Black Xantus - Nectar Ales

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BA SCORE
92
exceptional
-
561 Ratings

rAvg: 4.15
pDev: 13.01%
Reviews: 321
Hads: 240

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Brewed by:
Nectar Ales

California, United States

Style | ABV
American Double / Imperial Stout | 11.00% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (288), on-tap (33).

Notes:
Barrel aged for 6 months in combination of Bourbon, retired Firestone Union and wine barrels and Infused with fair-trade, organic coffee from local roaster Jobella.

Style: Imperial Java Stout IBUs: 50 Color: Black ABV: 11%

View: Beers (5) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by SkeeterBoganski:

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

4.35/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled 8/30/12

A - lookswise, this beer pours a shadowy black with tinges of ruby; lacing, head and carbonation are virtually non existent

S - this beer is sugary bourbon up front, with hints of coffee, chocolate, and raisins to follow on the nose

T - almost exactly the same as the nose, with more coffee emphasis present and notes of cherry, almond, and bitter malt; not too hot; as it warms, some buttery nuttiness comes through

M - surprisingly, this beer actually carries some legit carbonation in the mouth, despite its look; it's pretty bitter up front but smooth and medium bodied towards the backend

O - a pleasant surprise to me for a beer that doesn't seem to get a lot of love; the abv is great and not upfront; I prob overpaid bc of the place purchased (Mondo Vino, $17), but at 10-12 bucks, this is a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 00:06:38 | More by SkeeterBoganski

More User Reviews:

Dirksen

California

4.75/5 rDev +14.5%

05-24-2013 19:42:28 | More by Dirksen

kemoarps

Washington

4.14/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours thinner and a little lighter than I expected. Not much head (but that's not entirely surprising).
Smells sweet, and somewhat of coffee grounds. A little vanilla, some bourbon.

Toucan Sam taste (it follows the nose... nevermind.)
I get sweet vanilla notes, with the finish being bourbon and coffee grounds. Some cinnamon? A little sweet, but not cloyingly so. Not detrimental to the beer.

Sticky, a little chewy, you can taste the bourbon, but it doesn't come across as boozy, even at 11%.

A really good beer. There are better barrel aged stouts, and all, but not every beer can be THE BEST BEER EVAR. A very solid and extremely enjoyable brew, worth looking for

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 21:15:25 | More by kemoarps

Abrengle

Washington

4.75/5 rDev +14.5%

05-23-2013 01:22:12 | More by Abrengle

firecrack0r

California

4/5 rDev -3.6%

05-22-2013 22:48:42 | More by firecrack0r

SightinColor

Missouri

4/5 rDev -3.6%

05-21-2013 23:58:56 | More by SightinColor

acc88

Illinois

4/5 rDev -3.6%

05-20-2013 05:25:38 | More by acc88

Immortale25

Florida

4.35/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served in a pint glass at Tryst in Delray Beach, FL.

A- Pours a 99% opaque black color with a 1/4 inch tan head that retains a bit before becoming a thin ring around the edge of the glass and a sheer patch of surface foam. Slippery, non-resilient lacing leaves clots behind on the glass.

S- Roasted malt with notes of dark chocolate, brown sugar and vanilla.

T- A bit on the sweeter side with plenty of dark chocolate plus some black licorice and a hint of smoke. Also some vanilla and caramel and a semi-bitter aftertaste. Very smooth as the alcohol flavor is quite subdued.

M- Somewhat creamy and not as viscous as expected. Medium-low carbonation and a mildly robust body.

O- Glad to finally try this and on-tap no less. Quite complex and easy to drink. Definitely the best thing I've had from Nectar Ales so far.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2013 20:26:56 | More by Immortale25

Ilovebeer1549

California

3.25/5 rDev -21.7%

05-18-2013 04:27:34 | More by Ilovebeer1549

aslamm75

Indiana

4.25/5 rDev +2.4%

05-17-2013 22:11:25 | More by aslamm75

HopsMatt

Kentucky

4.25/5 rDev +2.4%

05-17-2013 01:07:05 | More by HopsMatt

MaseFace

Kentucky

4.25/5 rDev +2.4%

05-17-2013 01:06:13 | More by MaseFace

deltatauhobbit

Maine

4.1/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ahh, the infamous Black Xantus.

Pours a dark brown, almost black, color with a thinnish light brown head, fades quickly and leaves no lacing on the glass.

Smell has a subtle aroma of coffee, likely has diminished over time, roasted malt, light dark fruit notes.

Taste does not burn as badly as the jokes used to talk about although there is some heat to it, strong roasted malt backbone with a decent coffee presence, subtle dark fruit such as raisins, barrel-aging is very subtle with little wood character present, nice chewiness to it and a creamy body, carbonation is soft yet active.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 18:51:58 | More by deltatauhobbit

cyrushire

Florida

4.25/5 rDev +2.4%

05-14-2013 04:26:02 | More by cyrushire

mahak213

New York

4.26/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance- Black, but with a touch of light coming in around the edges. Not much head as expected, which dissipated into lots of big bubbles around the edges of the glass

Smell- Coffee and chocolate, vanilla from the barrel as well as a touch of a sweet, roasted coconut. No alcohol at all on the nose

Taste- Big milk chocolate which fades into roasty coffee. Coffee isn't too present, but it's there. Really nice barrel character though with sweet vanilla, coconut, and a touch of booziness finishing things off.

Mouthfeel- Medium body with mild carbonation. Could be a bit fuller, but the carbonation is spot on for me. Finishes sticky, sweet, and coating

Overall- I think I enjoy KBS a bit more than this as far as BA coffee stouts go, but this has a much nicer barrel character. Either way, you can't go wrong, this is good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 23:06:29 | More by mahak213