Night Stalker - Goose Island Beer Co.

philmorepunk87

Delaware

3.88/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bomber into DFH snifter

A - BLACK with minimal tan lacing that disappears quickly

S - Alcohol, Chocolate, and Hops

T - At first the chocolate/malty flavor up front then leaves with the hop flavor

M - Thick coat the mouth

D - Pretty decent for how strong it is I will most likely finish the bomber

A good stout, but it doesnt wow me at all; probably would not seek it out again

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 01:48:42 | More by philmorepunk87

soco7tyx7

New York

4.33/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark dark dark like some engine oil with a thick pour to match. 1 finger dark tan head with some light lacing and a film around edges throughout

S - Piney and grassy up front with with some roasted malty character. A little boozy with a some fresh coffee bean notes hanging around in there

T - Again piney up front with a bold roasted malt body. Finishes with bitter chocolate, a touch of alcohol and a lingering bitterness. A bit of spice as well that hangs out till the next sip

M - A medium wet body on the heavy side with a litle heat in the finish

D - One to be sipped on for sure. A tasty, unique offering from Goose Island that I will certainly be buying again and aging for some time. Very impressed by the hopped up twist and interested to taste what a few years will do to this

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2010 03:17:09 | More by soco7tyx7

brundo4

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 64oz. growler into a 16oz. pint glass. The brew is jet black, like a good stout should be. A small espresso head forms, but dissipates almost instantly. A small, tan ring of lacing is left. Does not appear too carbonated. Instead appears delicious. Let's stick our nose in it.

On the nose a smoky caramel scent comes on strong, along with molasses, syrup, brown sugar, and a good oak note. Reminiscent of a good, sweet breakfast stout, but smells more strongly of alcohol. Scent really is as dark, mysterious, and inviting as the brew itself.

Per a few recommendations I have let this beer warm up a bit before drinking. First taste is quite sweet, syrupy. Definite caramel, brown sugar, molasses flavors shine through, as well as a bit of bourbon and brandy. Very well composed flavor. Deep and complex. Alcohol is fairly well hidden but a good sting does hit the nose. Nice bitter aftertaste complements the initial sweetness exceptionally. There is a strange, grassy herbal character as well as some sweet candied fruits (plum, cherry, maybe a subtle pomegranate) dancing just beneath it.

Mouthfeel is thick and luscious. Very smooth and heavy. Low carbonation, like many tap stouts. Powerful on the tongue, silky going down.

If this beer wasn't the high octane drunk-fuel it is, I'd swear I could drink it all day. So smooth with a perfect sweet/bitter balance. I will most doubt have another, and another, and another, and then another when I wake up from my stupor.

Serving type: growler

07-08-2009 23:01:32 | More by brundo4

Keithstone44

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a snifter. Bottled in August of 2010.

Pours a midnight black, with a 1-finger light tan head that leaves behind considerable lacing.

Smell is of sweet-malt, chocolate and booze.

Taste is very sweet, with note of dark fruit, chocolate, brown sugar, and espresso. The alcohol is barely discernible.

Thick, full-bodied with delicate carbonation, the alcohol warms the throat nicely.

Overall, this is a solid imperial stout that tastes wonderful and is very complex.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 01:46:36 | More by Keithstone44

weltywm

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured out of a bomber into a snifter.

Appearance: Pours a thick jet black with about 1 fingers of dark head.

Smell: Very roasty and sweet mixed in with some hop bitterness.

Taste: Awesome, and very complex. Dominated by roasty coffee and chocolate, oily espresso, and hop bitterness. I also taste dark fruits like cherry and plum, molasses, sugar, earth, oak, and last but not least, boozy alcohol. All of the flavors blend and complement each other very well. Wow, this beer is big.

Mouthfeel: Very thick and oily. Also very carbonated for a stout.

Overall: A very excellent stout from Goose Island. A beer to be savored over the course of an hour. Would definitely buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 16:08:33 | More by weltywm

ironarrow42

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Served in a 10 ounce snifter at Dilly Deli (Mariemont, OH). Appears solid black in the glass. The initial quarter inch of foam quickly fell to a beige collar. It even looks rich and heavy. The bartender warmed my glass briefly to remove excess chill.

Fruity aroma, with some fig, dates, and a roasty note. I didn't get a whole lot of hops in the aroma. Huge body with a viscous texture and full mouthfeel. Sweet up front with notes of baked figs and prunes, roast coffee, cocoa, a hint of oak or smoke, and alcohol. The initial sweetness becomes tangy and gains a bitter edge towards the lengthy finish. More cocoa, baked plum, and a light burn of alcohol.

Huge, complex & satisfying. Well worth the price of admission.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2009 11:26:49 | More by ironarrow42

schleprock

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber dated 2/19/10.

This beer pours a rich thick head which quickly subsides but leaves decent lacing on the glass.

I don't get the other reviews noting strong hops, I don't really smell it. What I do smell is lots of caramel, chocolate and raisin tones as well as a hint of coffee.

Pretty high in allcohol so this for me would be a sipper and I'm not much of a beer sipper.

Overall it's a good beer but definitely not the best Imperial Stout I've had. Lots of folks commented on it not being an RIS, if you look at the category, it's billed as an Imperial Stout, not a Russian Imperial Stout.

I might consider one or two of these per year when I want something really heavy but it's not a regular thing for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 03:44:49 | More by schleprock

mjmadden

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beers pours super dark with a really interesting tanish head that carries a hint of orange. The aroma is hot, really boozy. But mixed into that boozy smell are a strong roasted malt back bone with a strong chocolate character. Taste is very rich, strongs vanilla and roasted malt flavors, mixed with chocolate and bourbon notes. Still a bit boozy, even for 11% beer. Overall a good beer with a lot a character.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 00:27:33 | More by mjmadden

ImperialStoat

United Kingdom (England)

4.78/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2010 bottle

Appearance: It's a nearly-12% Imperial Stout - what do you think it looks like? There's only so many entries for 'black' in my thesaurus.

Smell: Intoxicating.
Alcohol, raw bread dough, 90% cacao chocolate, rye, vanilla, and mild orange peel.

Taste: Once every few months or so a beer comes along that causes me to question whether I - in some narcotic coma - crawled to the Crossroads and vouched my soul to Beelzebub in exchange for an elixir of such indescribable brilliance that I regret not taking out multiple loans in order to secure every bottle available. Rather ridiculously I've now had two such beers in the months subsequent to Christmas - Parabola and this.
Anyway, the prominent taste is LIQUORICE on top of dark chocolate; the orange-peel characteristic noted in the smell; the boozy-sweetness of a cherry liquor; roasted malts; and fresh vanilla.

Mouthfeel: Thick like melted ice cream and creamy like whole-fat milk - perfection.

Overall: I'd take this over both BCBCS and BCBVS any day of the week/month/year/decade/centenary/millennium - a brewing masterpiece. Hats off to Goose Island.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 00:54:22 | More by ImperialStoat

mwrecording

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Wow. I debated opening this one for awhile since its about 2-3% stronger than most beer I typically drink and I haven't loved hoppy stouts.

I poured it into my Duvel tulip at cellar temp and watched a 1-2 inch head come and go. Looks like a big, black stout.

Smell is slightly floral and hoppy but there is also a great smell of chocolate. Great smell.

Taste is, to me, a perfect mix of a chocolate stout and a light IPA. Very enjoyable. After taste is hoppy, which is pleasant.

I doubt anyone would want to drink more than 22 ounces of this but the 22 ounces you get in the one bottle are very worth it. Great beer...I will be treating myself to this a few times a year.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 23:46:30 | More by mwrecording

Kayn169

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bomber dated 02/06/11

A- Dark black, very slight amber brown around the edges. Looks medium thickness for a stout. Not super liquidy, but not the thickest stout either. Almost no head, leading to a lack of lacing.

S- Upfront I get hops, chocolate, and booze.

T- Hmm, a lot like the nose. Hops and booze, with a following of very bitter chocolate. and again booozy.

M- A nice creamy coating, with a hop and carbonation, which until now had been completely allusive. Probably the nicest thing about this beer.

O- I will be honest, never been a big GI fan, with the obvious exception of Bourbon County, and it's varieties. I gave this a try, wanting to give it another go. But I wasnt exactly converted. The alcohal was not hidden at all. In fact it was very up front. Maybe it would be better with some time, but would loose a lot of the hop, which is one part of the beer I liked. Over all average, not horrible. Despite how easy it is for me to get, there are a dozen stouts I would turn to before giving this one a second thought.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2011 23:37:59 | More by Kayn169

SHerninko

Pennsylvania

3.39/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

2013 - Craft Ale House, PA
ST-Draft for Goose tap takeover.
A-dark, stout, not much lacing, typical
S-Smell was sweet stout mixed with a strong chemical smell. It smelled like ground black pepper was poured on top.
T-followed the smell, good basic stout, but then some weird syrupy strong cough medicine taste and more black pepper.
M-apart from the taste it was smooth and creamy.
O-I had a sample luckily, not sure if I could have finished a whole bottle or full pint. I've been told the recipe has changed as they moved back to brew this again after some time off?!? InBev may have messed this brew up a bit. I have a 2011 bottle and I will compare that to this fresh tap version.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 13:32:22 | More by SHerninko

copyguyadam

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Real tasty Imperial Stout. Almost too much for a bomber, but I still liked it.
Bomber into Duvel Tulip.

A = Can't see through it, dark and there is almost head. Like an imperial stout should look.
S = Doesn't smell as strong as it is. I like it when this happens!
T = Malty, hoppy and sweet.
M = Booze coats the mouth, but not as much as BCS. Nice...
D = Yes, but watch out with this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2010 00:30:03 | More by copyguyadam

mroberts1204

California

3.78/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle dated 02/19/10...my girlfriend was sure that this day was important, a holiday even! Turns out February 19th is the 50th day of the Gregorian calendar as well as Seal's birthday. So yea pretty darn significant...

A: Pours nearly pitch black with a tan brown head that recedes to a ring around the glass. Lacing is decent. 4.5

S: Bitter chocolate, hops and booze. Hints of bitter black coffee and brown sugar. 4.0

T: Chocolate begins with a mild dose of roastiness. You're then hit by a major dose of hops and alcohol. Bitterness is high on this one. Really the hops are there throughout...alcohol lingers at the end. 4.0

M: Carbonation is medium and the beer is full bodied and a little oily. Alcohol burn is a little distracting. Still pretty hot. 3.5

D: I think this score would be higher if it weren't for the booziness of this beer. 3.0

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 04:30:22 | More by mroberts1204

petroos

New York

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

A: Pours a viscous, deep brown black. Forget motor oil, it reminds me of tar. There is a dark tan 2 finger head, which dissipates quickly. The lacing is serious on this one.

S: Coffee, chocolate, roasted malts, earthy hops and citrus peel. Very complex. There is a very pronounced soy sauce characteristic that I guess is a product of the fermented malts that I'm not digging at all though.

T: Wow! Roasty malts give way to caramel and coffee. There is a ton going on in the midpalate. Figs, grapes, black fruits and licorice with a hint of citrus peel. The finish is chocolaty and smokey. Alcohol warms the palate but not in a bad way. The finish lasts forever, with a bit of licorice and that great milk chocolate flavor. Every sip brings more flavor nuances.

M: Absolutely huge, creamy mouthfeel. The alcohol is present, but complimentary, not detracting from the other flavors and textures. Very well integrated carbonation is perfect.

D: This is seriously drinkable. It keeps calling you back to the brew because every time I take a sip I taste something a little bit different. More seriously, the 11.70 % ABV is seriously well integrated, which makes me think that I'm really asking for trouble with this one.

This is without a doubt one of the best stouts I've had, and if it weren't for the soy sauce aspect, it would have scored even higher.

Serving type: growler

07-23-2009 20:40:00 | More by petroos

actone2001

California

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

Bottle dated 2/6/11 that came in an epic box from RC0032. Thanks again!

A: Jet black, nice tan head that dissipated pretty quickly.

S: cocoa, roast, sweet dark malt.

T: Big dark chocolate notes initially. Molasses. Dark fruit. Slight roast. Minimal hops. Boozey all around. It has a slight sweetness that I find pleasant. depth as it warms, but still lots of alcohol warmth and dark chocolate. A layered beer that will only get better with some time.

M: medium, good carbonation, not too thick, not too thin.

o: great beer from GI. Lots of depth in this one. Would probably be better after some age. I'd like to taste it after the booze mellows, but I still think this is worth drinking. It's an intense brew, and a great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 03:57:06 | More by actone2001

TStron

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 3/6/2010 and consumed on 12/30/2010

A - Tan head that quickly dissipates. Black body with a red/brown edge. Heavy lacing.

S - Hops with licorice and subtle notes of sweet chocolate. Alcohol is very noticeable in the nose.

T - Caramel and chocolate flavors with hops blended in so well. A great desert stout. Not as hot as the aroma and 11.7 abv would indicate.

M - Low carbonating contributing to a chewy full bodied beer.

O - Fantastic. I've not had a lot of hoppy stouts but I imagine this is how it should be done. Its worth having this fresh and with age on it for a nice variation. When fresh the hops are obviously more of a feature of this beer and they are great.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 21:30:16 | More by TStron

IronMickey

Arkansas

4.53/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

a one year-old bomber from April 2010

Appearance: onyx black. Head is a shade lighter than khaki and fades to lace quickly.

Smell: some dark plums, cherries, faint coffee and chocolate-- definitely stronger on the fruit

Taste: similar to the smell but with a stronger coffee note. great malty middle, definitely finishes coffee. semi-sweet chocolate notes. faint, faded hop notes remind me of the year-long age.

Mouthfeel: extremely smooth, almost oily. little hop-- it has definitely mellowed from the "fresh" one I had last year

Drinkability: very enjoyable, very consumable-- I'd be curious to have one on draft

overall, I enjoyed it immensely. it aged extremely well.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 02:07:24 | More by IronMickey

jhimstedt

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

beautiful deep opaque pour with light tan lacing, no head. nose full of raisins and prunes, pecans, molasses, cocoa, roasted malt and little booze. taste opens up into some marshmallow, anise, roasted malts, dark chocolate, brown sugar, but little in the way of hops despite the label. great finish and mouthfeel. super drinkable to me, and mouthfeel fits my requirements for sure. booze not completely hidden but quite balanced in my opinion.

very glad to have tried and would definitely seek out more.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 22:38:30 | More by jhimstedt

Luvzsurfrz

California

4.43/5  rDev +8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on 3/5/10, and poured into a snifter on 5/27/11.

A: Pours a deep, rich brown with a very shallow tan head. Almost no retention, or lacing.

S: The smell of hops is has diminished contrary to earlier reviews. There is a rich dark chocolate and malty cocoa smell that is absolutely divine!

T: Sweet with hints of hoppy, roasty cocoa and chocolate. Warming as it goes down. Alcohol heat is strong, yet very smooth and comfortable.

M: Full-bodied with a good amount of carbonation. Finishes dry and hints of chocolate and cocoa still linger strongly throughout.

O: Overall, I was VERY impressed with this stout. Great taste and good bottle aging. I'm sure this would have only been better with longer aging. Can't wait to try it again!

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 03:30:10 | More by Luvzsurfrz

phreak1983

Iowa

4.15/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I tried this beer last summer on tap and then on cask a couple of months ago. The cask tasted heavily of coffee which I did not remember when it was on tap. Excited to try the bottle and see how it is!

A- Pitch black with a nice light brown head.

S- Amost all I can smell is hops! Maybe a little coffee and chocolate as I dig deeper.

T- Roasty sweet malt and very hoppy. I've never tasted a imperial stout so hoppy. If I weren't a hop head I'd want to age this beer (although I[I'm sure I will age some to see how it turns out.)

M- Smooth and slick yet finishes dry with the hops.

D- This is the first time having a serving over 8 oz. of this beer and it's kicking my ass. It took me a couple of hours to finish this bomber, but maybe that's a good thing!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2010 06:31:10 | More by phreak1983

nopucophop

New York

3.9/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This pours as thick as motor oil leaving a beautiful thick brown lasting head.

The aroma is just what you would expect from a dry hopped stout. ALL HOPS!!!

The taste has imperial stout all over it. Coffee, chocolate, dark malts, slight alcohol burn, and all balanced by a peculiar sweetness. The hop flavor is not as prevalent nor should it be.

The mouthfeel is smooth and silky. It seems to get better with every sip.

This is a very easy stout to drink. I would recommend it to any stout fan.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2010 01:48:17 | More by nopucophop

TheSaboteur

Nebraska

4.88/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bomber poured in to my trusty Boulevard Smokestack tulip (we've been through a lot together, and I think I'm going to name her after drinking this beer from her...Henceforth, she will be called "Addison" A little Northside tribute).

Pours extremely dark and allows no light w/ 2 1/2 fingers of bubbly head...which rescinded quickly and wasn't quite as meringue-like as I would expect.

The Smell (as I am a H-O-P-H-E-A-D...that happens to love imperial stouts) is out of this world. There is some major grapefruit going on and it blows me away. If my eyes were closed, and somebody else had poured this beer for me, I would guess it to be an IPA.

Taste: I could see some people absolutely hating this...It's like everything I love about an Impy Stout: the roasted malt, caramel, coffee, and chocolate mixed with everything I love about an IPA.

Mouthfeel: So, this is an imperial stout after all, and for me it's too carbonated and thin to be a good representation of the style. On the other hand, there is a quick second where it seems to coat the upper back portion of the gum line and seems slick...just before the swallow.

Drinkability: I'm telling myself to keep a slow pace on this sleeping giant (11.7% ABV), but I'm gulping it like it's a 5% beer. I want to enjoy it (which I most definitely am) slowly...but this seems to be a losing battle of taste over mind. Thumbs WAY up!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 00:52:11 | More by TheSaboteur

Jagen

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

poured from a bomer into a snifter. bottle date 11/19/12, drinking it 12/3/12
A slightly more than a 1 finger dark-brown head. pours jet black but not a crazy thick consistancy. head at first dies down aggressively but stableizes into a half finger head that slowly dissipates.
S very hop heavy...surprising for a stout. I expected this to be hoppy due to other reviews/reading about the beer but surprised at the lack of upfront stout smells. slight chocolate and malt in the background. nice subtley roast in the back.
T - people say it is a hoppy-mess but I disagree. it is not what you would expect from a stout but I am really enjoying it. not too aggresively hoppy at front but the hops are there...nice malt finish. i think the hops are a little strong right now and will review again once they die down.
M - great moutfeel...not too thick and not at all thin. slight coating-of-the-mouth feel. perfect carbonation.
O - Very good take on a hoppy stout. The hops do hide from the stoutiness of the beer. Excited to age a few and see how it is once the hops die out. I reserve complete judgement until I get to taste how it is with age. Overal,l I really like this take on a hoppy stout...I just want to taste a little more of the malt profile that I know I will have to wait to taste

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 09:13:46 | More by Jagen

gorby10826

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Right next to DL, KTG, Darkness, Black Albert definitely one of the best I have ever had. I truly hope that goose eventually decides to bottle it!

Smooth. Dark. Pretty thick. Hopped up. Think about mixing black albert and darkness...pretty much the easiest way to explain if you have had those two.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2009 20:59:32 | More by gorby10826