Imperial Java Stout - Santa Fe Brewing Company

homebrew311

Illinois

3.96/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz can poured into pint glass. Appearance is opaque and black with a layer of tan head that retains nicely. The smell has bold roast espresso with some assertive hops present as well. Taste is chocolatey up front and is followed up by dry bitter espresso. Nice bold and beany finish. Mouthfeel is relatively light for style and abv. Overall, tons of espresso in the nose and flavor, missing a little in the way of body and depth.

Serving type: can

03-08-2013 04:49:51 | More by homebrew311

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.38/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz can shared at BASC release.

Dark coffee color with a tan head, minimal lacing and retains a collar throughout. Aroma is strong burnt coffee, with mild cream and sweetness. Roast coffee, and faint hop bitterness are the focus of the flavor. Way too carbonated though, knocking this down a few notches in the rating. Not bad, could be better.

Serving type: can

08-15-2011 00:32:14 | More by yourefragile

Phelps

Arizona

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a shaker pint.

The brew resembles java not just in name, but in appearance. Pitch black and watery thin, the liquid is capped by a pillowy head of cascading bubbles the color of brown sugar. Frothy trails of lace coat the sides of the glass like latte foam.

Because their dark, toasty, burnt flavors often overlap, few ingredients work together so well in a beer as roasted malt and coffee beans. For Imperial Java Stout, Santa Fe makes use of organically grown East Timor coffee beans blended with New Guinea coffee beans, both of which are roasted by Ohori's Coffee House in Santa Fe. The result is a stout that's huge in coffee aroma and flavor. The scent is akin to burying your nose in a cupful of java -- it's packed with espresso and sweet cream. Touches of sourdough and a shot of chocolate syrup mingle in the background.

The flavor delivers a similar dose of roasted beans, though it's a little more acidic. A complex blend of American Bravo and English Fuggle hops lend subtle spice and earthy qualities, while touches of burnt toast play off the coffee. It's a bit harsh -- like very, very black coffee -- until the the swallow delivers oats and cream, sweetening and smoothing things out.

If you're not a fan of coffee, you'll probably hate this beer, because the flavor is riddled with it, and the coffee actually overpowers the underlying stout. But the beans are quality, and if you're looking to swap out your morning joe with something a little more alcoholic, pour this in your mug. No one will be the wiser.

Serving type: can

05-31-2012 05:05:02 | More by Phelps

EgadBananas

Louisiana

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

Very dark brown in color, black to the untrained eye. Nice tan finger of head, laces well.

Big coffee aromas that dance with roasted malts and chocolate sweetness. I've bold and I'm diggin' it!

Nice coffee flavours, with roasted, toasted malts and some bittersweet chocolate notes. Good, but just not as in your face as the aroma.

Feel is nearly full, could be a bit heavier to really give it that RIS feel. Carbonation is good, and it's nice and creamy and slick.

The drink is great. Very enjoyable coffee stout, abv is lower, which really makes it easy to put away!

Serving type: can

03-03-2011 02:25:41 | More by EgadBananas

Beaver13

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz can. Pours a dark brown with a medium creamy tan head that quickly goes to a collar that laces the glass.

The aroma is sweet chocolate malts and lots of roasted coffee.

The flavor is sweet chocolate with a lot of nice coffee and some bitter roast in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low but smooth carbonation.

Overall, not very complex (all about the coffee), but a great beer for coffee lovers. One of the best coffee beers I've had...yum!

Serving type: can

01-15-2011 01:18:45 | More by Beaver13

katan

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz into a pint

A - This baby is dark - black in all the thick spots. I could be convinced of some amber highlights. Strong head formation, mocha colored.

S - Strong roasted, almost burnt edge. As you get closer to it, some bittersweet chocolate appears. A little bit of bready malts in the background.

T - Starts off lightly sweet, malty, some chocolate, a little bit of coffee roast. Mid-stream turns heavily burnt, edge, almost astringent. Finishes with a little chocolate malts and some retained coffee acidity.

M - strong body, strong carbonation which serves to lighten it up. Lots of burnt and grainy flavors stick to the tongue.

D - Very slow drinker - the chocolate is the only thing that prevents this from being overly potent. ABV is strong, but manageable.

If you like an espresso, and a beer, then this is your thing.

Serving type: can

03-08-2011 05:50:07 | More by katan

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour - deep, dark, almost black in color with a big mocha colored head that's thick like pancake batter. Wow, this looks mysterious and delicious.

Aroma - big notes of espresso, hot chocolate, bitter black chocolate, tiramisu and fudge. It's amazing how much this beer smells like a shot of espresso thrown on top of some sort of chocolate dessert.

Taste - up front is a lot of bitter, dark roast coffee combined with a smooth cocoa and dark chocolate flavor. This is a stout that will make any fan of coffee beers happy. If you like the earthy, bitterness of a nice dark cup of coffee than you'll enjoy this. Lots of emphasis on coffee flavors and plenty of maltiness supporting them. My tongue is a bit dry and I'm getting flashbacks to the espresso I had at 6:45 this morning but man this is good stuff!

Overall - This is a very rich and flavorful brew and one that warms your stomach and makes you feel like having another before you've gotten halfway through the one you're drinking. We really loved this beer, it hit all the marks of a great stout and the coffee flavors were spot on as well. Nothing too intense or overdone, just super flavorful, smooth and delicious.

Would I buy more of it? - sure, this is a great coffee stout and perfect during a cold winter evening OR with dessert anytime of year. To be honest I don't need a specific season or a specific food pairing I could drink this all year long and be very, very happy.

Serving type: can

03-23-2011 00:02:01 | More by indiapaleale

elNopalero

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This pours a rich, thick, coffee-colored mocha black with a light foam ring. The aroma is reminiscent of a coffee roast, with a flavor that’s big, bright, and full of java. Great coffee flavor profile with a crisp body and a nice kick at the end. I enjoyed this one tremendously.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2013 07:10:00 | More by elNopalero

Domingo

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ah, coffee porters/stouts. I like 'em, but sometimes they can be a little tiresome and one-dimensional. Let's see where this one takes me.
First thing's first - this one is from a can. Pretty cool idea, as this would be a nice brew to take for an outdoor trip.
Pours a deep brown with a billowing slightly off-white head. Unlike some canned beers where the head falls after a few minutes, this one lingers and laces.
The nose is a mix of dark roasted coffee and semi-sweet chocolate. The nose is telling me this might be a one-note coffee brew.
However the taste clears that up nicely! While the coffee might be a star, there's a nice blend of other flavors offering depth. Roasted coffee hits the palate up front, followed by a bit of dark chocolate. As the beer hits the back of the tongue, a milky (almost creamer-like) sweetness kicks in. I don't think it is, but this has the flavor profile of a milk/coffee stout. Maybe it's just a lighter malt being used? Either way, it works well. The finish reveals more coffee acidity, but without ever being overly bitter. The ever so slight hop character comes in the form of a citrus rind, and blends with that finishing acidity nicely.
While some coffee brews can be tough to drink much of, this one's got a nice creamy body (again seemingly like a big milk stout), and drinking a can is something you'll probably do in a matter of minutes.
I really like this one. As someone who likes coffee and stouts, they mesh very well here...without either spoiling the things that work within the other.
The price is right, too. Recommended.

Serving type: can

02-06-2011 15:48:55 | More by Domingo

BradLikesBrew

Missouri

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark brown body is just short of black, the head is creamy and light tan colored.

The aroma is one dimensional, but if you are a coffee fan, that won't be a problem.

The flavor is malty with a dominating coffee flavor with roasty bitterness on the finish. Some undertones of cocoa and some toffee maybe, but the java flavor is the central focus.

Medium body, moderatly creamy.

There is a touch of alcohol on the finish, but for the most part this is a really drinkable stout with farely well masked ABV. Imperial Java Stout doesn't hold a candle to Peche Mortel, Espresso Yeti, Beer Geek Breakfast or other notable coffee stouts. Its not in the same league, not even the same sport really. But it doesn't have to be. It is a fraction of the price of those beers. At $7.99 a 6pk and 7% ABV, it is an absolute steal, a must buy for coffee beer fans. I highly reccomend it.

Serving type: can

01-16-2011 00:12:58 | More by BradLikesBrew

KajII

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

[Best served in a Snifter]

The pour was an espresso jet black with an average sized (1-2 finger) light brown frothy head that was mostly lasting and produced some excellent sheeting on the glass.

The aroma was extremely strong of a fresh ground French Roasted coffee, a burnt black bread malt and an earthy doughy yeast with notes of bakers chocolate and a hint of toffee and black licorice.

The taste was lightly sweet and quite malty with notes of chocolate and toffee early on and then progressed into a strong bitter coffee flavor with a mild alcohol finish. The flavor lasted an average time after the swallow, and had a nice espresso taste that was left to linger.

Mouthfeel was bold and full in body with a dry, oily texture and a mild carbonation.

Overall this brew is very well balanced and quite tasty. It could very well be put into an espresso cup, and would be enjoyed immensely.

Serving type: can

01-07-2012 17:08:15 | More by KajII

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

nice extra from daniloknezic! Thanks

I followed the directions on the can that say enjoy before noon; so i am drinking this beer at 8am central standard time!

poured into a snifter glass.

Appearance: Black body with a mocha colored head. Nice sticky lacing on the side of the glass. Head faded down into a ring capping the top of the beer.

Smell: Massive roasty coffee note. Malt and a mild astringency noted to the nose.

Taste: Nice coffee flavor its just so roasty, fresh, clean, and crisp taste. Its even got a refreshing quality to it. No bitterness from the coffee its all the perfect amount of roastiness that just remains during entire tasting experience. WOW! Almost reminds you of a cold and carbonated expresso.

Mouthfeel: Medium body that drink like a light bodied beer. This beer is really carbonated well for an Imperial Stout. It has more carbonation than one would expect, but this brewery just nailed it on this beer.

Overall: Fantastic. Must try, if you love good coffee stouts. This is the real deal!

Serving type: can

06-07-2011 13:13:59 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

bump8628

Oklahoma

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

An Imperial Stout in a can - that's pretty kick ass. Looks like the real deal with a death pit black body and a swamp-bubbled espresso-colored topping of froth. The coffee is in the forefront and it seems like Santa Fe sprung for the good stuff. It's roasty as expected, but it's difficult to tease out what portion is from the coffee and which is from the malt. Chocolate and char are here too, as is a supporting smack of earthy hops. The only minor drawback to my full enjoyment is a twiggy woodiness that seems to be contributed by the coffee. This is good stuff nonetheless and great as a dessert beer.

Serving type: can

03-02-2012 20:36:32 | More by bump8628

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a n ebony color with a tight, tan head that leaves good sized bits of lacing.

Smells of deep roasted notes.

Tastes of the deep roasted notes with a moderate sweetness. Notes of coffee, chocolate, and brown sugar mostly make up the malt profile, with a little roasted bitterness coming through as well. Coffee is definitely part of the profile, but is not the main focus here. Some dark fruits also come through.

Mouthfeel is medium with a creamy amount of carbonation.

Overall, a pleasant surprise from a brewery that I never think about. Is it great? No, but it is still tasty and quite cheap ($1.59 a can).

Serving type: can

01-29-2012 00:19:09 | More by ocelot2500

mulder1010

Australia

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to my GF for bringing back a can for me from her US trip
12 oz can poured into a Great Divide Tulip (total Mountain Time Zone thing)

A-- Poured a dark brown, near black color. Settled jet black. Just a touch of ruby light penetrating this. One finger of light mocah colored head. Settled to a thin layer of light brown film and decent collar. Slight bit of head retention but more or less a layer of film. Nice spotty lacing with this.

S-- Touches of roast, brown sugar, and chocolate. Otherwise, a lot of fresh roasted coffee. Nice nose. Quite appealing and a nice pick me up nose to it. Something I would want to drink at 7 AM.

T-- Coffee and dark chocolate. Almost equal amounts of chocolate and coffee. Quite fresh tasting. Touches of rolled oats and brown sugar again but really well done on the coffee part.

M-- Solid stuff. Bold, rich and thick. Medium bodied and light medium carbonated. Dry chocolate and coffee finish with just flashes of the acidity and bitterness. Just touches of brown sugar in mid and back again to smooth out the coffee and chocolate. Long lasting roasted coffee and bitter baking chocolate finish. Nice.

O-- Well rounded beer. Well hidden alcohol and easy to drink. Damned tasty beer and better to have at 7 AM than a long black. One good coffee stout.

Serving type: can

08-02-2012 13:07:24 | More by mulder1010

goochpunch

Texas

1.98/5  rDev -50.1%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Had it on-tap at the brewery about a week ago. Come to me in a 16 oz. plastic cup. Body was a translucent brown and seemed very thin, not viscous like it should be. No head at all, not even some bubbles popping up to the top. Smelled like an old soggy coffee filter filled with spent grounds. I got some faint roasted malt in there and some fruity esters, but the stale coffee smell overpowered all. Taste was about the same, actually, but it didn't have so much of that stale coffee characteristic. This leaned way too much towards coffee. Tastes like a sweet coffee drink from Starbucks. Body was way to thin with hardly any carbonation. This is the rare instance when I would have preferred a stout to be on nitro. I wasn't too enthused to finish this, but it was easy enough with its light body.

I was going to add this as an American Stout or something, but if the brewery wants to call this an Imperial Stout, then so be it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2007 20:14:22 | More by goochpunch

chugalug06

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - As dark as burnt oil. Super black with a poured original saddle colored "super" head... head mellows to a thin tan

S - Coffee and Espresso scented... Side of malt too. Perhaps there's a little chocolate and mango buried somewhere...

T - Amazingly smooth, like drinking a cold "hot" chocolate. make for an amazing afternoon or drive home. I've had this brew a few times post skiing always make me enjoy the drive home a little more...

M - Super smooth and perfectly sweet, not over done like many java stouts. coffee is prevalent, but not over bearing

D - Drinkability is high! hard to put down and let sit. I look forward to the next sip, each and every time.

I want to give A CAN to everyone so they too can experience the goods coming out of SFB!!!!

Cheers!

Serving type: can

03-26-2011 03:51:28 | More by chugalug06

Vdubb86

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a snifter

Thanks to injuredreserve for this beer in the SSWYMO BIF

This interesting New Mexico can pours nice deep dark brown body with a beige foam nicely riding the surface. The aromatics are really hard to place. There is obvious espresso notes and something else. Lack of a better word has led me to toasted smoke...but not char and different from roast. It was minerally in nature, not bad, just weird. The taste is a combination of strong espresso and creamy vanilla and it works for this beer. The body is a lighter medium with a strong acidic flavor. The acidic flavor and the mystery smell make this an odd drinker, it's still a very good beer, but not as good as it could be.

Serving type: can

03-03-2011 17:49:12 | More by Vdubb86

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from brown undated can to a pint glass. Picked up a sixer after numerous recommendations from several friends. I had seen this but never bought as I wasn't really wowed by the packaging - rather foolish but it's the only reason I hadn't tried it.

A - The beer pours a deep deep brown color that's nearly black with dark mahogany brown edges in the light. Looks thick with a huge 2.5 finger mocha color head. Excellent retention and lacing throughout.

S - Huge coffee/espresso aroma! Absolutely dominates the nose. There are notes of roasted barley but it's hard to decipher through the coffee.

T - Very similar to the nose in that the first flavor is the huge coffee/espresso flavors. It's more complex than the nose in that there are hints of chocolate, vanilla, black roasted barley, toast, and a medium bitterness. Hides the alcohol extremely well. I am not a huge coffee guy and don't normally appreciate coffee beers but this is a good beer.

M - Creamy and smooth. Full bodied.

O - Very impressed and worthy of the praise.

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.
Serving type: can

Reviewed on: 04-12-2011 14:44:51

Serving type: can

01-23-2012 18:10:21 | More by hopfacebrew

yamar68

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to 4balance for this one!

Poured from can to pint glass:

Certainly pours like java... ominous black body with barely a hint of copper clarity around the edge of the glass, capped off by a healthy dose of mocha colored dense head. Solid lacing and unknown beading.

Massive nose on this one. I worked at Caribou Coffee for a few years and this reminds me of the smell of my uniform after work. Milky, roasty coffee. A dash of oats, some malted grains, very subtle chocolate bits.

Smoooth on the tongue. I can definitely see myself pairing this one up with some pancakes and lingonberries. Fresh coffee notes, soft chocolate... it's hard to even examine the flavor without mentioning the velvet perfection of the mouthfeel. This could be non-alcoholic for all I knew. Bravo.

It's great to see breweries cramming this much flavor into a can. It really is the superior beer vessel. Highly recommended.

Serving type: can

05-09-2012 01:21:30 | More by yamar68

DavidST

Texas

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz can into a snifter. This pours a pitch black color with a finger thick mocha head which quickly dissipates. There is some coffee in the smells, nice espresso, some dark roasted malts, not much hop aroma, the alcohol is well hidden. The feel is thick and creamy, mid carbonation. The taste is pretty good, nice amounts of roasted malts, dark chocolate, and espresso. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 05:17:30 | More by DavidST

bobhits

Kentucky

3.35/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Imperial Java Stout

Doesn’t have the viscous thick cream look of say a ten fidy, but the color in the glass is deep black with small tiny bubbles that quickly fade away. The pour is deep brown and amber colored far darker than many of the lesser stouts, but still pretty dark.

One of the biggest coffee noses I’ve ever smelled. Somewhat more bitter and maybe a touch I dunno sour which I pick up on many of these strong java stouts. I think this odd flavor is a result of hops and coffee and the hops are really making themselves heard as this one warms up a touch.

Tastes like an overly sweet cup of coffee. I’m talking way over the top sweet, whatever happened to black coffee? I kid a bit as this is pretty darn tasty. It’s a bit too sweet as I think this coffee flavor should be showcased a bit more.

Very well carbonated for an 8% beer and surprisingly thin in body. Normally I want a bit more viscous and creamy body, but something about this beer just really works for me.

Serving type: can

05-28-2011 17:47:45 | More by bobhits

JMad

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark brown color almost completely opaque with a thin brown head. The aroma is nice with tons of roasted coffee and some chocolate. The taste is bitter coffee with some dark chocolate and some earthy hop notes with a hint of pine. It is nice and thick but not too heavy with low carbonation and a dry finish. Very nice brew, all of their beers have been good that I've tried.

Serving type: can

11-14-2012 03:46:04 | More by JMad

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz can poured into Lawson's snifter.

A- Pours a dark brown that appears jet black with a finger of beige head that has nice retention and recedes slowly leaving no head and a thin layer of lacing along the top of the glass.

S- Coffee, espresso beans, roasted malts, hint of caramel. Fairly sweet, about average aroma strength, pleasant but not as pleasant as some of the coffee stouts that I've had.

T- Bitter coffee, caramel, a bit of licorice, fairly sweet. A little bit too much licorice and a bit on the sweet side for my liking in a coffee stout.

M- Medium bodied, easy drinking, nice carbonation.

O- This was a decent coffee stout that wasn't anything too exciting. It had decent flavor, but was a little bit too sweet with a licorice flavor that controlled the coffee too much. It wasn't bad, but I probably won't be drinking this again in the near future.

Serving type: can

12-29-2012 22:02:00 | More by jaasen64

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Out of the can and into my kickass new russian river pint glass. Thanks byrd for the glass and drmattyb for the brew.

A- a firm pour really gets the head going and I have to wait a second for it to settle so I can pour the rest of the can. Two fingers of coffee and lots of cream head that does hold for a good bit before settling to a sudsy cap and a ton of lace all over the glass. Super dark brown bordering on black in color with a bit of a brown glow at the edges.

S- dark roasted malts and a good coffee hit. Touches of a molasses like sweetness and some earthy undertones.

T- lots of coffee and chocolate going on here. The malts dark and well roasted really playing off the coffee nicely. Sweet chocolate milk in there with some brown sugar as well.

M- a few steps above medium in body and well carbed keeping things very drinkable.

O- this is a tasty stout and super drinkable. Full flavored and very clean. Ill have to trade for some more I totally dig this stuff.

Serving type: can

05-11-2011 23:36:40 | More by oglmcdgl