Blackbeerd Imperial Stout (2011) - Barrel Aged Blend - COAST Brewing Company

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to JLindros to sharing this bottle with me. Poured into a tulip. Reviewed from notes.

A - Poured an oily black hue with a nice thin half a finger half that faded to leave a light soft halo and cloud.

S - Aromas of nice rich dark chocolate along with light smoke and vanilla. Very enticing.

T - Wow, this is delicious. Tasty, light smokey with lots of chocolate and roasty malts. There is a light bitter coffee finish too.

M - Mouthfeel seemed slightly thin for the ABV, however, it was hidden nicely.

O - Overall this was a delicious stout and I'm glad I got to try it. Definitely delicious after a year of sitting.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 20:18:31 | More by rudzud

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bomber into a 25cl Duvel tulip. Shared at a tasting alongside regular Blackbeerd. Huge thanks to the ridiculously generous kingkong for sending this one my way.

A: Deep black body under a half inch of light brown head. Pretty decent retention, spotty lace. Good.

S: Lovely but underpowered aroma of whiskey, oak, vanilla, and chocolate. A bit of spice and heat. Really nice, but nothing terribly memorable.

T: Sweet oaky vanilla up front, followed by some whisky, some chocolate, and some bitter, charred roastiness on the finish. Very tasty, but, again, it falls short of being distinctive.

M: Creamy, nicely carbonated medium-full body. Fuller than the non-BA version, which was a very pleasant surprise. Excellent.

O: This was a delicious beer, but most BA stouts are. I'd gladly drink it every day if I could, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. Definitely worth a shot, though.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 01:42:20 | More by woosterbill

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this bottle from dboon a while back. Thanks a lot buddy. This bottle is of normal proportions as well.

From a bomber into a snifer
Bottled on 29 June 2011
Drunk right after a base beer from 21 December 2010

APPEARANCE: This baby pours just like the base beer. Pitch black and sludgy out of the bottle, yielding a two finger, medium looking, fluffy, dark tan head with great retention. Black body with higher levels of carbonation evident. A little too much for the style. Head fades to a thick foam cap, but only a wisp remains and leaves no real lacing down the glass. Though the carbo is a little much, this is a thick, black beer with a nice head.

SMELL: The base beer is definitely there, with some nice roasted malts, dark chocolate and cocoa powder in there for sure. Bourbon barrel plays a nice roll and is very well balanced, adding some bourbon, oak and vanilla as well. Very good stuff. A touch bolder and it'd be the perfect nose.

TASTE: Same story here as well. The base beer comes out first, supplying some nice roasted malts and flavors of dark chocolate and cocoa powder. This soon gives way to some bourbon barrel through the middle, with oak, vanilla, and some caramel sweetness. Bolder flavors of bourbon barrel, dark chocolate and roasted malts after the swallow, showing great balance between the base beer and barrels. Some nice hop bitterness and coffee linger along with the barrel flavors. Wonderfully crafted.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Very creamy on the palate, goes down silky smooth and finishes slightly sticky. Nice feel here for sure.

OVERALL: This was excellent. Whereas a lot of breweries turn their imperial stout into a bourbon bomb by barrel aging it too long, this is an example of how complex and interesting the style can be when the barrels are used to add just a bit of complexity to the base beer. This is not a bourbon bomb, but instead, it's a imperial stout with some bourbon barrel influence. One of my favorites, and well worth hunting down. I could drink this in mass quantities. Cheers for this one dboon. As always.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 18:36:07 | More by Jeffo

brystmar

New York

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by whartontallboy -- thanks Ethan!

This brew's pitch black body summons tremendous amounts of head in my glass. Laces well, great retention; beautiful!

Deep, dark, heavily roasted malts are the dominant character in both aroma & taste. Heavily viscous, very dark and roasty. Barrel character is there but doesn't dominate. This was a tasty start to an awesome night!

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 19:08:35 | More by brystmar

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to kkipple for this gem.

Thick pitch black syrupy looking beer, light fluffy quite dark colored head.

Nose is awesome, lots of dark chocolate, syrupy, molasses, vanilla, molasses, roasted malt and light coffee, burnt toffee, very light earthy spicy hops, cocoa, bakers choc, light barrel vanilla, some smoke.

Taste starts very rich, thick malts, light booze that blends well, and light earthy spicy hops. The malts bring nice darkness, some smoke, chewy roasted malts but light, hint of toffee, plenty of caramel, and tons of chocolate, creamy milk choc, bakers, dark, etc. no burnt or briny flavors. hint of creme brulee, with touches of vanilla barrel and oak like. Delicious. Finish is smooth, caramel, chocolate, drinkable, light bitterness, and a faint hint of whisky.

Mouth is slightly thin for what I expected but still med to heavier bodied, decent carb, very little warming booze, fluffy.

Overall great, very drinkable, great malts, chocolate, light roast and smoke, fluffy, no briny over burnt flavors smooth and drinkable, I would love to get more of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 23:51:50 | More by jlindros

brentk56

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Arrives with a nice, stoutly appearance - the black liquid capped by a tan head that webs some lace

Smell: Chocolate and coffee, with hints of oak and vanilla

Taste: Bold chocolate and coffee flavors, up front, with a nice bit of roast in the mix; by mid-palate, the oak and vanilla round out the profile; just a touch of Bourbon that lingers into the finish

Mouthfeel: Full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Incredibly balanced; the folks at COAST know how to brew a big stout as well as how to barrel-age it

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2012 23:04:29 | More by brentk56

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Rogue shaker pint glass.

Big thanks to J2Brew2 for this bottle!

Celebrated one buddy's wedding with the non-barreled Blackbeerd, so it's only fitting to celebrate the engagement of another (belatedly) with the barreled one. Always strive for more, baby! Anyway, this stuff pours a deep black-brown (very close to straight black) topped by a finger or so of golden brown foam. The nose comprises darkly-roasted malts, dark chocolate powder, light whiskey, and a kiss of char (plenty o' tongue, by the way...). The taste brings in more of the same, with the roast somehow coming through even darker and a bit of cinnamon and molasses tossed in for good measure. The body is a light heavy, with a light moderate carbonation and a lightly chewy feel. Overall, a very nice BA stout. It's not Earth-shattering, but it's damn solid.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 22:11:27 | More by TMoney2591

aasher

Indiana

3.6/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This bottle was courtesy of thagr81us in a massive in person trade in South Carolina in September. Thanks for grabbing this Want for me Calton!

This beer pours a full bodied midnight black in color with a beige lacing around my snifter. The aromas consist of smooth chocolate, coffee with cream, light toffee, whiskey, and slight vanilla. It's all really smooth, creamy, and doesn't present any alcohol. The flavors are pretty carry and bitter. It's like they burnt their malts. Other than that you get some bitter chocolates and whiskey but it isn't nearly as well integrated as the nose. The aftertaste is short lived in my opinion. As I continue drinking, it seems thinner in body and kind of falls apart. I'm kind of disappointed. I don't find Blackbeerd to be too special by itself but I was hoping barrel aging would really mprove this beer. It didn't.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 02:13:41 | More by aasher

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks again, Richard.

The pour is black in color with a finger or so of khaki head. The aroma opens with vanilla and roasted malt as well as some milk chocolate (maybe some dark chocolate too). As it warms, the roast comes through, as does a bit of coffee. Molasses, coffee, and roasted malt are present on the palate. The whisky flavors are there, but not super prominent. A bit of vanilla to give it some sweetness. Medium bodied with fairly low, smooth carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 21:10:23 | More by womencantsail

Phelps

Arizona

4.38/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into Russian River stemware.

Black as the pit of Davy Jones’ locker. A minuscule, cinnamon-colored head fizzles away to a thin, scummy top layer quickly. Some random bubbles of lace.

Intense nose. Bourbon-soaked vanilla beans, toffee, butterscotch, sweet dark chocolate syrup. Light touches of espresso and burnt bread in the background.

In the flavor, whiskey takes a major step back, ceding the way to smoke, molasses, powdered dark chocolate and charred bread. Butterscotch, molasses and a heavy mocha flavor push things toward the sweeter side. There’s a very noticeable toasted oak character — the barrels actually impart more of this than they do the whiskey that was in them. Very smooth.

Soft, tingly carbonation, with just a touch of fizz. A little bit of tongue-numbing alcohol. The thick, creamy medium-full body is sugary, like drinking syrup.

What I like about Blackbeerd is how the base stout shines through the barrel notes — something that seems to be happening less and less with big BA stouts. Drink up me hearties yoho!

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 18:33:47 | More by Phelps

smakawhat

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a Dogfish Head snifter glass. Bottle dated June 29th 2011. Much thanks to mikesgroove!! Woah wax removed, this bottle cap is RUSTY.

An incredibly dark brown chestnut head with tiny bubbles of foam, sits with barely half a finger nicely. Very dark bodied and super tiny light carbonation on the edges of a nearly black body. Real impressive.

Great nose. Caramel and hints of wood aged thickness. Barleywine fruit with it also. A mix of barleywine scents, and bourbon aging.

Taste is a light bodied, slightly hint of fizzy, almost wet chocolate palate, with a nice cream. Roast char balance of chocolate on the palate, finishing with an almost vinous wet texture and hinting of cream sweetness. Aftertaste is roasty coffee and a good malt grain husky quality.

Overall pretty tasty, I wish the feel on this was a little better, but pretty darn solid and impressive got to admit. Easy drinking too.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 22:19:03 | More by smakawhat

kylehay2004

Florida

4.13/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed t the brewery

A: very dark black, not light really getting through. Milk chocolate single finger head with lots of lace.

S: roasted malts, light coffee and chocolate but over all take aroma.

T: Lots of vanilla. Somewhat thick/creamy. Roast malt and caramel intermixed. Oak and chocolate notes throughout. Very co pled with lots of flavors intermixed.

M: creamy, medium carbonation and full bodied.

Overall: this is a nice, complex brew. Lots of flavors none of which dominate or are underrepresented. One of my favorites from this brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2011 17:28:09 | More by kylehay2004

GregSVT

Texas

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz waxed bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a very dark black with a nice dark brown head that fades to a ring and leaves some lacing on the glass.

S: The nose has good notes of cocoa, deeply roasted malt, whiskey, and a bit of vanilla. Nothing is overpowering and is balanced pretty well.

T: Flavors of dark roasted malt, a bit of coffee, creamy vanilla, and some hops on the finish. Again everything is balanced and not overdone although I did like the big notes of barrel in the BT version.

M: The feel is creamy but a touch on the light side.

O: Good stout but a tad bit under the 2010 BT version as far as taste and aroma. Glad I got to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 04:47:12 | More by GregSVT

crusian

Texas

3.93/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from the brewery, amazing people btw. if you get a chance, go. Cant be any cooler people that own a brewery. I wish them the best, and hope they can get eough money to expand.

beer pours a dark brown... not as black as I was hoping it would be... nor as thick it seems. nice head on it, and lacing is nicely stuck to the walls of the glass as it dissipates.

Smell is divine. whiskey with hints of chocolate and coffee strewn about.

taste is also nice, whiskey takes a surprising back seat based on the smell and the description. I expected it to be more aggressive. the stout doesnt seem to be enough to hold the barrel aging process either... they may want to think about almost doubling the malt bill to handle the barrel aging process... to make it thicker and more mean. it is a very nice beer, but seems like a normal stout that was tossed in barrels... which is ok... but should be meaner and thicker and fuller. Needless to say the mouthfeel is way thin. so much thinner than it should be. Overall a nice beer, but man I was hoping for so much more...
amazing brewery, amazing people though. they have my full support and enthusiasm. COAST rocks.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 15:35:06 | More by crusian

mdfb79

New York

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From 10/28/11 notes. Shared with a few friends, poured from a 22 oz. bottle into tulip.

a - Pours a pitch black color with one finger of dark tan head and moderate carbonation evident. Head lasts for two to three minutes and leaves light lacing on the glass. Looks pretty great.

s - Smells of bourbon, oak, vanilla, sweet fruits, roasted malts, dark chocolate. Sweeter than I was expecting and the taste. Very enjoyable and bourbon up front, but not overpowering.

t - Tastes of sweet chocolate and vanilla, bourbon, oak, roasted malts, bitter chocolate, and light bitter coffee. Nice, but a step down from the nose.

m - Medium to full body and moderate carbonation. No real alcohol heat and still smooth and easy to drink given the fact that it's most likely a big RIS.

o - Overall a really good RIS. I loved the nose and it looked perfect. Would have liked the taste to be a little sweeter as opposed to bitter chocolate/coffee, but still very good. Would like to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 17:11:40 | More by mdfb79

AgentZero

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark brown beer, black when not in the light. Has a good amount of brown head. Not a whole lot of lace on the glass.

S - Roasted grain, dark chocolate. There is some oak as well as whiskey. Get some of the sweeter, fruitier notes from the Jack Daniels.

T - Roast and char with some bitter chocolate and a bit of roasted coffee. Bit of char, not particularly sweet. Nose is better, but this is solid.

M - Full bodied, moderate carbonation.

O - Good beer, should have a bit more demand than it does. Better than the last few versions of this I've had. If you can get a bottle, I'd grab one.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 17:55:37 | More by AgentZero

iadler

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to jsanford for sending this my way a while back. Shared at the tasting. Poured into a snifter.

A- Pours a dark brown with a one finger off white head that dissipates into a thin cap leaving some lines of lacing.

S- Herbal and medicinal at first with some smokey and roasted malt. Dark chocolate, faint dark fruit and a bit of sweet booze.

T- A good chunk of smoke and roasted malt. While the smoked malt taste is present, there is no "meaty" component I taste in other beers that use smoked malt. Dark chocolate, figs, oak, blackberries and some sweet bourbon. One of the least sweet stouts we had at the tasting.

M- Low to medium carbonation and medium body. A silky like mouthfeel that finishes with some roasted malt. No sign of the ABV.

O- A very drinkable RIS with the alcohol being well masked. I really enjoyed this as it had more of a smoky and roasted malt presence with the sweetness being more subtle.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 01:35:17 | More by iadler

Sean9689

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thank you, skiing master! Poured into tulip.

A - Pours black, mocha head, nice collar, no lace, wisps.

S - Bitter dark chocolate, roast, oak, smooth booze. I can pick out the JD in there, I think. Smells a lot better then the Buffalo Trace version, so I'm guessing the JD takes over on this beer.

T - Dark chocolate, roast, oak, some char. Lost of roast, very smooth booze, nice bitterness in the chocolate. I think I prefer the nose on this one, but still, not bad.

M - Full body, rich and smooth, good carbonation, creamy finish.

O - My favorite BA Blackbeerd besides the straight-up JD version. Very smooth, rich, and nice light booze. I would def have this one again...really no hype on this whatsoever. Give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 16:13:14 | More by Sean9689

MasterSki

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Greg (Reagan1984) for this one - surprisingly low hype about this one. Thankfully my bottle was in the correct aspect ratio unlike the one in the photo. Served in a Bruery tulip.

A - An angry dark brown-red foam settles to a thick collar, and thin cap, leaving minimal lace. The body is a near-black dark brown color.

S - Earthy whiskey, slightly tart and fruity Jack Daniels aroma, a touch of sharp oak and perhaps a light acetone note. Dark chocolate, roasted grains, and light black cherry.

T - Taste is more charred malt, bitter coffee, dark chocolate, hint of licorice, and some earthy whiskey. Extremely roasty, with low sweetness - highly attenuated. Reminds me of Mikkeller stuff a little, but without the tar and tires. Could use a bit more sweetness to balance things out.

M - Active but unobtrusive carbonation, medium body, soft and smooth texture. Alcohol warmth is present but not untoward. Not overly tannic or oaky.

D - Not as good as the original batch of Jack Daniels, but better than last year's Buffalo Trace. Someone how exceeds the sum of its parts and made for a great nightcap - I stuck around for a second pour of this one even though I had to bike home.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 20:06:57 | More by MasterSki

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Well now it appears that I am lucky enough to have my annual vacation to Charleston coincide with the release of the BA Blackbeerd. Brought some bottles home to share with friends and beer trading partners.

Is it black? is is dark deep shiny brown? Probably a little of both. Deep head forms, stays for a short visit and begins to collapse.

Aroma is strong with vanilla and bourbon. A little straight oak as well. Nice.

Oak up front gives way immediately to some charcoal and dark roasted malt. Then the bourbon and vanilla flavors take over. Charcoal tones remain from here to the finish. A pleasing boozy feel towards the end.

Very slick and of course a fairly bold body.

The bourbon is a little more forward vs. what I remember from last year’s version.

Another nice effort from Coast.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 19:46:36 | More by Reagan1984

thagr81us

South Carolina

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

2011 Vintage (duh!)! Shared this one with beeruser and funkydelic since they missed out on getting any bottles of this one. Served from bottle into a Mikkeller flute. Poured pitch black with a half finger tan head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, wood, sweet alcohol, and caramel. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, wood, sweet alcohol, caramel, and subtle dark fruit. It had a heavy feel on the palate with mild carbonation. Overall this was a great brew. This was actually my second time getting to try this one as I had it on-tap at the brewery at the release when I picked up my bottles. The bottle and tap were pretty much spot on with each other with the bottle being a little more robust in the aroma department. The flavor and aroma on this one are quite nice and inviting making this one really easy to drink quite a bit of. Really glad COAST is continuing to do the BA Blackbeerd series using different treatments every year. Can't wait to see what they have planned for next year's batch as all three have been quite excellent.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 12:12:06 | More by thagr81us

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Black as night, completely opaque with a huge billowing head of tan up and over the top of the glass. Really enormous look to it. Cascading head fell back down to earth and still at over two inches high refused to gain any ground what so ever.

bourbon, rich chocolate notes and wonderful hints of molasses. As it warms it takes on a very sweet note, with touches of coffee adding a slight bitter nose to it. Really well defined though I have to admit here. Lots of bourbon, with that vanilla character very prominent indeed. Rich vanilla notes undermined the huge coffee and chocolate flavors, vanilla, molasses, hints of oak notes, sublime. Even as it comes up to near room temperature it keeps its insanely rich character. The final sips were so sweet, so full, I found myself chasing an empty glass for that last little drop.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 01:36:37 | More by mikesgroove

Mavajo

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Typical stout color scheme here -- black body, brown head. Not quite Hunahpu dark, but a monster in it's own right.

The smell is solid -- dark chocolate, oak, bourbon and a hint of roast. The taste on this is really enjoyable. Dark chocolate, coffee, hops, a dash of roast and nice undertone of bourbon. Not a bourbon-bomb at all -- very subtlely done. Good mouthfeel -- thick, creamy and velvety. Roastiness lingers on the aftertaste.

This is a great beer. Better than I expected. Kind of reminds me of Stone IRS.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 02:18:11 | More by Mavajo

sliverX

New York

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice thick black with a nice deep mocha collar looked lovely .
Smelled oaky coconut malty,slight char
Taste is boozy smoked meat char can't place the bourbon like you can with the straight buffalo trace version.
Mouthfeel Is thick but not quite as smooth as the '10 we had right before.
Overall delicious stuff and will love to see where my other bottle goes in a year or so.
Thanks futurecowboy.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 01:21:17 | More by sliverX

Netdigger2

South Carolina

4.63/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a deep black with hints of rose accented by the light, about half inch amber head with fine lacing.

The nose is of bourbon, chocolate, coffee, bread and currants- this will be good..

The taste is a rush of toasted oak, coffee, bourbon and dark chocolate. The bitterness is balanced nicely by a smokey tartness that finishes clean.

It has good carbonation and a light, almost silky soft mouthfeel.

It would only benefit from aging, I would imagine, but it is dreamlike now. Awesome.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 19:47:20 | More by Netdigger2