Blackbeerd Imperial Stout
COAST Brewing Company

Blackbeerd Imperial StoutBlackbeerd Imperial Stout
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
COAST Brewing Company
 
South Carolina, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #361
ABV:
9.3%
Score:
90
Ranked #9,238
Avg:
4.03 | pDev: 8.93%
Reviews:
163
Ratings:
366
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 03, 2023
Added:
Dec 08, 2007
Wants:
  208
Gots:
  59
As dark as the legend of Blackbeerd himself, behold the Imperial Stout. Sweet malts battle roasted grain on the decks of yer tongue. Like a blast from a cannon, hop are followed by smoked malt. Hold on to yer booty, a dark stouts a brewin'.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by AKBelgianBeast:
Photo of AKBelgianBeast
Reviewed by AKBelgianBeast from Alaska

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Huge thanks to khiasmus for hookin me up with both the BA version and this one. Truly great trade.

Alright barks, here we go.

Pours a deep dark impenetrable black with a nice sized tan head that rises easily, and lingers very well leaving great lacing.

Nose is full of roasted malt and chocolate. Some slight coffee presence, and a noticeable hop profile without being too blatant. A slight vanilla presence, and more roasted malt.

Wow. An excellent imperial stout. Very top notch. Roasted malt steals the show early. Coffee and chocolate dominate the middle. A meaty smokiness here. Some slight smoke and a nice and crisp hop presence on the snappy finish. More smoke and roast balance out a hop bite and linger on in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is pretty much right where it should be. The finish is nice and bitter, in the best of ways. If anything it could use just a tiny touch more viscosity, but really borderline unnecessary.

Drinkability is fantastic. The abv barely makes itself known, and with a year or two on this it would be nearly undetectable.

Overall i am very impressed with this imperial stout. I would go so far as to agree with barks that this just may be better than the JD BA version. I really like the hop presence near the finish, and the big roastiness that hangs on all the way through. Wish i had another one of these rarities to put some age on, but that's the way it goes. If you can manage to get your hands on either version of this imperial stout, do not let the opportunity slip through your fingers. This is probably one of the top ten imperial stouts in the nation. Great beer.
Jul 15, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.5/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bomber at share, 2015 vintage. Near black pour, thin beige head. Aroma is roasty and sweet, raisins, fig. taste spoons a nice helping of ABV, sweet, roasty malts, notes of chocolate and raisin, tannic.
Jul 03, 2023
Photo of patre_tim
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Dark Brown with 4 fingers of dark beige head.
It smells of toasted malt with a hint of smoke.

The taste follows the nose and adds black licorice, tar, and tobacco,.

Medium oily body with little carbonation.

Having this back in CA July 26, 2020.
Jul 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.02 by Gkruszewski from New York

Sep 26, 2019
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz can from the Wall of Beer ($2.99; canning date of Dec. 2017) served in a Belgian snifter.
Look: Opaque, essentially black body; thin. rather weak tan head despite an aggressive pour; limited lacing.
Dark bread, booze, dark dried fruits and faint roasted nuts in the aroma.
The flavor largely follows, with more emphasis on dark bread, coffee and roasted nut flavors and less dried fruit. Very good bitter/sweet balance. High ABV is partially hidden.
Smooth, full body with appropriate light carbonation.
Jun 26, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by RochefortChris from North Carolina

May 25, 2019
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4.06/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Picked up a cold 12 oz can of this brew at Whole Foods and am pouring it at cellar temp into my trusty snifter.
the beer pours a dark cola brown color with no light passing through my glass.
A creamy beige colored head of 2 cm foams up and fades very slowly down the sides of my glass. Very dense lattice remains after a swirl or sip of the beer.
The aroma is dark and malty with some roasted notes and a bit of charred wood but also some anice or black licorice notes. I also get a bit of black coffee to round out the malt profile.
First sip reveals a smooth textured body with very fine and gentle carbonation. Leave a good coating on my palate with each sip. Pretty easy drinker for a bigger beer.
Flavor is what I would expect roasted notes, some dark cocoa, a bit of coffee and charred wood again with a bit of anice here too. Finish lingers with a bitter coffee note and I dont get any hint of the ABV on this beer. A quite nice brew that I am glad to have picked up on vacation. Worthy of a purchase if you like Imp Stouts.
Apr 26, 2019
 
Rated: 4.04 by Jcarriglio from Florida

Dec 24, 2018
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
famed, fabled and fabulous, the legendary stout from Coast Brewing is nearly as known as the infamous pirate that it portrays. Only a smoky, larger than life, ominously dark ale could do that feat.

Jet black and pouring a viscous creamy texture, the beer releases a rich tan lather. A robust and earthen perfume of roast swoons the nose with notions of dark roast coffee, cocoa, walnut, burnt sugars and a curious campfire drift. Savory, roasty and sweet on the early palate, bold hints of molasses, toffee and burnt cream all come to mind with the first saturating sip.

As the flavors begin to align on the middle palate, its roasty sweetness trends gradually more towards the char with burnt toast, bittersweet chocolate, espresso and black walnut character. Rising bitterness from hops are woodsy, piney and nearly seem to extend from the natural bitterness of coffee and cocoa. Hints of grilled fruit and spices allow a slight vinous tone with fennel, blackcurrant and fig looming.

Full, rounded and pleasantly chewy to on the mouth, the beer's rich coat leads to a long, warm and complex linger of coffee liquor with a hint of sherry. But its the char that wins out in the end as it drags the soft suggestions of smoldering embers along into an extended after palate deep into the next sip.
Dec 06, 2018
Photo of VoodooBear
Reviewed by VoodooBear from Puerto Rico

4.09/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Presentation: 12 oz. can with a batch number and canning date printed on the bottom. Served in a Samuel Adams pint glass.

Appearance: The two finger, tan colored head is thick and stays for a while leaving some great lacing that covers the whole glass. It's almost black but a hint of reddish brown comes through when it's held up to the light.

Smell: It's rich and malty with notes of milk chocolate, vanilla, molasses and a hint of dark roasted coffee in the background.

Taste: It's sweet and smoky. The main flavors are of roasted malt, dark chocolate, dried fruit and molasses. There's some bitter coffee and a hint of alcohol in the end as well.

Mouthfeel: It's thick, smooth and oily with medium carbonation. Despite the sweetness on the palate it's not cloying at all.

Overall: A well balanced stout with a sweet yet bitter and smoky flavor profile with the right amount of alcohol that gets better as the beer warms up. The texture is very nice as well.

Shoutout to Mbgreg for this one!
Nov 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by lewith from South Carolina

Oct 12, 2018
Photo of Sludgeman
Rated by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottled on 040115. With Rodda and Jack
Jul 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by psmith161 from Indiana

Feb 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4.86 by mtpHokie from Virginia

Dec 24, 2017
Photo of amano_h
Reviewed by amano_h from Oregon

4.27/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Aged four years prior to drinking (2013 vintage, consumed in 2017)

Subtle hints of Cadbury milk chocolate, rich coffee-like roasted malts, blackcurrant, figs, beeswax, and a hint of smoke trespass upon the olfactory senses with first whiff out of the glass. The chocolate-coffee dichotomy pretty much takes over the entire experience on the nose for the remainder of the drinking session, with the roastier more bitter characteristics seemingly evaporating into thin air with the passage of time.

The sensation on the palate closely matches the nose; bold flavors of French press sludge/thick Turkish coffee blend deftly with smoother milk chocolate and cocoa-notes, accentuated by the RIS grocery list characteristics of jammy dark fruits, toasted oats and charred wood. Likewise on the palate, the coffee mocha theme pervades and solidifies its dominance throughout the remainder of the drinking experience.

Medium to full-bodied, with gentle non-invasive carbonation. Creamy initial mouthfeel, with a tiny bit of slickness on the tongue. There's a bit of gritty tenacity to this brew as it sticks and sort of remains in the back of your mouth long after you're done sipping it; absolutely no evidence of any ABV-derived heat despite almost pushing two digits.

A most excellent non-BA stout.
Dec 16, 2017
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Received from @Dragginballs76 in NBS BIF#6 – thanks Michael!
12oz can dated 11/29/16. Stored in my reefer at 42 degrees and served at 57 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Aroma – Initially sweet roasted malt. Toward the end, a bitter aroma appears.
Head - Small (Maximum two cm, aggressive pour), tan, dense, good retention, slooowly diminishing to a three mm dense ring fed by effervescence and a complete thin layer.
Lacing – None.
Body – Dark brown/black, opaque.
Flavor – Begins with a slightly bitter roasted malt with a hint of licorice (Licorice is stronger at lower temperatures). Allowing it to warm in my mouth doesn’t enhance any flavors and actually makes the licorice disappear. No trace of hops, alcohol, or diacetyl.
Palate – Full, almost creamy, lively carbonation.
Impression: The lack of lacing and the small head are very typical of a high alcohol (9.3% ABV) brew, at least in my experience. However, the mono-taste, while not bad, is somewhat disappointing. Overall, not a bad brew, just not one I will seek out.
Appearance 4, Aroma 4, Flavor 3.75, Palate 4, Overall 3.75.
Nov 18, 2017
Photo of cosmicevan
Reviewed by cosmicevan from New York

4.26/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
not sure from whereal I got this, I believe it was a trade extra. bottle says 112016.

overall fairly nice non BA stout. very creamy mouthfeel and great chocolate flavor. really enjoyable.
Jun 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4.06 by BirdsandHops from Oregon

Apr 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by 22Blue from Kansas

Apr 13, 2017
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Viscous black with a large, fluffy mocha head, caving in due to large air pockets and settling to a thin film.

Smell is coffee, chocolate lava cake, with a slight sharp, metallic note, and banana skin

Taste is nice and roasty, with cocoa, dark chocolate, bitter coffee, toasty walnut, tangy Werther's and woody earthy hops.

Medium, velvety body, thin fizz, and semi-dry.
Apr 02, 2017
Blackbeerd Imperial Stout from COAST Brewing Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 366 ratings