El CuCuy - Marshall Brewing Company

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #50 (March 2011):

Oh yeah, doesn’t matter how old you are, the boogeyman will always come back to haunt you ... thankfully, this time, in the form of a beer. Not fully black, but certainly dark enough; tan froth holds strong. Hop aroma is a bit catty with suggestions of ripened grapefruit and fresh split evergreen wood, and then a hint of burnt sugar. The whole palate is surrounded by different depths of hops, from a thin, oily character to a full-on bitterness and resiny citric peel flavor. Malt is a roasty fixture with some fruity undertones, and yeast drops in with some nutty flavors, which match up well with the roasted tone. Slightly blurs the fine line between Black Ale and ales that are much darker—enjoyable from cracking the wax to the last sip.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 13:37:07 | More by BeerAdvocate

BrockLanders

Oklahoma

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

06-12-2013 02:47:28 | More by BrockLanders

youradhere

Arkansas

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

05-11-2013 03:02:33 | More by youradhere

AltBock

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

22oz. bomber bottle that had purple wax around the cap. A little odd for an American Black Ale. I'm lost for words on the label. It looks like they put a well dressed zombie on the cover. It almost looks like a demonic label. Makes me want to grab some holy water to sprinkle on the bottle. It's something you need to see for yourself. No bottled date, but at least it's wax sealed. Poured into a Samuel Smith Imperial Pint Glass.

This Black IPA poured a... Well it poured a semi black color. It appeared to black in color, but light could shine through this beer with no problem. Instead this beer poured a really dark cola brown. On top of this cola colored brew was a small 1/4 of an inch dark tan head of foam. It had acceptable retention. It receded a little quick, but at least it left behind a large foamy string of rings and tiny blots of lace around the glass.

The aroma was nice and roasted. Up front was the roasted malt. Behind the roasted malt was a dab of sweet caramel. When the caramel had its fun in the sun, in comes the beer's hop profile. The hops were big fans of the pine. Not just any old pine. They were roasted piney hops. This hoppy aroma wasn't overly hoppy. There was just enough hops on the aroma to keep your nose entertained.

Like the aroma, the taste was also a big fan of being roasted. To kick off the taste was the roasted malt. Following the malt was the roasted piney hops. Tied in with the piney hops was some citrus elements. I caught some faint grapefruit and lemon intermingled with the piney hops. After the hops had their moment, the beer finishes up with some baker's chocolate and a pinch of sweet caramel. When the taste warms up, more piney hops emerge. Very good!

This was a very crispy medium bodied dry Black IPA. This beer had its fair share of carbonation. The aftertaste was ripe with roasted malt, piney hops, a drop of grapefruit, and baker's chocolate. This aftertaste will linger on in the back of your mouth. This dry aftertaste will dry you out. Make sure you have a glass of water handy.

A very good Black IPA from the Wild West! Sometimes a beer will hide behind their cool label. This isn't one of those beers. It's scary good! I would like to thank BA BlueOkie for hooking me up with this winner.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 02:16:07 | More by AltBock

canawler

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

04-22-2013 22:18:24 | More by canawler

okbeerlover

Oklahoma

4.43/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer fresh is amazing. It is my favorite beer that Marshall puts out. Wish it wasn't a seasonal. It has a good amount of roast character but also a ton of hop flavor and aroma. A lot of citrus and pine. If you let the beer age a bit the hops quickly go away. Still a great beer at this point just not a ton of hop aroma. drink this one fresh if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 19:33:33 | More by okbeerlover

cmbeaudoin

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

04-13-2013 17:09:57 | More by cmbeaudoin

sendsilk

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Graciously given to me by my friend Glenn.

Okay, I never know what to expect with a "black ale" especially shown the bottle says "India style Black Ale" is it a black IPA? Is it a black ale? Who the hell knows...

This is a decent beer but I don't get the hops that people have mentioned...yes, I'm in FL and this comes from OK so maybe it's a bit old. It's not bad but could be better. Middle of the road black ale/IPA, something along those lines.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 02:31:50 | More by sendsilk

KVNBGRY

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

04-08-2013 00:17:36 | More by KVNBGRY

BYOFB

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

04-02-2013 05:51:23 | More by BYOFB

Sparky44

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%

03-31-2013 23:33:25 | More by Sparky44

DarthKostrizer

California

3.25/5  rDev -20.9%

03-27-2013 08:12:04 | More by DarthKostrizer

thegerm87

Connecticut

1.5/5  rDev -63.5%

03-05-2013 01:34:03 | More by thegerm87

hardrock

Arkansas

4/5  rDev -2.7%

02-23-2013 22:00:50 | More by hardrock

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a balloon glass.

The beer is a dark cola black, slight brown comes through the light. Cream colored head recedes to a wisp, decent light lacing.

Aroma is chalky, roasted malts with hints of chocolate. Good bright hop presence.

Tastes sweet and chocolatey at first. Some darker grains and more of a coffee richness follow, then a tangy bitter hop finish. Good balance.

Medium mouthfeel, easy to drink for 8.6%.

Overall, I like the complexity of the sweetness. Worth the money.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 01:25:15 | More by JuicesFlowing

Dylsey

Arkansas

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

02-08-2013 18:46:33 | More by Dylsey

Bosoxfan20

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A- Aggressive pour from a 22oz bomber. No bottled on date, but can't be real fresh since I bought this a couple months after the time of year that Marshall's brews this. Pours a nice black that is a really dark brown when held up to the light. Light to moderately tan head with decent retention. Very good lacing. Love the look of black IPAs and this one is no different

S- Some roasted notes with sweetness on the back end. Hints of chocolate and caramel. Probably more caramel. Pine and floral hops are subtle and only slightly present. My suspicion is that the hops have mellowed in time.

T- Taste does a good job of following the nose. Subtle resinous pine hops. Robust sweet caramel and roasted flavors coming through. Lots of roasted goodness here. A little boozy with the warm finish, but a good pop to let you know the alcohol is there. Slight bitterness that also seems to have mellowed with time. I would have loved the hop presence to be more intense, but a delicious beer none the less.

M- Quite smooth. Well carbonated. Medium to full bodied. Slightly dry finish.

O- I had this beer a few months ago when it was really, really fresh and the hop level was more intense and certainly intended to be that way. I would love to review again next time this beer is brewed. Still a great one and probably the best from Marshall's IMO. Tasted a lot more like a Russian imperial stout this time around without the hops coming through as much. I can't wait for this one to be brewed again.

$8.49 for a 22oz bottle

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 22:40:36 | More by Bosoxfan20

AlaskanYoung

Alaska

5/5  rDev +21.7%

01-23-2013 21:25:29 | More by AlaskanYoung

chaseabeer

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev -2.7%

01-16-2013 02:14:45 | More by chaseabeer

isaiahcutright

Oklahoma

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

01-11-2013 00:45:40 | More by isaiahcutright

cfh64

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

01-06-2013 02:26:22 | More by cfh64

Dat

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

01-03-2013 00:33:02 | More by Dat

Listers

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

12-13-2012 16:29:26 | More by Listers

aaronc528

3/5  rDev -27%

12-03-2012 08:04:12 | More by aaronc528

MtnBiker

Oklahoma

4.63/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Ok my first review, and just doin it because these guys deserve the rep. I'm not going to stick to the regular review styles, because I feel like I should just be able to talk about a beer and rave about it or trash it based on my perceptions without the format.

Poured this from a 750 into a New Belgium tulip. Nice tan 2 finger head. Amazing piney smell, makes me wish I was in the woods on my mountain bike somewhere in southern Arkansas. Tastes amazing, maybe I'm just a noob and don't know what flavors I'm experiencing, but this shit is good. Begs for another sip. Been tryin to keep a bottle back and turn it into barleywine, lol, but it's too cheap and good, around here to let sit around without drinkin it. Kudos to you Eric and your amazing brewery on a great brew, and being a wonderful asset to our city.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 07:05:59 | More by MtnBiker