that has no real bearing on the beer itself.

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2009 00:25:13 | More by Bung

maximum12

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted & savored on tap at Stub & Herb's, a revered place here in the Twin Cities that seems to magically procure almost every amazing draft beer that comes into this market. Tip o' the hat & another reason why I need to get back there more often.

The pour on this was dead, flat, jet, angry black with a side of coffee black. Smell was the brew's only weak point; nose was a bit sweet, but that was it.

And then the flavor comes screaming out of that little glass & whacks me upside the head. Glorious malts, a velvet iron glove of bourbon, hops creeping up the palate, sugary chocolate smoothing out the entire experience with a gentle, aching hand. Wow. It was at this point I looked at my 7 oz. glass & wished for a 22 oz. mug & a designated driver.

Night Stalker is flat, creamy, smooth, & warm. And with the 11.7% providing only a hint of the alcohol in this thing, the drinkability is dangerous. I sipped at my wife's, too, & had to pull back from a hand-slap multiple times.

Fantastic beer. I'll be on the lookout if this ever makes a return to the Cities in draft or bottle. If I could have had a bit bigger glass of this, it might easily have risen into the A+ range as it warmed more. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2009 21:20:24 | More by maximum12

nrbw23

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours a dark black color with a nice thick brown head. Head has decent retention and left a bit of lacing but not as much as I expected.

S- Roasted malts, bittersweet chocolate, a bit of alcohol and dark fruits. Smells really good just not quite as strong as I expected.

T- Taste is of dark roasted malts, roast coffee, chocolate, and dark fruit. Just a touch of the alcohol burn.

M- Full in body and low carbonation. Has a very silky smooth feel to this one.

D- I really enjoyed this one and was glad I was able to give it a shot. If you can find this one out there go for it.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2009 06:32:40 | More by nrbw23

aggiearcher13

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had it on tap at el Bait Shop in Des Moines on Saturday. A great beer bar in the middle of Iowa, who knew!

A: Pitch black with about a half inch of dark brown head that didn't hang around for too long. Good lacing.

S: Dark and malty, definitely well-hopped. It's pretty nice.

T: Sticky and sweet, there's a ton of flavors going on. Roast, chocolate, coffee, toffee, hoppy bitterness, it's quite good.

M: Pretty viscous, moderate to low carbonation, it's about right.

D: For 11.7% it's quite drinkable, but I don't think I could do more than one even if it were lower ABV. A ton of flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2009 14:12:26 | More by aggiearcher13

taylorhamrick

South Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

on tap @ GI-Clybourn

Pours black, pitch black, with a very thin brown head, almost a ring from the start, which leaves little bits of lacing. This one looks kind of normal for an imperial stout. The smell is very intense. There is a whiff of cracked roasted grains, very raw almost like unboiled wort. There's a bit of booze in here though. And a whiff of dark sweet chocolate is present - though not too powerful. But I can detect quite a lot of sweetness, with a hint of fruitiness - like a rich red wine or something. The taste starts with the overripe fruits, dark plums and grapes, a bit of raisins, followed by some dry, bitter chocolate, very, very rich with these flavors. Then the sweetness comes in, caramelly at times, but sometimes just like chocolate cake or something, washed over with coffee. And in the finish, I can taste some earth hops, and a bit of a resinous feel pulls the beer down as I swallow. This beer is just incredibly rich, almost too rich, with a strong note of booze. This one is very full, but actually not quite syrupy like I expected it to be. Sometimes, I feel like little chunks of grain are going down with the beer. This one is a sipper, most certainly. But a very good one. The pour was into an 8 or 10 oz snifter, which was just the right size to get all of this one that I'd like. I would love to have more of this, though I drank it at like 1 in the afternoon, with a big day ahead, so I stopped at one. A very good beer if you ever get the chance to try it.

Serving type: on-tap

06-27-2009 21:53:10 | More by taylorhamrick

tedpeer

Iowa

4.28/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this at el Bait Shop. 8? ounce pour for 7.50.

A - Poured black with a half inch mocha head taht became a thin layer. Nice lacing.

S - Dark fruits and hops. Some malt and alcohol.

T - Roasted malts (both coffee and chocolate flavors). Slight alcohol warmth in the finish.

M - Viscous, thick, mouth coating.

D - It's a big beer, but very good.

I liked GIBCS more.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2009 00:12:41 | More by tedpeer

mdwalsh

Iowa

4.03/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Stub and Herb's while waiting 7 hours for my ride from Indulge.

A: Dark brown 1/2 finger head with very small bubbles. The beer itself is black as all get out, meaning I can't see anything in it for active carbonation. The head did go away fairly fast though.

S: The smell wasn't very strong, but I could pick up enough of it. There was a lot of dark fruits, some malt, and no hops. It was slightly roasted, but not very much.

T: Some dark fruit and a mild roast again, still no hops. There is some dryness and bitterness. There is not a lot going on here in my opinion, but I like what is there.

M: medium body, smooth

D: Doable, but mostly a one and doner, not something you're going to keep coming back to all night.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2009 15:40:44 | More by mdwalsh

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

I had this on tap at the Clybourn brewpub, served in an 8oz goblet for $10(!). The beer was as black as brown can be, thin dark tan foam, looked like a nice nightcap. The aroma was hoppier than I expected, very nice in such a strong looking stout, with loads of undercurrents of chocolate and roasted malts. The taste is complex to say the least, a little overwhelming. Lots of chocolate and malty sweetness, not so much flavor from the hops although maybe a hint of citrus, noticeable ethanol and a cough syrup component that I'd have preferred was avoided. The body matches the intensity of the taste, on the thicker side. The drinkability is not too high, as this is truly a sipper and at 11.7% ABV I'd limit my ingestion of this beer to 1 per night.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2009 11:53:34 | More by TurdFurgison