Big John - Goose Island Beer Co.

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

22oz bottled December 7, 2012. Served at cellar temperature.

Pours black with a tiny brown head that quickly fades to a wispy cap and ring. Leaves a few short lived spots of lacing behind. Doesn’t take long before all the head is completely gone for a flat appearance.

Aroma is cocoa/chocolate, anise, coffee, dark roasted malts, dark fruits, alcohol. Good strength.

Flavor is chocolate, dark fruits, figs/cherries, coffee, roasted malts, anise, molasses, rather sweet, decent alcohol bite at the end, minimal hops/bitterness.

Mouthfeel is full bodied, sticky yet creamy, low to moderate carbonation.

Very nice Imperial Stout. Nice touch of chocolate, but isn’t overdone. A good bit of alcohol in this one, some age wouldn’t hurt to tone that down. Alcohol does die down quite a bit as it warms, but so does the chocolate at the same time. Good, but not one of the greats.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 05:07:38 | More by elgiacomo

Vixie

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours an absolutely pitch black, no light getting through this one. Forms a bit of a dark tan head which lingers for a bit. Very thick, looks a lot like used motor oil.

Smell is good and what I expected. Chocolate, coffee, vanilla, oak, and a slight fruit smell.

Has quite a bit of chocolate at first. Has a hint of vanilla, and a surprising amount of sweetness, this is almost a liquid candy bar. Albeit one with a punch.

Solid and thick feel to this , no doubt this is a big beer.

Reminds me a lot of Bourbon County Stout, but not quite as complex. It's a bit like it's little brother. That is not saying it's not a nice beer, it is very much in the same family, and being a member of this family is a good thing. I'd say my biggest complaint is it is a little boozy, a little mellowing would work wonders for it.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:07:55 | More by Vixie

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 22oz bomber into Globe glass.

A. Pours a 1+ finger of dark tan colored head. Good retention. Moderate lacing. Color is all black.

S. Roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate, molasses, some oak and vanilla. Good smelling Imperial Stout. Has a bit of alcohol smell, but not much.

T. Coffee, roasted malt, dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, molasses. Had a surprising amount of coffee bitterness for me. Pretty smooth to drink.

M. Full bodied. Medium/low carbonation. Lingering bitterness.

O. Very solid Imperial Stout. Didnt get a lot of chocolate to distinguish the cocoa nibs, but it was there. Very easy drinking for a beer this size. I could see this as a year round 4 pack from Goose Island.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 22:26:22 | More by siradmiralnelson

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from tap at the foundry in kansas city. Pours a deep black midnight with slight tan head. Smell is nice roasty malts and lots of milk chocolate. Great...wait. fantastic flavor. Chocolatey vanilla roasted malts and lots of caramel ish notes. So easy to drink...
This really is bcbs without the b.
Such a great brew and so worth the $9.99 bomber I routinely see...

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2013 00:16:14 | More by DrinkSlurm

bum732

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

S: Rich, fudgy chocolate, dark, almost fruity chocolate, slightly perfumy, vanilla with some wood notes.

L: Thick, black as night. Syrupy looking. Tan head that dissipates.

T: Dark, bittersweet chocolate up front followed by rich, fudgy chocolate. Earthy bitterness with some maltiness coming through. Finishes slightly roasty, semi-dry.

M: Thick, full-bodied. Medium low carbonation. Slight alcohol warmth.

Great chocolate presence in this beer. Pretty heavy, touch to finish the entire bottle by myself.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 01:41:45 | More by bum732

FreshHawk

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A - Jet black color with a full, creamy, thick, cafe colored head. Great retention leaving a beautiful thick layer of lace. Great looking stout.

S - Fair amount of dark fruit, particularly plum with hits of fig. Roasted malt and a mix of semi-sweet and bitter chocolate. A slight bitter roast that tends toward dark coffee. Hint of tartness in the back, but it's not too strong or vinous.

T - Starts with roasted malt flavor. Touches of dark chocolate. Dark fruit comes out strong mid sip. Plum is quite strong with hints of fig and date and only a touch of vinous flavor. There is a slight burn in the back but it is pretty subtle (possibly because it is 2 years old now). Finishes with a really nice sweet and creamy chocolate. Smooth tasting although not overly sweet.

M - Medium to full body. Average carbonation. Extremely smooth and creamy. Bordering milkshake body. Quite nice.

D - Quite a drinkable Imperial Stout. Flavors meld together really well. The body really helps this beer out. I really enjoyed finishing this bottle.

Notes: Bottled 03/25/11. I wasn't sure about how this stout would be with just cocoa nibs and especially after 2 years. I really ended up enjoying it though. It got really close to chocolate beer milkshake status. I wasn't entirely sure when I smelled the dark fruit, but it worked alright and wasn't overpowering. There was the slightest burn (not sure how it is fresh), but its finish was a heavenly smooth, creamy, chocolaty goodness. Worth a shot, maybe not BCBS but enjoyable regardless.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 04:35:37 | More by FreshHawk

kevanb

Illinois

3.66/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

650ml bottle poured into a Goose Island Brewpubs snifter. Dated 12/7/2012.

The beer pours a deep jet black color, silky as it pours, with a tightly packed tan head, nearly a finger high that recedes immediately leaving a slight ring of film around the glass and no lacing. The aroma is of roasted coffee, bitter dark chocolate, fusel alcohol and a slight stone fruit tartness at the end. Lots of bitter, dark chocolate hits the tongue straight away, tart stone fruit, a bit of cherry and a bit of plum, is right behind the chocolate. Light roasted coffee is present as well, but there is a rather unpleasant fusel alcohol flavor that lingers on the tongue for quite some time. The body is a bit livelier than I'd like, high levels of carbonation, coats the mouth well, with a bit of a metallic dry finish.

Verdict: Decent at best, but nothing I could safely recommend. The harsh alcohol and metallic flavors are really unappealing and made this tough to finish a full glass. A miss from Goose Island, I'll just stick to BCBS.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 01:31:05 | More by kevanb

Irishize75

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into snifter.

A. Pours jet black with a quickly dissipating khaki head. Plenty of alcohol legs and not much in the way of lacing.

S. tons of chocolate. Some roasty coffee and maybe a touch of caramel.

T. Follows the nose. Chocolate is definitely king here. Mid mouth I am picking up some metallic oxidation and the finish is some alcohol heat along with a slightly bitter roast that lingers for a bit.

M. This is the best part of this beer to me. Very thick, creamy and heavy..exactly how a big stout should be.

O. This one was ok, but aside from the mouthfeel nothing about it really distinguishes it from the gobs of imperial stouts out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 03:01:42 | More by Irishize75

MiamiRedSkins13

Ohio

5/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

So I went to a tasting in Kentucky where they had big John on draft and after staying until the end, tried to get another of the one limit per person fills. I had gotten to know the guy and he offered to fill a growler.. I had to take him up and promptly grabbed one off the shelf. It's amazing. Really, I wish I could elaborate but I'm at a loss for words.

Serving type: growler

03-01-2013 01:02:34 | More by MiamiRedSkins13

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Cam for sharing, forgot about this beer. Bottled 3/25/11, almost 2 years old now.

Poured into my Darkness tulip, black body with a small tan head that quickly reduces to a thin ring, remains that way throughout. Not the greatest appearance, probably due to age/ABV.

Dusty chocolate syrup in the nose, caramel, dark fruits, certainly on the sweeter side. Shows some age but good.

Taste once again shows its age a bit, but tasty. Lots of chocolate mostly, with big dark fruit and caramel prevailing as well, along with light roast and vanilla. Simple and sweet.

Slick oily mouthfeel with lowish carbonation. A bit hot and heavy on the tongue.

Don't expect Bourbon County-greatness, this is a pretty basic imperial chocolate stout, but it's solid. A bit of a tough drinker with the sweetness/alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 17:16:43 | More by Chico1985

rfbenavi80

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a snifter.

A- Pours black as night, with deep dark mocha colored head that looks thick, but does not linger very long receding to a thin cap and ring on top of the beer.

S- The chocolate on the nose hits you first. Followed by a huge malty, coffee, dark roasted malt quality that every imperial stout has.

T- Follows nose well. However, there is a flavor that lingers in the aftertaste that is in this years Nightstalker. This one starts out nice and roasty, with big flavors of dark roasted coffee and chocolate. Then it is followed by a surprising and unpleasant earthy, soy sauce flavor. Goose Island has e-mailed me telling me that this flavor is due to a change in the hop used on their Nightstalker Beer, but it seem that they might of used it on this one too. Who knows. This one is at least drinkable.

M- Wonderful mouthfeel. Extremely thick, extremely creamy. Minimal carbonation. Perfect for an Imperial Stout.

O- Torn on this one. Appearance and Mouthfeel wise this one is a huge winner. Smell and taste wise not so much. I have no idea if Goose Island used the same hop on this one as they used on the Nightstalker, and I don't really care. I do know that this beer is worth drinking unlike the Nightstalker.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 06:14:36 | More by rfbenavi80

DrewV

New York

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black as night -- this is the backest brew I've ever seen. Absolutely zero light gets through, even when put up against a bright bulb. A solid 1-1/2-finger mocha head sits on top. Dark fruity chocolate malt aroma pours out from the head as you inhale. Definite chocolate notes peek through. First sip, tons of chocolate with some roastiness backing it up. Delicious. No sign of the 11.5% ABV whatsoever. Creamy mouthfeel that's off the charts. Overall, one of the best Impy Stouts I've ever had. Deserves all the praise it gets, and then some. A bit pricey, but worthy nonetheless. To me, this is an extremely similar recipe to their Bourbon County Stout, except without the bourbon aging and vanilla flavors. Still a ridiculously solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 02:06:07 | More by DrewV

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

03/25/11 dated bottle that I have been meaning to open and taste for well over a year. Shared last night and finally reviewed from notes.

A- Oil black pour from 22oz into a tulip. Dark brown head forms to a finger in size with decent retention. Falls to a small ring and only small lace patches.

S- Some oxidation and age comes across but in a nice way combined with the rest of the aroma. Pretty big milk chocolate and caramel. Dark fruit, aged vanilla feel and some dustiness here as well.

T- Age shows more here but again it's not in a bad way. Oxidation and that deep caramel feel at first but more opens up with time. Dark fruit, rich cocoa and roast cracked grains making up a bulk of the flavors. Fairly sweet and some vanilla here too.

MF- Creamy and thick body. Low to moderate carbonation with a smooth feel overall.

Good aged stout with a mix of big roast cocoa and aged caramel fruits.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 04:53:44 | More by cbutova

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Big John opens to a full-bodied Imperial Stout aroma, heavy with sugars and touches of black notes. The sugars are the most noticeable here, with huge fruit esters of fig, prune, and raisin mixing with slightly lesser touches of mandarin orange and berry. More sweetness is added from notes of molasses and brown sugar, as well as thick vanilla. The cacao nibs blend well into these sugary notes, and at least in terms of aroma, are synchronized enough that if the label didn’t specifically mention them, it would be easy to think the stout’s milk and dark chocolate edges were the result of carefully blended malts. There’s also a nice, if light, dark base of tobacco, ash, toast crust, and rising wheat dough to add a counter to the sweetness. Mixed together, the sugars, vanilla, and touches of ash combine with the high 11.5% ABV to bring bourbon touches, though the beer itself has not been barrel-aged. As a whole, the aromas are very nice, and while the sugars do greatly overpower the ashy notes, there’s still a decent balance here, and the dark fruit esters alone are quite lovely.

On the tongue, the beer proves immensely sugary, the opening notes being a sweet rush of fig, raisin, and prune fruit esters, with boosting shots of molasses, brown sugar, vanilla, and even touches of port wine. The bourbon notes from the sugars and high ABV are also immediately apparent, adding an oaky, alcoholic edge that becomes more obvious after the beer is swallowed and vapors fill up the nostrils. In subsequent sips more grain notes emerge, with toast crust, tobacco, ash, and sticky wheat dough adding earthy tones, and the hops bringing in just a touch of bitter pine and grapefruit rind. The aftertaste is a continuation of the main mouthful, the sugars and alcoholic bourbons present in decent force, with an increasing ash presence, and lingers on the tongue for a good while. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is a nice Imperial Stout, which, even though it does swing heavily toward the sugary side of the scale, still brings just enough ash and tobacco to largely counter the sweetness. What is surprising, however, is the relative lack of chocolate notes; in fact, for a beer with cacao nibs, there’s almost no chocolate in here at all; instead, it seems to simply blend with the molasses, fig, and bourbon notes, disappearing largely into the background. Did the label not say “with cacao nibs added,” I would have assumed I was drinking a standard Imperial Stout. The alcoholic kick is also a bit heavy, filling the nasal cavities with whiskey vapors. Still, it’s worth a try for fans of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 17:48:45 | More by jondeelee

plaid75

New York

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

On draft at The Lark, East Northport, NY.

Poured a solid back huewth a half finger frothy tan head. There was decent retention and lacing.

The smell featured sweet chocolate and alcohol.

The taste was likewise dominated by an initial sweet chocolate, caramel and a touch of lactose. The flavor dried out toward the finish.

The mouthfeel was full and you feltveery bit of the hefty ABV.

Overall a brawny stout that forces you to slow down and savor.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2013 04:23:08 | More by plaid75

Etan

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

22oz from the recent re-release into a Maine Beer Company taster glass.

A: Pours black with a slight mahogany tinge. Thick cap of tan foam.

S: Milk chocolate, light roasted grain, cakey, sweet.

T: Sugary chocolate, molasses, sharp roasted note (a bit metallic), a bit of fusel alcohol, some figgy fruitiness on the end.

M: Thick-bodied with medium carbonation.

O: This is pretty good. The fusel note from the booze is a bit off-putting, but it gets subtler as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 04:45:18 | More by Etan

chanokokoro

Illinois

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

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle with a 03/25/11 bottling date into a Goose Island Brewpubs branded snifter

Pours a viscous motor oil dark brown capped with a one and a half finger beige head. Average retention, little to no lacing. Big chocolate malt, some limited roastiness. Dark chocolate, a bunch of molasses and even a hint of maple syrup joined by semi-sweet maltiness and prunes. Big, full body, low carbonation, fairly syrupy and somewhat sticky. A solid stout that trends much more sweet as opposed to roasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 04:40:20 | More by chanokokoro

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

4.19/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottled 12/7/12

A - after a somewhat aggressive pour, this beer retains significant lacking that, in color, matches its head: nice deep brown mocha. The beer itself is black.

S - I smell similar malts/hops used in Nightstalker, which I don't love bc this years NS sucked my wang; that said, the roasted malts and cocoa/chocolate are appealing; a touch of booze is present on the nose too

T - this one tastes true to form: BCBS base with chocolate and powdered cocoa perhaps; some tasty heat is present; nice coffee infusion notes wo being bitter

M - damn well balanced if I do say so my damn self; the sweetness, booze, and roasted malts are in perfect harmony; good carbonation; a little cloying but I like syrupy beers

O - I really dig on this beer and it's a nice nuanced sweet imperial with all the right flavor and heat components; I didn't love the nose but only bc of my experience w NS; that said, this beer is fn great

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 00:46:50 | More by SkeeterBoganski

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

First batch, bottled 25 March 2011. Tasted 8 February 2013, reviewed from notes.

Pours black, thick, like motor oil, brown at the edges. First pour yielded only a hint of head, deep cocoa brown, but the second brought a full dense finger. Little lacing either way. Like black sludge, but about as inviting as black sludge can be.

Smell is big and bold, full of molasses and chocolate. Wonderful depth, sugary sweet, and loaded with dark fruit. And even with all that, it's shockingly clean, with no unpleasant touches or sharp edges. Like prunes dipped in chocolate - yum.

Taste is powerful, rich, and sweet. Loaded with brown sugar and molasses, backed by a touch of cocoa. Heaps of dark roasted malts, bringing so many nuances, and filling out the flavor so it's not just a pile of sweet. But beyond all, it's sweet and sugary in exactly the way I like imperial stouts to be.

Mouthfeel is stunning. Thick, chewy, and rich. But with carbonation that rises up, small bubbles fighting to break out. That carbonation is exactly what a big imperial stout needs, gentle but lasting, bringing lightness to the sludge.

Goose Island sure knows how to do imperial stouts. A fantastic beer, and a great variation on that same base as Night Stalker and BCBS. Rich, complex, and delightfully sweet. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 04:46:10 | More by zeledonia

Gavage

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: pours a dark black color with a short head.

Smell: roasted malt and chocolate comes through to the nose.

Taste: big roasted malt profile with dark chocolate,molasses, prunes, and a nice bitterness are the main flavors. Alcohol is slightly noticeable here.

Mouthfeel: heavy in bodied. Slight crispness to start, smoother and velvety at the finish. Long lasting aftertaste.

Overall: this is a slower sipping beer, but the big bold flavors keeps this interesting the whole way. Nice chocolate flavors make this a great dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 20:25:21 | More by Gavage

Belgianbeerbunny

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I live in Chicago just blocks away from the Hancock Building, one of our iconic skyscrapers to which this beer pays homage.

A - The beer is almost as black as the Hancock, with a 1/2 inch head that was gone in 60 seconds, leaving a wispy ring around the glass.

S - Big John smells of booze and chocolate.

T - Big John tastes of booze and chocolate.

O - I am a big fan of booze, chocolate, our Chicago skyscrapers and Goose Island. I expected great things from Big John, but this brew does not live up to its elements and inspiration. The sum of this beer does not equal the whole of its parts. There should be another note or two at the end to give the drinker pause.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 22:28:11 | More by Belgianbeerbunny

AaronHomoya

Indiana

3.89/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Had an 8 oz pour in a snifter at Ball and Biscuit. As served it had no real head to speak of, but was a pretty dark near-black color. It has big taste and aroma, but is a little different from your average Imperial Stout. It is pretty smooth, very chocolatey but without real bold coffee/roasted malt bitterness. It is kind of boozy, but I found it smooth without the bourbon notes. Doesn't have much of the licorice/tar/soy sauce that some big stouts exhibit. Body is actually a little light, but it makes for a very drinkable imperial stout. I'd like to find a bottle to compare and enjoy more.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2013 23:55:11 | More by AaronHomoya

PsilohsaiBiN

New York

4.56/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2012 bottle

Appearance: Dark opaque with a big, tan 2 finger head. Lacing is pretty intense.

Smell: Roasted malt, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, dark fruit.

Taste: Wow. From what I gather, this is the base beer for BCBS and it is delicious in its own right. This is such a perfect blend of everything I described in the nose and then some. It all works together perfectly and finishes clean, with a lingering, delicious, malty cocoa ending. Booze is hid masterfully.

Mouthfeel: This leans more towards the viscous side of things, it's right there with BCBS, which makes sense.

Overall: Can't find much wrong with this. I drank a few other highly acclaimed stouts this evening, yet they don't beat this. Shame Inbev runs the show now, but Goose's specialty beers haven't suffered yet.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 05:32:18 | More by PsilohsaiBiN

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a Duvel tulip. Bottled on 12/7/12

A- pours black with a one finger brown head that quickly fades to nothing. Expected a lot more carb on this one, the head size was extremely disappointing

S- lots of chocolate. Like, lots and lots and lots.

T- tons of bitter chocolate. Some heat as well. Could maybe use more time in the bottle. Very rich beer

M- huge body. Thick, velvety, luscious

O- definitely a solid beer, as GI's stouts usually are. Not sure if I'd grab one again to drink fresh, though...it's definitely a sipper

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 23:50:46 | More by bigfnjoe

CHickman

New York

3.86/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours very, very dark brown with some reddish color where light hits it and timid 1/2 finger creamy light brown head that faded quick and left a oil slick looking layer on top, with good spotty lacing.

Really strong smell of coffee, chocolate and booze, followed by roasted malt, cocoa powder, light licorice, charcoal, and more coffee and booze; the chocolate is sweet and the booze is strong, but this smelled really nice and complex, getting better as it warmed up.

Tastes like it smells, with strong coffee, chocolate and booze up front, followed by roasted malt, cocoa powder, vanilla, light licorice, charcoal, molasses, and more coffee and booze like bourbon and then some very dark chocolate. It almost tastes like a stout that had tons of chocolate bars added in the mix and then it was barrel aged. The booze is just over the line and a tad bit too much, taking away from the overall flavors which generally are complex and tasty; if the heat was tamed this would be better, as this is a true slow sipper.

Mouthfeel is thick and chewy, with a very heavy body, a sweet boozy sting, and light carbonation. The 11.5% ABV is evident from the start, and while very strong only produces a mild burn.

Overall it was pretty good, but needs a little refinement or aging. I enjoyed it, but next bottle I get will be aged for a year to help mellow it out. A good beer to split and share, especially if you like chocolate and coffee. Price wasn’t bad, just under $10 for a bomber and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 05:22:37 | More by CHickman