Cygnus X-1 - Flat Earth Brewing Company

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

a deep brown with a finger of beige colored head. smells of roasted grains, chocolate, nutty notes. slightly sour flavor up front with nutty notes, roasted grains, hint of chocolate. medium body with high carbonation.
not really impressed by this beer at all. not sure how old it is, but the sourness is not a good sign. i have a feeling this will end up being a drain pour.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 04:20:55 | More by facundoCNB

kojevergas

California

3.05/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle into nonic willi glass in me friend's gaff in high altitude Fort Collins, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average.

A: Pours a half finger khaki colour head of fair cream and thickness, but merely below average retention. Body colour is a solid dark black; nontransparent and opaque. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Chocolate, roast, hints of vanilla, dark malts, and some sweetness. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Chocolate, dark malts, a bit of vanilla, but not much roast. Simply built, but decently balanced. I want more complexity and subtlety from it, but I don't get it.

Mf: A bit thin for the style. Smooth and wet. Overcarbonated. Doesn't really complement the flavours. Too heavy on the palate for its lack of flavour.

Dr: Drinkable but not great for the style. Hides its ABV decently. I wouldn't want to finish the bottle by meself.

Low C+

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 04:09:04 | More by kojevergas

oline73

Maryland

3.13/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color with a half finger of off white head. As the head fades it leaves a ring but no lacing.

Smell: Mild overall with some roast and dark chocolate notes. I'm getting some coffee like notes along with dark fruit.

Taste: Roasty up front with some mild dark chocolate. The malt sweetness has a hint of dark fruit like tartness to it. The finish is still tart and a bit roasty.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with aggressive carbonation that's a bit much. The finish is slightly dry.

Overall: I didn't get much from the rye. I can't say I was a big fan of this beer. I don't think I would want another.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 00:57:13 | More by oline73

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Poured a reddish color, quite clear. Head is very thick, tanned head, with very good retention and some lacing.
S- Dark malt, with some sweet molasses on as well. There is just a touch of anise.
T- It's fairly sweet up front with some molasses and dark caramel. A bit of espresso and anise is there in the finish but pretty mellow.
M- A bit light for the style, but nice smooth carbonation, dry finish, with just a touch of astringency.
O- A fairly good porter. It leans a little too far sweet and not quite roasted enough. That said, still tasty.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 02:12:05 | More by jsprain1

augustgarage

California

3.6/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a pint glass.

Dark, clear chocolate body with rust highlights and a very active (think soft drink) beige head. Faint lacing; poor retention.

Roast malt, tea biscuits, stale sour coffee, a hint of rye, and mild fruity hop aromatics.

Quite toasty malt profile with hints of cocoa, tangy/peppery rye notes, and caraway. Subtle and distinguished but a little uneven. Earthy mild bitterness leads into a pleasing finish.

Light-bodied, a bit thin with mediocre carbonation.

With a little less alcohol and a little more flavor, this would be quite session-able, though it is a bit too middle-of-the-road otherwise.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 19:04:04 | More by augustgarage

herman77

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The last bottle of this I bought was super old and I emailed the brewery about it and they gave me two free ones. At least this one was fresh, or I'm hoping it is fresh enough. Wish breweries would date stamp or put a best by date on everything.

A: Deep, deep brown, pretty much black with a small light khaki head that fads quick.

S: A nice roasted malt base with some coco powder and a bit nutty.

T: Not as good as the nose. Falls a little flat, not much depth. What is there is is some roasted malt, a tiny bit of chocolate, coffee and you can taste the rye malt coming through. It provides a nice little interesting kick. Finish has a bit of astringent malts, but they fade super fast to nothing.

M: A medium-light body, a tad bit watery. Carbonation is on the higher side.

O: Meh. Not my favorite. Too bad since its local and they have been around since Surly.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 23:12:03 | More by herman77

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have half a dozen entries for Cygnus X-1 in my database, starting with a sample on site in 2007 when I did a tour of the brewery with the MN Home Brewers. In spite of my multiple tasting, they've tended to be few and far between. However, if my memory serves, this beer I'm drinking tonight seems to have a more robust taste than my first tasting.

Very light brown head lingers nicely before falling to a thin lace. At first I thought the nose was coffee, but on second thought it's more clearly a clean roast with an earth spice coming out with the warmth. Strong malt with a roasty smokiness in the taste that's supported by a light but not thin body. Ends with a bitterness that lingers lightly. A very solid porter that pushes the style towards robust. In reading Flat Earth's description, Cygnus is made with rye malt, which explains the bite that I noticed but couldn't place. After I've had the straight Cygnus X-1 now, the differences overlaid in the S'mores infused Grand Design I took home at Christmas are clear. Cygnus is a slightly off centered porter that's fun and interesting to drink.

Serving type: growler

04-07-2012 00:52:54 | More by FightingEntropy

warnerry

Michigan

1.9/5  rDev -50%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

No bottle date

A - Pours a deep brown with a finger of quickly dissipating head. Leaves no lacing.

S - Heavy coffee aroma, ,with some unpleasant funkiness. Uh-oh.

T - Initial taste is lemon tartness with some funk. Eventually, some coffee and roasted malt flavors come through, but this has clearly gone bad.

M - Very thin mouthfeel that finishes dry.

O - I've only had this for a week or so, but have no idea how old it is. Anyway, this was undrinkable. Bummer, as I was looking forward to trying this.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 21:47:03 | More by warnerry

ForWhatAlesYou

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Stout's Pub.

A: Black, ruby. Frothy tan head.

S: A lot of hardwood smoke. Umami (soy). Bread.

T: Delicious. Dark malt, toasted grain, a little biscuit crispness in the grist. The bitter is like that from coffee.

M: Very drying. Med-high carbonation, low viscosity.

D: Oh yes. Again and again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 17:34:28 | More by ForWhatAlesYou

brydeen

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

enjoyed on tap at Gabe's

A- Pours a deep brown, almost opaque. A thin creamy off-white head, dissipates rather quickly

S- Big roasted coffee aroma, with hints of bittersweet chocolate

T- Strong roasted coffee dominates the pallet, with a bit of bitter hop finish to balance it out at the end.

M- Good carbonation, but a bit thin for the big robust aroma.

O- A solid offering, but lacking a little flavor depth

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2011 21:59:28 | More by brydeen

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks goes out to MBrausen for sending me this one so I could tick it! Shared this one with the NoDa Brewing crew in celebration of their grand opening weekend. Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a dark reddish brown with a minimal light tan head. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, and a subtle spiciness. The flavor was of roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate, subtle sweet malt, and a subtle pepper spiciness. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. I was quite surprised by the pepper spiciness on the followthrough. This was a pleasant surprise by the way... The rest of the brew was okay, but nothing special. Glad I got the chance to give this one a shot, but doubt I would seek it out in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 00:48:37 | More by thagr81us

Beerdregs

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is the "hold your fire" version offered in growlers during the porterfest at the brewery.

A: I poured this conservatively d/t being burned by high carb. growlers in the past. However this beer does not appear to be overcarbed. Pours a black color with minimal amount of head.

S: Heavy on the coffee. I don't think they use coffee in this beer so I think mainly picking up on the heavy roasted malts. Do not perceive the peppers in the nose though.

T: This is a mildly sweet beer. Taste is coffee and fresh green peppers. The hops are there way in the background and the finish a mild heat on the back of the tongue. I don't enjoy the chemistry between the malt and the hot peppers they used.

M: This is a medium bodied beer with ample carbonation.

O: Although I love this beer, I don't like how the peppers are adding to this beer. No comparison to Grand Design (Smores).

Serving type: growler

11-30-2011 01:48:11 | More by Beerdregs

plfahey

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle poured into a wine glass.

Appearance-Deep russet brown with mahogany tinge around the edges and garnet highlights when held to the light. Good clarity. Moderately tall mocha cream head with fair retention.

Aroma-Dark chocolate, brownie batter, and cocoa liqueur with a slight roasted malt espresso edge. Toasted dark bread crusts and a touch of ashen charcoal. Hint of plum/prune fruitiness. Very low earthy hop aroma complements the wonderful malt profile.

Flavor-Dark chocolate and slight caramel fades to german chocolate cake, roasted malt, toast, and coffee grounds. Smooth, green hops emerge in the finish along with a light acrid bitterness and moderate hop bitterness. Finish has a sharp roast edge, but is still charmingly chocolatey and roasty.

Mouthfeel-Medium full body with moderately high, carbonation which explodes like a soft bubbly blanket on the tongue-lending a creamy feel to the beer.

Not quite smooth and caramelly enough to be an English Porter, but still quite nice. While additional points of complexity are light and quite subtle, the malt profile is multi-faceted and shows great depth. A very drinkable, tasty porter.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 20:40:28 | More by plfahey

DrewZ926

New York

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Tripp for the LIF!

A- Dark body with an inch of burnt sienna head that fades fast.

S- Coffee grounds, chocolate covered espresso beans, a little smoke

T- Deep malt with nice sweetness upfront, follows with a lot of dark chocolate and roast and finishes with a surprising bitter twang.

M- Smooth and rich.

Overall a great porter and one I wish was distributed around here.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 02:41:13 | More by DrewZ926

happygnome

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewing from notes, on tap at Gabe's

A: pours a nice deep brown color with about a quarter inch of head after the bartender poured some head off and continued to pour more beer.

S: Roasted coffee and chocolate malts, balanced with mild hop bitterness

T: the roasted malt character hits the tongue with sweetness initially. The sweetness is not cloying but very nice. There is a hint of bitterness to balance

M:full bodied beer, little carbonation

Overall, I really enjoyed this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2011 22:59:17 | More by happygnome

maximum12

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've been enjoying this brew for quite a while, but never sat down to review it proper-like. And I've sent a fair share around the country as extras, hope all that have received it have enjoyed it!

Pour is dark brown, with an evil red glimmering deep within the bowels of the glass. Quite a noseful on this brew: just-got-dumped-bitter chocolate, strong roast, & a jumpy spice that can only be rye. Oh, rye, I do love a good bit of rye in the mix.

Cygnus X-1 is a solid porter that gains a pleasing edge with the rye addition. Prologue is big roasts notes, a smokey shot that doesn't appear in the nose, shadow of chocolate. The rye malt is subtler than the nose suggests, just leaving an after-image on the tongue. Finish is sweet with a side of milkiness, which washes over into a creamy, full mouthfeel. One of those porters that hits the sweet spot of drinkability; you know you're drinking a good dark beer.

Good beer that might be even better on tap, a good choice when one doesn't want a huge dose of alcohol or a phalanx of hops.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 02:49:33 | More by maximum12

mdfb79

New York

3.78/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 06/04/11 notes. Bottle shared by nmann08; thanks Nate. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip.

a - Pours a dark brown color with light carbonation evident and less than one inch of off white head.

s - Smells of roasted malts, chocolate, sweet fruit, toasted malts. Nice and sweet, I liked the nose.

t - Tastes of chocolate, roasted malts, sweet milk chocolate, and toasted malts.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Pretty smooth and easy to drink.

o - Overall a pretty nice porter. I liked the nose a lot and thought there was a lot of sweet chocolate. Would like to try again.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 16:56:48 | More by mdfb79

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

Appearance: Very dark cola like amber brown. Lots of rising bubbles. Big three finger lightly tan head with great retention and very good lacing.

Smell: Strong aroma of dark roasted malts with a good amount of chocolate and coffee. Hints of dark fruit, rye, and floral hops. Has a very toasty smell.

Taste: A sweet taste from the roasted malts, grains, chocolate, coffee, and dark fruits. Has a hint of rye in the middle and a light hint of hops in the finish. Strong with the fruity sweetness but it is well balanced.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a medium carbonation. Very creamy, toasty, and smooth.

Overall: A very good porter from Flat Earth. One of the better ones I have tasted.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 06:17:16 | More by MattyG85

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A 22oz bottle split with onix1agr and sourbatchkid. Thanks bud.

A- a steady pour gives about two fingers of tan head that settles quickly and leaves a few spots of lace and a nice ring on top. Dark brown with a sweet red glow at the edges.

S- big roasted malts with coffee and bitter chocolate. Some dark fruits and toasted bread.

T- lots of roasted malts and coffee with very bitter chocolate. Toasted dark bread and touches of fruit. Light brown sugar sweetness giving a nice balance to the heavy roast.

M- less then medium in body and medium carb.

O- this is a great porter. Lots of roast but never burnt on the palate. Just enough sweetness to keep the flavors going.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2011 02:33:33 | More by oglmcdgl

Arenbeer

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From Notes

22oz bottle into a Snifter Glass

A- Pours a real dark brown with a frothy 2 1/2 finger tan head that sticks around.

S- Dark roasted malts with slight coffee notes and slight rye in the background. A good amount of smoke

T- Delicious dark malts that are so creamy on the tongue with a bitter smoked roastiness that lingers leaving sweet chocolate flavors and coffee.

M- Full bodied with higher carbonation and a bitter dry finish.

SkÅL!

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 00:18:23 | More by Arenbeer

mdaschaf

Washington

3.13/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Review from notes 4/8/11. Thanks to bwiechmann for sending this to me for winning his LIF.

A: Pours a very very deep brown, almost black with a chunky one finger head. Nice retention and some random bubbles patches left behind.

S: Lots of roasted/burnt malt with some coffee and hints of chocolate.

T: Overwhelmingly coffee flavored, which really is not my type of beer. There is also some chocolate and a little bit of sweetness.

M: Light to medium bodied, seemed a touch thin. Finishes a little dry.

O: Not a huge fan, mostly of the flavor profile. It was just too much coffee for me. If it had a little more chocolate or roast and was a little thicker, I think it would have done the trick for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 02:01:15 | More by mdaschaf

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle, poured into an imperial pint glass.

A: Cygnus pours almost black, but clear, with little light shining through. Head is cream colored and thick at first, but settles quickly. Lacing and carbonation are both very decent.

S: Nose is all malt, with hints of chocolate, coffee, and charred bread. Just a hint of the rye in the backround, with some floral hop nots.

T: Chocolate and espresso show up front, with some roasted grain character. Dark fruits are also showing, and become more intense as the beer warms. Rye lends just a hint of spicy character, while hops leave a floral, dry finish.

Notes: This beer is medium bodied, and has a very creamy mouthfeel. It lacks a bit in body from what I expected, but flavor and complexity make up for it. A very tasty beer. I must admit, the first time I had this beer, it was an infected bottle, which turned me away, but now that I have had this again, I will be buying it more often, and I will be stocking it at the store in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 06:18:36 | More by WYVYRN527

afksports

New York

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to my beer buddy Mike in MN for this one. Cheers!

This star-system named porter pours a dark and rich brown with a tan head that sustains well throughout the drink. It smells rich and malty - robust and burnt to well done. Coffee aroma pulls through as another rich note. The taste is up front roasty and dark, which yields to a bitter malt middle, and it ends with a clean English yeast / English porter finish. The rye malts that the beer mentions on the bottle were not too present for me, but it likely is hard to notice much pulling through the heavy malts anyway.

Very muvch a standard medium body porter, this beer clocks in at 6.5% abv and the alochol isn't noticeable. I shared the bomber with my roommate and a friend of his, and I'd probably do it again. Overall this is a solid, but not overwhelming beer. I'd be lucky to have it on tap, because it's very true to its style.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 00:39:14 | More by afksports

budgood1

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

pours out of the 22oz. bottle a very dark brown colour. nearly opaque with a semi-lush tan head; big and rocky with some retention and clingy lace. typical porter aroma of cocoa, nougat and yeast. very nice nose on this one. dark chocolate and toffee flavours flood the tongue then recede to a spice and smoke nuance which gives way to herbal hop bite. some lactic and ale yeast ester and fruit notes waft in and out but don't assert themselves. pretty nice tasting porter. medium bodied with a thin feeling mouthfeel. lacking a more rounded mouthfeel does distract from the enjoyment. the flavours fall away to quickly to really savor. finishes on the dry side. nice drinkability...easy going and tasty.

a pretty good porter. lacks depth but is very approachable. recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 21:55:12 | More by budgood1

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a very dark brown with a massive tan head that lingered. Smell is a bit light for a porter, more fruit and caramel malt and not quite as much roasted malt as I expect. Taste is nice, moderately complex, typical porter chocolate malts with some bitter hops following. Highly carbonated for a porter. Generally good, but not great.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2011 08:04:27 | More by zeledonia