Black Tuesday - The Bruery

beefmental

Iowa

4.83/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

2012 vintage (19.2%) served into a snifter.

Aroma – I pick up massive bourbon and alcohol. I'm having trouble picking up much else. If I closed my eyes, I'd swear it was an actual glass of bourbon I smell.

Appearance – A quickly dissipating head, opaque, a bit murky. This beer is actually leaving fingers on the sides of my glass.

Mouth feel – full, but not as thick as I was expecting, medium carbonation, coating the inside of my mouth, warming as I swallow. I think my tongue is a bit numb like it is being anesthetized.

Taste – I pick up "the usual suspects" for an imperial stout – dark fruits (plum, cherry, raspberry), vanilla, cocoa, fudge, caramel. Aspects of the taste reminded me of the goo you get from the inside of a chocolate covered cherry. There is also wonderful bourbon / oak flavors along with a touch of leather (in a non-sexual way). I pick up some hops, but the beer finishes with a candy sweet aftertaste.

Overall – there are controversies about this type of imperial stout, but I absolutely loved it. I split this bottle with my wife and we took approximately 90 minutes to finish it. The experience was worth every minute of that 90. We drank a toast to Kevo2007 (the wonderful BA who sent me this bottle), the FedEx driver who delivered the package, the brewer at The Bruery who created this beer, and everyone else in between.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 13:33:13 | More by beefmental

chrisp450

Minnesota

4.49/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First actual review, and it will be brief. Blame TMTOBA.

750ml bottle, 2012, served in a snifter.

A: black and thick. Not super thick or syrupy.

S: bourbon, burnt sugar, chocolate.

T: bourbon/booze but not overbearing for 19%. Burnt sugar coated raisins (light raisin taste) mix with chocolate and a dash of vanilla.

M: not super thick, but definitely sticks a bit. Feels a bit hot, and should be sipped. Swig at your own discretion.

O: I'll be honest, initially I was thinking not the best. About 2 sips later it improved. The further I got into this baby, the more I appreciated it. For a super boozy beer, this is top notch. You will definitely notice/taste/smell the booze, but for 19% or so, I think it blends VERY well. The more I think on this beer, and miss the flavor, the more I admire it. Definitely share a bottle with 2-3 others (even if I did not do the same...yikes).

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:38:59 | More by chrisp450

smk8nig

Colorado

5/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Fist of all, I could be happy just smelling this beer for hours. I had the 2012 batch (twice) and both times it was incredible. Chocolate and coffee notes, nuttiness in the middle, great hop and malt balance - a true whale. It will linger in your mouth forever, so don't plan on drinking anything else for the rest of the night.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 21:14:12 | More by smk8nig

pants678

California

4.8/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Black with a brown head that dissolves almost immediately.

Bourbon nose.

Again, bourbon is not shy. Rich chocolate, more akin to milk than dark, pervades. There's some vanilla, which is really just bourbon, but it's not at all a complex beer but wonderfully potent with a very welcome alcohol bite instead of burn. A dessert that tastes like night.

I hate to use the term but it is smooth. Perfect yet unnoticeably and insignificantly carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 15:30:20 | More by pants678

RaulMondesi

California

4.56/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Raul did it, yes his did! Black Tuesday '11 on tap at the brewery.

More than my Persian girlfriend in high school, more than 1001 nights... This damn thang is silky smooth! Hot damn! Dripping down my throat like a precious drop of water off a stalagmite tip from Carlsbad caverns! Oooo baby!

Now relax now my children; it ain't all unicorns and rainbows like a sorority girl's brain waves. It's a bit boozy on the tongue and nose, and when I say a "bit," I mean a sand speckle bit.

All in all, Raul does it, Raul does it good. Still, it's kind of a one and done kind of thang - like my Persian girlfriend in high school. But like said hoochie, I know that I will have dreams of coming back.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2013 02:13:09 | More by RaulMondesi

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.54/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to ObeMaltKinobee and mrbubbler for hooking me up with bottles of this. I've been intimidated by this one for some time now but after a crazy weekend, it's Black Tuesday time.

Appearance. Pours a deep dark brown, almost black in the glass but not quite. There's a collar of khaki head, but that's about it. Looks pretty ominous.

Smell. Chocolate liquer, some coffee and oaky vanilla. There's a little sweet coconut there as well. Lots and lots of booze.

Taste. Nice bourbon and sweet chocolate, some coconut and vanilla with a good amount of fresh and clean oak barrel. Insanely high alcohol is dangerously well hidden.

Mouthfeel. Full body and warm, but not very sticky considering the substantial sweetness.

Overall. Fantastic stuff. It's a sipper for sure, but amazingly drinkable for the crazy abv. Tackling this one solo, wish me luck!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 00:18:49 | More by Rutager

chefjack428

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2012 Bottle.
Pours a deep dark black and starts to look slightly brown as it reaches the top of the glass. Little to no head. Not quite as thick and viscous as I imagined.
Aroma is nice - strong bourbon, bakers chocolate, vanilla beans, deep roasted malts and a big alcohol note.
This beer is so sweet, brunt sugar, rich chocolate and booze. The beer is incredibly boozy and hot, you can taste the bourbon and a bit of oak on the finish.
Mouthfeel is creamy and pretty nice. Overall it was good but not amazing. Way to sweet for me. Got down about 8 oz, which was just enough.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 11:46:58 | More by chefjack428

Irishize75

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

2012 vintage split with my two brothers and dad, poured into snifters. Appearance was jet-black with no head to speak of. Lots of alcohol legs.

Smell was pretty inviting. Lots of booze, but balanced out by tons and tons of dark fruits and chocolate.

Taste, alas was just a bit too intensely overwhelming for me. It's obvious from the smell that you are about to catch a beatdown, but the bourbon is just ferocious. Don't get me wrong, I like bourbon well enough, but this is far and away the most aggressively barrel-forward beer I have ever tried. I split this bottle four ways, and the one guy who really liked bourbon thought it was awesome, the rest of us agreed that this is one that should probably be laid down for a long time. The heat was also very formidable, as you would expect from such a huge beer. There is plenty going on here, but my brain was just screaming "BOURBON" and "HEAT".

The mouthfeel was full-bodied, sweet and sticky, appropriate for the style.

Overall, this one was ok, but just a little over the top for me. Perhaps being consumed at the end of a long, intense stout season had a lot to do with it..I will let the other bottle I have sit until the fall and revisit hopefully a little more mellowed out version, and with a renewed desire for big, barrel-aged stouts after a summer of sours and IPA's.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 02:11:19 | More by Irishize75

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle of 2010 vintage.

A: Surprised by the head on this given the amount of booze. Pitch black pour, extremely thick and a small tan head.
S: First thing I noticed was booze. Booze soaked dark fruits. Followed by lots of caramel malts, dark chocolate, bourbon and oak. This thing smells great.
T: Very well balanced bourbon flavor. Not hot at all. Lots of dark fruits and chocolate fudge. Lots of chocolatey goodness, along with some brown sugar, caramel and a tiny bit of vanilla. A bit of maple in the back as well. I was afraid this would be too sweet. It is very sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. Tastes boozy, almost a bit like Utopia or wine. The dark fruits definitely give it a bit of a vinous character.
M: Full bodied with little carbonation. Sticky, thick and sweet. Surprisingly it was very smooth.
O: Absolutely massive sipping beer. Split between two of us and we finished it in a bit over 2 hours. Very nice boozy flavors as it warmed up. Great stuff, I will be on the lookout for more. Can't wait to open the Chocolate Rain and Grey Monday and make some comparisons.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 08:36:35 | More by standardcherry

Wardo

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Holy crap, huge beer (2012 vintage). First time with the BT. Weren't sure what to expect when we cracked this, after a few whiffs and a couple of sips, cracked the benchmark by which I compare all BA Stouts to - BCBS. While the BCBS (2012) got the BT today in smoothness, drinkability, overall experience, the BT was damn good, albeit, HOT! I would go as far as to say, as big as it is today, it may have more potential than BCBS in the future. The BCBS is just so damn good right now. Glad we have a few bottles of the BT to age, look forward to revisiting in 12-18 months. We should have sat on this one longer, but glad we tried it.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 22:19:09 | More by Wardo

ngeunit1

California

4.49/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark black with a bit of brown around the edges and a thin finger of khaki-chocolate colored head. Fades fairly quickly.

S - Roasted chocolate and dark caramel malts, Bourbon, oak, vanilla, black licorice, coffee, dark fruits, and some booze.

T - Roasted chocolate and dark caramel malts, Bourbon, vanilla, oak, black licorice, molasses, dark fruits, coffee, and booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a warming and sweet finish.

D - Super bold and complex, but still has great overall balance.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 04:17:56 | More by ngeunit1

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've tasted this several times, many different batches, but this review is from notes at EBF.
A thick black viscous liquid coats the inside of my glass with great legs. Aromas of chocolate, brown sugar, caramel, molasses, raisins and other dark dried fruits, along with a fair amount of ethanol. The flavor is sweet with dark and burnt sugars but that is countered nicely with a present but not overpowering alcohol heat. Roast and chocolate molasses round out the flavor nicely. Thick body with a light level of carbonation and a sweet syrupy mouthfeel. This is a monster of a beer, but its frikin tasty and devilishly deceptive.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 00:24:13 | More by johnnnniee

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A - I am actually quite impressed for the ABV that this holds some carbonation, even though short lived resulting in just a mild lace ring I got a 1/8 inch of mocha head. Again I am surprised its not pitch black as it has some ruby hues to that base of the darkness.
S - Smell is very inviting of black currant, some port wine, and a heavy dose of bourbon. I can pick up mild notes of cocoa and dark fruits but it's faint.
T - WARNING the 2012 batch is boozy as hell. Even when warmed the bourbon notes smack you in the face then sweeten the tongue with one of the most heavy doses of caramel I ever tasted. When I get past the booze (very hard to do) It has an almost marshmallow like candy sweetness (and I love sweet beers) with what can only be described by me is a lashing of sugar plums and licorice. Very little chocolate (I could see why they made a version with cocoa nibs) or roast. As others described it's like a wine and I guess I was born to hate it since I can't stand wine.
M - Heavy if you swish this in your mouth prepare to gag a little bit as the bourbon is one of the most strongest I have ever encountered. As it warms to a near room temperature (55-60 degree's) it's almost unbearable of the level of bourbon.

Overall I shared this with my brother and even though he is not a craft beer drinker he helped me with 8oz of this. As I type I still have 2oz (of my 16) and it's so hard to choke down. I guess it's true that some people rate things higher when they pay the "rare" cost.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 03:01:46 | More by DrDemento456

egrace84

Illinois

4.19/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pitch black with extremely little head that disappears immediately leaving just an outer ring of foam around the glass.

S: This is a monster! Booze blast to the face. Chocolate/vanilla show up to say hey after the booze takes off, but not without wearing out its welcome!

T: BOOZE.. who woulda thought. Port wine, choc/vanilla, fudge, dark fruits. So much going on here. So many different complex taste attributes to this beast of a beer.

M: medium-full body and tingling/numbing booze. Enjoyable to sip on...only to sip on.

O: This is a beer I've always wanted to try, and it almost lived up to the hype but not quite. This beer is a great candidate for consuming with friends as an after dinner drink, or laying down to forget about for a few years. I feel sorry for the poor bastard that tries to take this one down on their own. Share w/ friends.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 00:43:42 | More by egrace84

kevanb

Illinois

3.89/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

2012 bottle, shared with friends and family at the Local Option's Pi Day event. Poured into a snifter, reviewed from notes.

Pours a sludgey cola brown color, almost jet black but lots of brown hues are visible when struck by the light. A few tiny bubbles appear momentarily but are gone immediately and no lacing is left behind. The aroma is powerfully sweet, lots of chocolate, bourbon, sweet oak, mollasses, vanilla, brown sugar and even some toasted marshmallow at the end. There is a powerful alcohol presence that lingers and almost burns the nose, not to be unexpected at nearly 20%, but still a bit of a deterrent. The flavors are really intense, lots of bourbon and sweet milk chocolate, brown sugar, a bit of bitter roast and molasses, chewy oak is a nice touch with some vanilla behind it but the alcohol really dominates the back end of this and the finish is fairly hot. The body is nice, chewy at times, silky at others, it coats the mouth well, nearly zero carbonation but just enough to keep it lively and interesting and there is a nice warming sensation as it goes down.

Verdict: Despite this beer being nearly 20% and fairly hot, it's very drinkable which is quite impressive, but I'm not blown away by this. I've been fortunate enough to try a variety of vintages of this and even with time it's still a alcohol forward beer which isn't really my preference. A worthy beer for anyone who enjoys a barrel aged stout, but there are plenty of better ones on the market, and many of them for a better price.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 19:50:59 | More by kevanb

smakawhat

Maryland

4.41/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass at Smoke & Barrel DC part of bottle exchange. From notes.

Surprisingly not as dark as thought it would be. A good brown mahogonay coming out of the bottle hits with a solid dark walnut body. Very opaque and har to see through.

Nose has a huge chunk of molasses and sticky quality. Lots of sticky toffee. Thick smelling. Good sense of controlled whiskey like heat, with complimenting red fruits of cherry and raspberry. Great smelling beer, luckily not too hot on the nose.

Palate hits with a good chunk of sweet taffy. Lots of sticky peppermint and warming menthol finish. Controlled warmth with a nice warming big hit in the pit of your stomach. Lots of chocolate sensations with a thick almost syrup like body. Fruit action comes after repeated sips and some warmth, hinting of thick red fruits of cherry/raspberry feeling. Much of the molasses seem to get left behind.

Overall the flavors are nicely balanced, and even at this high abv it's still incredibly easy to drink. Very memorable beer and quite enjoyable, very well made.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 17:52:45 | More by smakawhat

patm1986

New Jersey

4.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a-pitch Brown. dark brown sugar hue. no had. very minor carbonation.
s-sweet tea, lactose, phenols, hershey's cocoa, choco coverd cherries, corn, cream of wheat.
t-heavily phenolic, sweet peas, sugar cubes, lipton tea, aunt jemima maple, butter, EPIC VANILLA.
m-rich, fatty
OVERALL: beast, beast, beast. for such a massive beer, it's smoother than most. the port qualities are abound, but this baby is barrel aged stout it's extreme best.
marvelous.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 01:58:11 | More by patm1986

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.24/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2012 Vintage... taking this bottle down by myself...

A: Pours black, with brown hues on the edges. There is a think bubbly khaki colored head that fades quickly, leaving a small frothy ring along the edges of the beer. There is no lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is really sweet. I get prunes, raisins, dates, some caramel, and maybe a bit of vanilla extract.

T: It starts out with a big burst of sugary sweetness. I get prunes, caramel, and vanilla extract, and white chocolate. The beer get's hugely boozy in the back end, but you kind of expect that with a 19.2% beer.

M: Full bodied beer. Sweet and smooth to start, but once the liquid moves off the palate, it gets sticky and almost syrupy.

O: This is a good beer. I don't know if I'd call it great, but I'm enjoying it. It's very sweet, and that is usually a turn off for me, but the alcohol is so high that it cuts the sweetness a bit. It's going to be a chore to finish this bottle by myself. Challenge accepted!

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 00:57:16 | More by trxxpaxxs

jeonseh

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle from the NWI Black Tuesday 09-12 and variants tasting

A - Dark chocolate brown with a slight mocha colored head on the sides of the glass. Looks to be a really thick and viscous beer

S - Dark chocolate, vanilla, slight bourbon and oak

T - Sweet vanilla, light chocolate, brown sugar, dark fruit (like plums) and light oak that lingers in the finish. This wasn't as boozy as the variants and didn't have as much of a bourbon presence

M - Thick syrupy sweet beer that coats the tongue. Light oak astringency that lingers in the finish.

O - This is one thick and syrupy beer. It is solid across the board. It is definitely a sweet beer with lots of chocolate and vanilla. We had the 09-12 and I'd say this is one beer that is definitely better with about 2 years on it. It helps mellow it out and allows the flavors to blend together well

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 23:46:31 | More by jeonseh

Therisse

California

4.88/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

I had the 2010 Black Tuesday so it had been aged about 2 1/2 years.

The strongest taste I got was primarily caramel, but I was also able to taste chocolate, cherries, plum, rye, smoke, cream, and a very VERY subtle hint of copper.

The look wasn't all too appealing, mostly because of the lack of head, which I know should be expected anyways, but just didn't help the look at all. The lacing also wasn't as thick as I would've preferred.

Smell was excellent.

In total, nearly a perfect score for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 08:04:49 | More by Therisse

illidurit

California

4.14/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Can’t believe I haven’t had this until now. Bottle shared at the Santa Cruz tasting in January. Supersweet chocolate syrupy flavors do their best to hide a massive alcohol heat. The flavor profile is actually really nice but the booze makes it hard to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 23:46:01 | More by illidurit

Treebs

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 vintage. Waxed 750 ml bottle. Served in a CCB snifter.

A: Pours an opaque black color. Pretty still with no head. Like motor oil.

S: Boozy chocolate liquor with some bourbon notes and some chocolate covered raisins. Fusel alcohol notes on the finish with some heat.

T: Boozy milk chocolate. Pretty hot. Bourbon with some caramel sweetness. Alcohol notes.

M: Heavy bodied with an oily and slick mouthfeel. Heat on the finsih. Medium low carbonation.

O: Big and boozy as expected. Not as sweet as Chocolate Rain so I liked this a tad more.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 17:21:59 | More by Treebs

OldPenguinHunter

California

4.6/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2010 bottle: Had this with a few friends for a Christmas party... All I can say is how much hedonism can you fit into a bottle? At least that's what my notes said. Big chocolate syrup notes, dark fruit, coffee and unsweetened cocoa powder. The mouthfeel is silky and immense, It was almost hard to drink between the three of us, at least it would have been if it wasn't so delicious. That being said, this beer is probably the most extreme examples of a stout there can be, and definitely worth picking up and sharing with some good friends.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 19:37:57 | More by OldPenguinHunter

DocJitsu

California

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very dark cola brown with a very short-lived caramel-colored head. Aromas of sweet coconut, brown sugar, alcohol, and when the alcohol fades, milk chocolate. Very, very rich. Phenomenally creamy mouthfeel. Barely any carbonation at all--and that's appreciated. A lot of chocolate, a bit of coconut, alcohol, and maybe some vanilla. Very sweet, very potent. Like Parabola with more alcohol. I love it. Trying to sip it, but its so delicious that I keep wanting to drink it.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 03:32:50 | More by DocJitsu

thegoon55

South Carolina

4.39/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A- thick black motor oil, small tan head.

S- big bourbon notes followed by chocolate and a hint of coffee

T- following the nose, big bourbon followed by sweetness, booze, dark chocolate.

M- sticky and thick full body

O- a interesting, not overly complex but still good

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 19:19:32 | More by thegoon55