S1nist0r Black Ale - 10 Barrel Brewing Co.

srhoadsy

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Served chilled into a tulip.

Pours an extremely dark brown to black with red highlights. Half an inch of light brown head that quickly recedes leaving minimal surface layer and lacing.

Mild aromas of malt and a hint of smoke.

Flavors are very mild. Roasted grain, dried fruits and a hint of smoke.

Light bodied with moderate carbonation.

An average beer at best. Everything was just a little on the light side for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 20:02:56 | More by srhoadsy

flagmantho

Washington

3.79/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass.

Appearance: deep, dark, rich ruby-brown hue, if not quite black. Head poured a thick finger of fizzy tan foam and dissipated somewhat quickly. Not bad, but not majestic like the style usually implies.

Smell: sweet, chocolatey aroma with a little bit of burnt roastiness thrown in. There's also a bit of vegetal hoppiness toward the end. Smells like a decent porter or maybe even a schwarzbier.

Taste: sweet and malty with a little bit of amber-ale character and a very light yeasty spiciness toward the end. Bitterness is low, as is hop character. It really does remind me of a schwarzbier in a lot of ways.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a very big and well-integrated carbonation; the creamy texture balloons out of this bad boy. Awesome!

Overall: a good beer indeed, although perhaps miscategorized. This is, by simple definition, an "American Black Ale", but it definitely does not fit the old "Cascadian Dark Ale" or "Black IPA" categories which "American Black Ale" implies.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 22:00:31 | More by flagmantho

vkv822

Oregon

3.53/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

served in tulip pint.

Black with espresso edges when held to light, foamy light tan head.

Cocoa, mocha, very faint roast. Faint earthy hops, if any.

Medium- body, mild fizzy carbonation.

A well done beer, definitely more similar to a Schwarzbier than an American Black Ale in the flavor and mouthfeel. Very little hop presence with a smooth, mocha profile.

Serving type: growler

04-13-2013 06:30:22 | More by vkv822

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Big thanks to the BA who sent this one out to me as an extra in a past trade. Shared this one with my doppelganger after a day at the gun store. Served from bottle into a New Jersey Devils (my inner Penguins fan is pissed!) shaker. Poured a massively dark amber brown with a four finger off-white head head that subsided to a minimal amount very slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, earth, earth hop, and subtle spice. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, spice, earth, earth hop, fruit, dark chocolate, and subtle fruit hop. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. For the style there really wasn't a lot of roastiness going on in this one as it was more sweet and earthy than anything else. While this was kind of surprising, I really didn't mind it too much if I am honest. This did keep it quite enjoyable throughout the beer, but it just fell a little short of what one would expect from the style. Still a good brew, but just not up there for the style. Worth your time trying at least once, but if you enjoy the roastiness this one MIGHT not be for you.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 02:55:28 | More by thagr81us

Brad007

Vermont

3.84/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours a deep, dark brown/almost black hue with a thin, white head into my glass. Resembles a brown ale more than a black ale.

Label starts to make sense. So, this is sort-of a schwarzbier and not american black ale. In that case, there is a decent whiff of clove that one would expect from a dark wheat.

Flavor reflects this too. Lots of clove, nutty bread and just a tiny bit of banana. Chewy, doughy texture.

Mouthfeel is a bit too clean. Could use more body. Still a respectable finish.

A bit of advice to people adding beer in the near future: Please read the label and review the beer then choose the style that is the closest based on the characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 13:41:08 | More by Brad007

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.8/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Finger of head, black colored body.
Smell is roasted malt, burnt wood and chocolate with good balance.
Taste has a great roast malt flavor with a little sweet bite.
Fizzy texture. Moderate carbonation and medium body. Slightly sticky.
A pretty good black ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 05:19:14 | More by Fatehunter

Vancoubeer

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Finally got around to trying this. Black Ale that was made like a Schwarz Bier sounds interesting...especially the ale yeast instead of lager yeast. Pours out like a porter. A good dark brown and as it settles in the glass its dark as night. No light gets through the brew when held up to the light except for the top of the rim of the beer. It has kind of a light brown hue. The head was a thick creamy khaki color that faded away quickly with a very thin head stay around. The smell, when cold has a hint of bread and chocolate at front and a subtle roast in the end. The taste has a very sweet flavor with a hint of roasty peat and bitter chocolate. No hops at all. Very sessionable dark beer with flavor that does not stick around. Its tasty and makes you want some more. The mouthfeel is very thin. Not too carbonated. Very watery texture. Its not bad but its color yells thick dark goodness but the low 5.7% abv is most evident in this portion of the beer. I have had 8% dark beers with a thicker mouthfeel but similar flavor. However, this is not a negative, just a part of the beer that is hard to anticipate when pouring it out of the bottle. Giving a second pour I looked more at the liquid and it looks like cola, which confirms the very thin mouthfeel to this beer. This is a good beer. Not something that screams buy again but its definitely one worth trying. Its an interesting beer. It has properties like a porter and of a schwarz bier. And overall, for under 4 dollars, worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 04:35:16 | More by Vancoubeer

JTROYER

4.9/5  rDev +36.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

absolutely deliscious darlk and yet very smooth no bitterness at all amazing. If you like dark beer this is a must try. It's definitely in my top 5 of all time favoriet beers I absolutely absolutely love it. Dark and deliscious just like I like it. Everyone who like dark beer must ry this beer

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2012 05:46:53 | More by JTROYER

Murrhey

Montana

2.13/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- One finger mocha head, thick and creamy with a long retention. Peaks on the head, quite nice looking. Body color is a very dark-brown, almost black. Some fluffy lacing.

S- Toffee, mocha and toasty malts. Smells like a candy bar with a coffee or roast malt twinge to it.

T- Strange flavor. Dark, roasted malt backbone with a surprising kick in the front. It hit me hard with alcohol, which is really strange for a 5.7 brew. Not sure what it is, but it tastes almost bacterial it fits the beer so poorly. Like an extremely acidic, tart punch when at the back of the flavors. Not a good fit.

M- Creamy feel, middling body.

O- I think I very well might have got an infected bottle. The taste is making me sick. Ugh.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 03:30:05 | More by Murrhey

brentk56

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a fudge color with auburn highlights; the tan heads starts out fairly impressive and grows rocky over time, leaving a few strands behind

Smell: Licorice and chocolate, with caramel blended in

Taste: Licorice, chocolate and caramel, up front, with just a touch of earthy hops in the back; no variation noted, after the swallow

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation; just a tad acqueous

Overall: Tastes more like a Schwarz than an American Black, to be honest, and if I were reviewing it as such, the scores would be a tad higher; easy to drink, though I would like to see a bit more hop balance, particularly given where the beer was brewed

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 22:14:44 | More by brentk56

zeledonia

Minnesota

2.88/5  rDev -20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Camping out in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, and I picked this up at a little gas station convenience store. My first beer from this brewery. Tasted 19 July 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours dark chocolatey brown, with an abundant thick pillowy medium-tan head. Excellent retention and lacing. Very nice.

Smell is nice as well, an interesting blend of light-bodied but deep-flavored chocolate malts with a touch of floral hops, and a tiny bit of orange. The kind of black ale aroma that I like, with a lovely dark-light balance and contrast. Feels light but smells dark.

Taste is bland and dull. I'm struggling to pull any flavors out of it. Even accounting for the effects of altitude, there's not much to it. It's especially weird, given how pleasant and varied the smell is. It's not bad, but it's nearly flavorless.

Mouthfeel is fine. Light-bodied, plenty of carbonation.

Where's the flavor? The smell is really nice, but the taste doesn't follow it at all. An odd experience.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 22:42:01 | More by zeledonia

beertunes

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This 22oz bottle has been sitting in my big boxes o beer for at least 2 years, and possibly 3. Just keep that in mind, and don't use this review as guide to whether or not you should try this beer. IIRC, this one came courtesy of Chumba526 when he did a trip to PDX while living here in Beeringham.

Poured into straight pint glass. Whooosh! The first slight pour produced about 1/10 inch of beer and the rest of the glass full of foam. It took a goodly while (minutes) to settle to the point where I could pour more beer. And the same results occurred throughout the life of the bottle. Eventually I ended up with a beer that was a lightly translucent black with a thick tan head that (obviously) had good retention and moderate lacing.

The aroma still had some nice floral hops, some grain, a light touch of roast and enough hoppiness to provide a clue that this may have been a hop-bomb when fresh. The roast was much more noticeable on the tongue, there was a decent amount of base grains and still a touch of citrus hops in back.

The body was typical for a CDA, which is what I think this beer is. Drinkability was very good, especially considering that CDA's really aren't my favorite style and the age of this brew. It appears that the brewery is still making this brew, it's worth a shot if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 20:14:01 | More by beertunes

N3rdM3t4l

Oregon

3.03/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bomber into standard pint served at fridge temp. review from notes taken 6/14/12

A:pours cola colored with a small milk chocolate colored head that fell into a thin cap and ring. Not much light getting through.

S: slightly sweet with a big dark malt smell. No hops on the nose and slightly medicinal.

T: malty malty malty, just enough hops to balance but not taste. Dark malts all the way through with sweeter malt along side at first. Although not as sweet as it smells.

M: light side of medium and didn't get thicker feeling as it warmed. a little carbonation makes it pretty smooth. Balanced flavor.

O: My first beer from 10 barrel brewing and it was good, I hope the rest of their offerings are just as good. Well balanced brew and doesn't have that bitter bite from the black malt like some beers do. And at a price of <$3 I would buy it again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 19:18:45 | More by N3rdM3t4l

Jsteez

New Mexico

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I bought this beer on a whim in Boise, ID.
Beer size: 22 oz. brown bottle.
Glassware:Seidel mug

The pour was delicate and slightly foamy. The color was black with dark red hues. Not really that translucent. It left a light brown-tan head which dissipated quickly. It had an attractive lace down and around the sides. I nursed this beer for 1 1/2 hours. A thoughtful drink.

The smell was slightly sweet with hints of caramel, dark bread, and yeast. A little hint of hop and malt.

Going in, the taste had a sweet, caramel sensation. The aftertaste was dry, slightly bitter, a little metallic (not enough to ruin the overall taste and roasted dark chocolate/coffee flavor).

The mouthfeel was medium bodied, not too complex.The overall taste combination lingered on my palate for a while.

This beer is above average. It is not a beer I would go searching for. It still needs work. I have had better dark beers. It was like drinking a medium porter with a pale ale quality. A little confusing. However, it will quench your thirst while enjoying a marble rye reubon with brown mustard. Trust me, you won't be dissapointed with that combo.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 05:25:51 | More by Jsteez

taconight2night

2.98/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The appearence of this beer is more like coke or pepsi, not black. Almost a ricey like smell along with light oak and smoke aroma. Very little alcohol smell. Smooth and easy to drink with a little malt and even less hop. Also a bit of a yeast taste. Will most likely pass on this beer in the future, but its not terrible.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 03:27:27 | More by taconight2night

IPAguy2009

Oregon

2.88/5  rDev -20%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- dark Pepsi color

S-smokey dark chocolate, meh

T- dark malt lightly hopped

M- pretty light and light carbonation

O- just a sub par black ale, nothing too special here. Just taste like a dark ale that is pretty light a good for drinking casually. Get something else

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 03:27:17 | More by IPAguy2009

beerme343

Idaho

3.7/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Actually had never heard of this brewery until early 2012... not under the new 10 Barrel label or the previous name. Turns out they are opening a brewpub in downtown Boise soon, so I will be getting to know them a lot better in the coming months.

Tried the S1nist0r black ale from a 22 oz. brown bottle poured into a standard pint glass. The head is several fingers high - an off white tannish color, while the beer is Coke colored deep brown/black with a hint of red when held to the light.

The aroma is remarkable with a nice roasted malt, a bit of pumpernickel bread and a little banana thrown in for good measure.

The flavor has a nice blend of roasty java/cocoa bitterness, a little rainier cherry or golden plum and some banana bread comes through as well.

The beer has good effervescence followed by a nice hop note and a lingering finish.

The flavors and aromas of this beer are a little out of the ordinary (especially considering they are all elements of one beer) but it is very drinkable. I definitely found that it grew on me after I got over the initial confusion of the smells and flavors. Not exactly what I've come to expect out of a Cascadian Dark/Black Ale, but appealing nonetheless. This might be able to be refined a bit to make into something truly special, but it is good as is and it is nice to see brewmasters thinking outside the box.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 06:19:08 | More by beerme343

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.53/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up thinking it was a Black IPA...boy was I surprised. 22oz bomber split into pint glasses.

A: Transparent black, dark brown really with lots of red hues...tan head and lace.

S: Light fruitiness, darker malt, nutty notes, banana even? Faint toffee and other earthy spices.

T: Tasted grain, fruity notes, lots of bready malts, woody notes (light oak), nutty flavors.

MF: Smooth and creamy, very low bitterness, medium light body.

O: Not at all what I was expecting, this brew could really use something else to ramp it up, like the addition of coconut, or wood aging, or chocolate malt. As it sits, its a very pedestrian brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 18:45:58 | More by Scotchboy

THECPJ

Delaware

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes: thanks goes out to Nate for sending this one my way.

appearance: dark brown with a 1 finger head

smell: roast, caramel, malts, hops,

taste: roasty, caramel, malts

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: it's an alright beer nothing I would go out of my way to track down.

cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 16:13:11 | More by THECPJ

sommersb

Tennessee

3.55/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Tasted On: 10-18-2011
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 22 oz. brown bottle
Glassware: Nonic pint
Purchased: Received in a trade

Appearance is highlighted by a huge head of 5 to 6 fingers, tan and frothy. I thought that may just be from the first pour, but subsequent pours are almost as massive. Color is almost completely black, save for some brown tinges seen when the glass is held to light. Super amounts of lacing and retention on this one.

Aromas are of dark malts and a nice sweetness. The clean character makes me think of a schwarzbier lager, but this is an ale. No hop aromas I can detect.

Taste has a nice malt-forward character, with chocolates and toasted grains. After a bit I get some bitterness, from the hops, some coffee-like flavors and from a bittersweet chocolates.

Mouthfeel is a medium body, clean, with moderate to high carbonation. The finish is dry and somewhat bitter, but the malts are still there. Some off flavors seem to be present as well.

Overall an interesting and good beer, but not remarkable. I'm not sure what style they were after (if any) as it has characteristics of several. I had a higher opinion on the first glass, but the impression lessened as I worked through the bomber.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 03:39:04 | More by sommersb

dgilks

Australia

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark brown colour with a fluffy tan head. Fair head retention.

Deep roast flavour with bitter chocolate and some coffee. Good.

Dark and roasty with a touch of fruitiness and tart roast.

Medium light body with moderate carbonation. Good.

A nice, sessionable Black Ale. Solid.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2011 22:05:56 | More by dgilks

MasterSki

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by Jason - I was under the impression this was a schwarzbier when I reviewed it. Served in a Darkness glass.

A - Quick-dissolving light tan foam that settles to a thin wisp bubbles on top and spotty lace. Dark brown body with some transparent reddish highlights.

S - Roasted malts, some bread, biscuit, and yeast, light cocoa, minimal hop character - guess I shouldn't be surprised as this uses Perle hops.

T - Taste is similar, with a bit more sweetness from the caramel and the cocoa. Light roast character, no hop flavor or hop/roast bitterness.

M - Medium-light body, zesty higher carbonation, dry roasty finish, clean aftertaste.

D - Decent beer - lots of flavor for the lower ABV, but otherwise nothing exciting or special. If this is cheap, you could do a lot worse as this manages to avoid the harsh bitterness and astringency of other black ales.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2011 01:39:46 | More by MasterSki

loren01

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a nice black color, good sized whitish/tan head great lacing down the glass
S: Smell is of roasted malts, slight coffee and slight sweetness
T: Nice vanilla flavor with some chocolate and coffee flavors as well
M: Light to medium bodied beer, goes down smooth
O: This is a pretty tasty beer wasnt expecting it to be as I didn't really care for most of the other 10 barrel beers I've had. This one is good though.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 03:13:46 | More by loren01

katybee

Oregon

2.98/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I gave this beer highest points for its dark coloration...deepest cola brown, almost opaque, with light tan short-lived head.

Smelled mostly malty, toasted, with a little dry sourness.

Tasted somewhat one-dimensional to me, mostly the slightly bitter toasted malt, very little noticeable sweetness, smokey with flowery greenish hopping.

Seemed a little thin to me, light-bodied with none of the stickiness-on-the-tongue that makes spaten and doppelbocks sippable...Dry and thirst-quenching, but not really memorable.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 07:25:11 | More by katybee

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.45/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Comes out of the tap a barely translucent reddish sable with a nice pale tan head that leaves behind substantial lacing. Aroma is smoky and malty with a coffee tone and some subtle nuttiness. Smoky roast coffee flavor has nutty, caramel and toffee hints. Texture is smooth and fairly fizzy, rather pleasing.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2011 01:23:38 | More by Cyberkedi