S1nist0r Black Ale - 10 Barrel Brewing Co.

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

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

SubpoenaDeuces

California

3.95/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: This appears like a regular stout with the mild khaki carbonation, deep brown/blackish hues and nice malty roasted character.

S: The nose has a very light smokiness to it with a mild sweetness. A bit watery, nothing to lose your mind over. A solid beer depending on how much you pay for it.

T: The taste is thin and refreshing with an almond sweetness to it. There’s a very faint bit of milkiness and maple syrup but the palate is so thin you don’t really have time to focus on it. There’s a good balance to it with some mild bittering. The hops present a cocoa dryness that rounds it out nicely.

M: This is very thin but it doesn’t feel like it came up short, it feels intentional, and that somehow makes it ok. The lacing is fantastic, but the coating is relatively minimal, which is a bit anomalous. Again, not disappointing though. I always feel like when someone presents a black ale, it is a genre that is so amorphous it is tough to really determine what you are about to get. Someimtes you get an imperial stout monster like Labyrinth, other times you get this dapper gentleperson. Who can ever tell.

D: This is exceptionally drinkable and the color is the only thing that might be offputting to people. It is a strange hybrid that brings a bit of IPA to the table and a bit of Stout in the mix. Overall, pretty solid beer and I would recommend a bomber or two to any willing participant.

Narrative: The hackneyed carriage clipped along steadily over the cobblestone streets and the slick London night was further obfuscated by misty clouds. Sir Grimsly peered at his silver pocket watch and sighed at how long the opera had taken. His finely tailored suit of rich velvet fit precisely and his jet black hair was slicked with a fragrant pomade. “Carlton, please, slow a bit!” He called to the carriage driver. He lifted the lacy ebony curtain and looked out into the dark night and noticed a single cat, staring intently upon the carriage as it slid to a stop. The cat peered knowingly and its obsidian coat shined in the night. It appeared to nod and signal to the magistrate. With a blink it disappeared. Sir Grimsley looked up and noted the mandate from today’s proceedings laying on the adjacent seat, unexecuted. With a forceful sigh, Sir Grimsley signed the stay of execution and set the prisoner free. The night shone with a furious depth, the slick streets ploshed with knowing applause.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 08:19:09 | More by SubpoenaDeuces

quetzal013

California

3.35/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured into pint glass. First, not much on the head, fizzled out pretty quick. Color is a very dark amber, almost black with back-lighting. This beer is by no means elite but it is easy drinking and not bad on the tastebuds. If I was playing a few rounds of Mike Tyson's Punch Out on my NES I could run through a bomber pretty quick. I feel like I want to like this brewer so much... small OR brewer, Fonzie type names, small distribution. I'm not sure how long they have been around but would be curious.

So it goes like this, there are slight coffee/chocolate notes, nice, subtle. There is almost a dry tartness to it, like sour but not quite. Something wants to make me taste fruit at the end, but there is a fleeting sense to it, like an 80's pop song, but an average 80's pop song, not terrific like Take on Me.

Overall, nice beer, easy drinker, low ABV for sessioning with the pals. I like that they are a small brewer and they have great potential!! I would retry their brews if I had the chance but they seem a bit immature still.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 01:57:21 | More by quetzal013

chumba526

Oregon

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

It appears brownish black with a mild brown full-bodied head.

It smells quite sweet and fruity. I get a bit of a citrus and slightly sour smell to the beer. There is a very nice vanilla, coffee and chocolate smell. It has a great smell to it.

It tastes slightly sour. There is a mellow coffee, vanilla and chocolate flavor to the ale. I get a bit of a mild caramel flavor. There is a mild fruity aftertaste I get a bit of a raison and citrus flavor. This is a fairly mellow beer. I feel that though the flavor is quite mild that the beer has a great balance to it. It is a very smooth ale.

There is a moderate low carbonation. It has a great silky and smooth carbonation. I am impressed with how great the mouth-feel is in this beer.

The drinkability is pretty good it goes down smooth but it is not that exciting of a beer so I would only order a glass or two of this beer.

Overall a very nice simple ale that has a nice flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2011 05:16:45 | More by chumba526

flexabull

California

3.88/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes.

First off, don't think this should be categorized as a brown ale, this is more like a black ale.

Anyways... Pours a dark black color with a faint white head.

Aromas are of cocoa, cream, and hints of chocolate. Nose is faint, but pleasant.

Taste is doughy up front, kind of like pretzel dough. Some light creamy coffee, and with a crisp mineral hop finish.

Mouthfeel is pretty good. Crisp carbonation and a nice overall full feeling.

Drinkability is also good. The more I drink this the more I think it could be a black lager. Interesting and tasty whatever it is...

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2011 20:05:44 | More by flexabull

olmatty

Oregon

3.53/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance-Pours a brownish black beer with sticky lacing and a high pillowy head.

Smell-Light roast and brown bread.

Taste-Medium roast, dark sour German bread. Middling herbal
hop presence.

Mouthfeel-Moderately full bodied and somewhat sticky.

Drinkability-Smooth and drinkable, but frankly a bit boring. Billed as as black ale, this beer is a darker brown ale with a bit more roast.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 05:19:39 | More by olmatty

Gobzilla

California

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

poured a dark brown in color with brownish yellow highlights that had a thin head and left a little lacing on the glass. The aroma was filled with toffee character, slight hops, various grain notes, and an slight spice. The taste was also dominated by the toffee like a dopplebock with caramel, various grain, and mild citrus notes. There was a touch of hops but were very subtle and mild spice on the backend. The brew was medium in body with a moderate amount of carbonation which had a grainy, slight sweet, but malty finish. It drank good but was not my favorite from the nite. Definitely a session beer after a long day at work

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2010 08:17:01 | More by Gobzilla

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.33/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

"People with courage and character always seem sinister to the rest."

--Hermann Hesse

Burnt walnut brown with rust orange edges and a massive number of uprushing bubbles. The ecru colored crown filled the vast majority of the glass on the pour and isn't shrinking very quickly. As the foam melts and becomes rocky, the beer takes on the appearance of a black cow (Coke and ice cream) or a root beer float. More sudsy ribbons of lace stick than were expected.

The aroma is darker than a brown ale and lighter than a stout (but closer to the latter). That often happens when black malt is used. It's also somewhat spicy, in a phenolic way, which doesn't necessarily bode well for the flavor profile.

It's highly likely that the mouthfeel is at least partly to blame, but 10 BB S1nist0r Black Ale is not a wonderful example of.... whatever style it is. Again, the use of black malt means that it tastes nothing like a brown ale. Although time is helping to calm the carbonation storm, there isn't much depth when the beer is judged on its own merits.

Black licorice and dark caramel dominate the flavor profile. There's a little black tea leaf bitterness that is easily countered by a modest amount of sweetness. The result is a leveling balance, rather than the contrasting balance that most well-brewed beer delivers. A dark fruit tanginess sneaks in with continued warming.

The mouthfeel is too light, regardless of the ABV. In addition, it suffers the fate of most overbubbled beer. That is, it's way too fizzy early and is borderline flat by the midway point of the bottle. With even an above average mouthfeel, the scores on either side might have been one notch higher.

When properly carbonated, S1nist0r (note the buried '10') Black Ale is probably about as good as this brewery's Apocalypse IPA. If it was more easily available, I'd give it another go round to see if my suspicions are correct.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 11:20:04 | More by BuckeyeNation

allengarvin

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up in Oregon, brought back. Into a Bernardus chalice, this is a very dark, oily black beer with a head that receded nearly immediately, leaving a light film on top. Chocolate and cocoa, slightly powdery smelling, dominate the nose. Pretty good flavor, with lots of chocolate malt balanced by moderately high bitterness (no hop flavor though), and a very light roast overlaying it. Not complex, but a good enough generic dark beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2010 05:20:07 | More by allengarvin

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Another rarity (in these parts, anyway) from msubulldog25. Word to ya, Brian! I dig the thin label strip running vertically from one side of the neck, over the cap and over the other side. Cool! I lack the technical word for this little accoutrement, if there is a word.

Well, it ain't black, but it sure is a dark, dark, dark brown. Nearly opaque, with dark red tinting. The head is a quarter-inch and off-white, reducing to a crown pretty quickly.

Nose is a bright, fresh, nutty thing, hazelnut mostly, along with sweet cream. A little bit of smoke, and a flash of juicy grape and plum round it out, as does some root beer and cola.

Flavor is pretty much all that the aroma hints it will be--nutty toasted grains mostly, but also cola, grape and a milky sweetness. An herbal flare rests in the background, adding some depth. A bit of a tart edge, especially into the finish.

Feel is lively, with carbonation tickling the tongue but not assaulting it, while the body is on the lighter side, remarkably slick and slippery.

And hey, a nice herbal burp results with this one! Overall, Sinister (or S1nist0r) is an enjoyable and solid beer that offers a somewhat interesting take on the well-worn brown ale style.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 22:24:34 | More by Metalmonk

Reidrover

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz from Capilat Market, Salem. Very nicely presented bottle with the red ribbon 'seal" over the cap. Pitch black beer with a really nice frothy,bubbly, big tan head. Aroma creamy coffeee and hot milk, very nice. Flavour is quite nice semi-bitter coffee and slightly dark chocolate tastes, some dark fruits maybe some prune. OK on the palate..not as thick as i expected, but makes this well drinkable. Overall a nice beer.
More of a schwarzbier IMO

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 15:31:50 | More by Reidrover

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.65/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Buckeyeboy brought this to Ditmier's last weekend... Cool new to me brewery... Thanks Jeremy.

Pours with a short lasting lite tan head... deeep dark brown, not quite black... pretty clear.

Nose doesn't really smell "black", instead rich with toasty malts.. but not too much roast... hints of spicy hops.

Taste reminds me of some sorta Schwarzbier ... clean roasty malts ... some chocolate .... thin for an ale .. but for a Schwarz, I could buy into it.

Body is lite with a pretty high carbonation..

Ehhh.... okay... I enjoyed the later pours more than the initial... Appreciation goes out to my buddy Buckeyeboy... I never would have searched this one out.

3.5/4/3.5/3/4

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2010 08:35:26 | More by JohnGalt1

zoolzoo

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

The bottle tells me "black ale" (whatever that is exactly), BA labels this a brown ale. I must say, this is like no brown that I have had.

My personal take on this brew is that its sort of a light porter. The nose and taste take on the dark, roasty chracteristics of a porter, yet the mouthfeel is light and highly carbed. Its not a bad tasting brew by any means, alas it suffers from a bit of an identity crisis.

Imagine a decent american porter flavor profile but strip away the body, replace it with the mouthfeel that approches light lager territory. I enjoyed it, but it just didnt fully come together for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 06:00:10 | More by zoolzoo

Docer

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Heard a lot about 10 barrel brewing... missed a tasting at The BeerMongers... and have always seen this Sinister Black bottle around. Finally snagged one up to try... why this as the more common 10 barrel sold around I am wondering?

- Poured into a tall and narrow Hopworks pint mug... can still barely see through it.... very dark brown and clear... minimal head and carbonation in the pour. Leaves a rather light pillow of head.

- Spicy and herbal hop flare on the nose... very pine-like, and very hop-like... the hops I like. Subtle sweet grain notes, light chocolate malt... and oats.

- Smooth balanced lightly sweetened grainy choco brew with a nice slam of bittering and zesty hops.... smooth, and yet robust. Quite tasty... and I bet this would be wonderful on tap.

- Light to medium bodied.... smooth, little chewy... overall pleasant.

- This is quite good, balanced, and tasty.... caught me a tad off guard... especially after reading some of the previous reviews. I am seeing that some are just not very fair. This brew deserves more credit!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2010 02:37:35 | More by Docer

RedBrewer83

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aggressively poured into pint glass...

A: Pours a light roasted chocolate color, almost like a very thin porter, nice three finger head forms and falls pretty slow leaving nice lacing.

S: Sweet roasted malt, some faint dark fruit, raisin, very light chocolate, a little bready.

T: Smooth light roasted malt, follows the nose for the most part, just a hint of hop on the finish that seems to crisp things up nicely.

M: Lighter body, very nice carbonation, very smooth going down and a dry finish.

D: This is meant to go down smooth and does so very nicely.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2010 16:00:55 | More by RedBrewer83

blackc5

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a pint glass at 47F.

A - Quite dark and black, this had a high carbonation head that wasn't going anywhere fast, and minimal lacing.

S - Malts and molasses, some hints of smoke, and just a touch of chocolate.

T - Although generally, this tastes ok, this comes off as a beer that doesn't quite know what it wants to be. It is a VERY dark brown ale, or a weak American porter. I would say it is closer to the latter, but it feels a bit under-flavored and wimply in that regards. The overall flavor is slightly sweet roasted malts with a touch of nuttiness and chocolate.

M - Highly carbonated, medium bodied. Fairly smooth but a bit thin, and not a real standout.

D - ABV is pretty low, and it goes down easy enough. But, I would pass on buying it again. Was expecting a lot more with a name like Sinister (no matter the silly spelling).

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2010 04:16:26 | More by blackc5