Black Xantus - Nectar Ales

BeerManDan

California

4.93/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The color when poured into a pint glass was a very dark, dark, dark brown, on the verge of being black. The dark brown foam was minimal and no lace on the glass.

The smell of roasted malts, mild piney hop's, candy and fruit filled the nose with a pleasant aroma upon the first sniff. On the second wiff, alcohol was evident along with different unidentified components.

The taste was very complex. Creamy, rich with a sweet/bitter finish. The flavors was some complex, that it was a challange to pick out each and every flavor that this porter produced. There was roasted malts, toffee, mild piney hops, prunes, with, other fruity flavors. And, don't forget the 11% alcohol. Not overpowering, but, it was still there.

Interest Imperial Porter. I will say, this is an expensive bottle of Porter, but, well worth it.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2009 19:32:17 | More by BeerManDan

hannibalsmith63

California

4.93/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Enjoyed at XL Grindhouse in Salinas, ca

A- Dark espresso colored. Left less than one finger head.

S- smells of chocolate, vanilla, and coffee. A lot like and Irish Coffee. Doesent smell as boozy as I expect. Great nose morning or night.

T- it tastes exactly like it's nose. Irish car bomb but cool. Begs for ice cream for a float! Vanilla and bourbon stand up well to the coffee.

M- coats the tongue nicely but the burn you expect does not come. The sweetness makes you lick your lips.

O- one of the better beers I have had in a while. Extremely balanced and sophisticated. I'll be very sad when this beer is not around to enjoy!

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2011 02:42:29 | More by hannibalsmith63

Tilley4

Tennessee

4.88/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

What an amazing brew this one turned out to be...

I had this at a Firestone Walker tasting at Maria's in Chicago...

Arrives as dark as the background on this website...

Loads of deep roasted malts, chocolate, and a big whiff of bitter coffee present in the aromas... Lots of stuff going on here... Coffee, chocolate, deep dark roasted malts, and a hint of hops meld together in the aroma dept...

A lovely blend of cocoa, hops, booze, coffee, and vanilla pervade all of the sensory organs and have this beer on point... An unbelievable plethora of flavors and aromas present in this beer...

It's a shame that these guys don't distribute to TN... I'd be a regular customer!!

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2011 02:47:14 | More by Tilley4

100floods

California

4.85/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

pitch back hue with half a finger... no, now no head but a faint mocha colored film lingering on top. sweet, black liquorish aromas, haven't smelt those in a stout in a while, yum! Some chocolate aromas as well. The combination is superb, some of the best aroma's to come from a stout in a while, for me at least.
Nice dark chocolate, roasted flavors. I think I mistook the liquorish for something else, but i feel like they are still lingering barely. coffee with a dash of milk comes to mind. The darker flavors come in second after the chocolate ones. Very easy on the carbonation, doesn't interrupt what else is going on. This beer is very comparable to Speeway Stout in execution. Nice full body, big flavors that come out smooth and not harsh. I let my bottle sit probably no more than 6 months. I don't know if I would age it longer. It's so good as it is right now.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 17:33:39 | More by 100floods

CA_Infidel2o9

4.8/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber to a Tulip

A- black with some ruby sees through w/ light, almost zero head

S- caramel, vanilla, coffee, chocolate, earthy, roasted malts, slight booze

T- follows the nose perfectly

M- creamy, low carbonation, slit alcohol heat

O- Very nice brew! Probably my favorite Imperial Stout of the year. It's rich, decadent, and super creamy. Caramel, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, w/ some booze makes this the perfect holiday brew. I've passed on Nectar Ales for years. If the rest of the line up is as good as this... ill slap myself.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 22:40:11 | More by CA_Infidel2o9

colforbin73

California

4.75/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

i am reserving a full 5.0 on the overall due to the lack of my own experience. regardless, the is an Exceptional stout.

pours a luscious gloppy black and works up a little tan head with an aggressive pour. it dissipates but leaves a sharp maple star in the glass and thin foam on the rim.

aroma, excellent, lots of roasty and chocolate malts, very strong -- giving an indication of the taste. but slightly misleading....

this stout is very strong tasting, roasted and chocolate malts dominate the palate, nearly smokey, but perfectly sweet and surprisingly creamy. the high ABV hits -- but it is very warming and mellow. you could have a glass after dinner -- a sumptuous desert stout.

a thick & malty, complex, nuanced stout -- this is one to judge against all others. i was overly impressed by this beer... if i see it again, i will gather.

A++

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 05:50:49 | More by colforbin73

PatrickSwayze

California

4.73/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: A rich deep black color with wonderful light mahogany head.

S: Deep raisin covered with chocolate

T: An unreal smooth chocolate, oak, vanilla mixture that is blended like the best of wet dreams. Serious complexity with mild roast gently caressing the taste buds.

M: Perfectly soft and gentle on the tongue without the alcohol heat.

O: This bee was a great experience. Quite engaging with the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 23:51:44 | More by PatrickSwayze

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.73/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Well...I don't rate that often these days, but this seemed worthy...perhaps my first time having it, perhaps not, but it stood out as strong, sweet and smooth...big, bold and something to slow you down nicely! Very dark...aromas were not huge for me, but chocolate malts stood out. Flavor is something special...wow...fresh and with some time aging in the glass (don't know about bottle aging, this is under 4 months old). Sweet chocolate, carob, slight coffee, dark roasted bitter malts, smooth Bourbon, molasas, Mexican chocolate...one might call this a desert beer at 11%...I'll tell you what though... I'd like to get this more often :)

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 04:22:30 | More by DenverLogan

hoplover82

Texas

4.72/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pitch black with a small tan head that has great retention and ok lacing, but for the style, I'm impressed with the head retention.

The aroma was kinda bland at first, but as it warmed up a bit, it began to become very interesting and complex and wonderful. It began to be full of dark chocolate with light notes of earthy mint toffee. As it warms there also is a coffee note to compliment to dark chocolate. So nice and complex.

My favorite thing about this beer is the roundedness and smoothness of this beer. There is the flavor of the best dark chocolate and fresh roasted bright coffee. There also is a very pronounced toffee note in the flavor as apposed to the aroma. SO smooth.

HUGE silky mouthfeel with a sweet silky finish.

Very smooth and drinkable. I'm so glad that I had the oppertunity to try this. Thanks Jason! This was epic indeed.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2010 02:22:22 | More by hoplover82

Soonami

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks Chad for sharing this bottle of Black Xantus. This was a delicious RIS, I can't remember having a better example of the style. The beer was nearly opaque, dark as midnight with mahogany hues when held up in the light. The beer was topped with a cappuccino foam that held a wonderful aroma of mocha, roasted malt and fresh ground coffee. The beer had great balance with a wonderful amount of malty toasty grain. Often stouts are all bitter and astringent roast, but this beer has delicious maltiness that just makes it for me. Great beer thanks a lot Chad for sharing, i can't wait to be able to buy this soon.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 22:47:15 | More by Soonami

cosmo4u

New York

4.68/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance
Black Xantus pours a near opaque black with a deep red edge. The large head is light mocha in color and faded relatively slowly for such a high ABV beer.

Aroma
Big time roasted coffee, caramel and a little anise are the primary notes on the nose. There a slight oakiness in there as well as a bit of a cigar character, but it's light. The alcohol adds a little heat to the nose, as well.

Taste
The mouthfeel on this brew is thick and viscous, as a Russian Imperial Stout should be. The roasted coffee nearly dominates the palate while a touch of anise and smoke (the cigar from the aroma perhaps) come in behind it. There's a subtle dark cherry hint in the lingering finish that's also got a bite of bitterness. While the higher alcohol content is present I wouldn't call it "hot."

Overall
This is one of the more full flavored and unique Russian Imperial Stouts I've ever had. It's got a complex palate, yet is still smooth and quite drinkable. All I have to say is I'm glad I bought more than one bottle. I can't wait to see how this one changes over time.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 22:24:07 | More by cosmo4u

mkotsayfan

California

4.68/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a snifter. Pours a deep dark black with nice tight bubbles and a one finger light mocha head. Very unique smelling stout, almost smells like a strong ale - dark fruits, coffee, and chocolate. The taste brings out those flavors with a very nice balance, I was worried the barrel aging and dark fruits would come through too strongly, but it accentuates the nice coffee and chocolate flavors. A nice mouthfeel too, very smooth and good carbonation along with the right amount of thickness to the beer. The alcohol is there, but just lingering in the background, which is perfectly acceptable for a 11% ABV.

A great beer from Nectar Ales, didn't expect the dark fruits, but everything came together beautifully, which isn't suprising considering that Nectar is owned by Firestone, one of the best breweries at producing blended/barrel aged beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 00:27:35 | More by mkotsayfan

angelogarcia3

New York

4.65/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A really great beer! The midnight color and very thin dark brown head imply the thickness and density of this beer. The nose has strong bourbon and alcohol aromas. The visual heaviness transfers to the mouth with a thickness similar to syrup. The taste of molasses, caramel, & malt. No bitterness at all and a warm feeling all over after drinking this beer at Rattle-n-Hum.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2011 21:33:40 | More by angelogarcia3

remhaze

California

4.65/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I went to firestone and they had black xantus on tap. What perfect timing!

A - real dark brown, almost black in color.

S - Bourbon, vanilla, smoked, sweet

T - Coffee, smoked, dark vanilla.

M - Very smooth, silky and heavy weight taste.

Overall this was a fantastic beer. I wish I could have stayed longer at Firestone. I bought all 5 bottles of Black Xantus they had left. I can't wait to age and taste this next year.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2011 02:08:55 | More by remhaze

Jake1605

Missouri

4.65/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Black with a mocha colored creamy 1 finger head that went away quickly. Smell is bitter sweet, lots of bold coffee aroma, oak, cocoa, roasted malts, brown sugar, bourbon, molasses, vanilla, milk chocolate & dark chocolate. Mouthfeel is soft. Very creamy & smooth complex brew. The bottle seems boozier than on tap, but it's still very balanced. Spotty lacing, dry, full bodied, great carbonation. Another amazing barrel aged beer from Firestone Walker.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 03:29:27 | More by Jake1605

teromous

Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

First off, I aged this beer for a little over one year.

A: The head is about 2/3 thumb's width, with a dark cocoa color. The beer pours dark like bourbon and is black in the glass. The head subsides, leaving a good portion of head in the glass still.

S: This beer has a very strong smell. Being away from the glass, I can still smell it. It smells of oak, cocoa and darker chocolates, with light notes of coffee. There is a malt scent to it as well. It doesn't smell like alcohol, but it smells a lot like bourbon...it has a kind of spicy scent along with the oak scent which are the strongest smells.

T: This tastes so good. It has a rich cocoa flavor to it, like really good chocolate truffles. I pick up the oak a tad, but it doesn't come out as much as it does in the scent. I saw that this is 11% and I get no alcohol flavor from this at all (could very well be from aging).

M: The mouthfeel on this beer is perfect. There's a slight warming without burning. It is incredibly smooth. It goes down so smooth, and it's flavor all the way. I get zero astringency or unpleasant bitterness. It is a heavy beer, with a decent amount of sweet malty flavor. There is great carbonation without it feeling like soda or feeling too flat...just right.

O: Overall this is the perfect example of how great beer can really be. I will be buying this again, for myself and likely for friends if I can get enough of them. I had the beer when it hit the shelves, and it was excellent then, but a lot has changed over one year of aging. It has mellowed and balanced out a lot more. It is so smooth and flavorful. I would rather drink this than have the finest chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 18:34:52 | More by teromous

iD9

California

4.63/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served in a cognac snifter.

Appearance: Dark, real dark. Head pours dark tan color. Out of the bottle, relatively little head (keep in mind small serving sizes), light lacing around the edges. Very pretty. Note, I had this straight from the tap at firestone brewery yesterday and the head poured beautiful.

Smell: Smells of bourbon, for a reason. Typical aroma of RIS style beers. Notes of chocolate and a dark malt roast. Fantastic.

Taste: Bourbon! Lots of chocolate, dark roasted coffee, hints of dark fruits possibly? Excellent depth of flavor. Sweet, dark molasses are present throughout with a rich, creamy flavor that defies the standards of regular beers. I love this style and this beer.

Mouthfeel: I'm trying to imagine a word or phrase that is not too graphic, but still does justice to this RIS's mouthfeel. It is full, smooth and creamy, with a hint of smokey chocolate. As the beer warms the slow burn of the bourbon presents itself further forward in the mouth. The creamy goodness lingers in the mouth for moments after the beer has passed.

Drinkability: Excessively drinkable. This is definitely a sipping beer and not to be taken lightly. When I had this on tap yesterday it was so good I could not leave until I got another one and a few bottles. I believe the movie Beerfest, starring Paul Soter and Erik Stolhanske said it best when they described the specialty brew of the Von Wolfhausens.

All-and-all this is an amazing beer. I cannot, in good faith, not make a return trip to buy more. Sufficed to say this will be a lean paycheck for the rest of the week but well worth it. This is a fantastic RIS and effectively embodies the style. Unlike some bourbon barrel aged RIS, it is subtle and beautiful. Kudos.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 05:37:36 | More by iD9

pennywhistle

California

4.63/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A fantastic stout - it's a bit sweeter and less bitter than some other local stouts. It has a nice bourbon flavor, but it's not too strong (which I prefer). A delicious beer, one of my favourite stouts. Very dark in the glass, thick around the edges.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 21:28:15 | More by pennywhistle

ChanChan

California

4.63/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 version of Black Xantus
Had this on Tap at Imbibe wine.

Appearance: Black as stout. The head is a half an inch and mocha in color. Lacing is minimal.

Aroma: At first this beer smells like chocolate and booze. As the beer warms up you can detect the vanilla and oak it was aged in.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, coats the mouth well, this beer leaves your lips sticky.

Taste: The initial taste is of pure dark chocolate. If this beer were to be marketed as a chocolate stout it would do great. I cannot detect the coffee at all in this beer. As it warms up the taste of oak and Firestone Barrels kick in.

Overall: This is an amazing beer. I never had the 2009 but the 2011 is superb!!

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2011 02:23:45 | More by ChanChan

Drinkerofales

California

4.63/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A black beer fills the glass, letting no light shine through. A huge mocha head quickly dissipated to a good ring of retention.

Smell is bourbon, wood, vanilla and chocolate, and a bit of booze burns my nose hairs.

Taste is chocolaty, while the bourbon sits in the back. Roasted malts make up the primary middle aspect, and a bitter coffee finish makes for a well balance beer.

Texture is medium full, silky smooth, and fittingly low carbonation. Scary easy to drink, even the wife liked this, and she's not one for the BBA beers.

Wow, what a great beer, chocolaty bourbon joy. FW does it again, I love Pasa Robles, I just might move there.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 20:01:45 | More by Drinkerofales

Genghis22

California

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On Tap at City Beer Store about 40 minutes ago!

A - Deep dark brown and black, like a cup of coffee. Black on first sight, but when held up to the light, some brown accents are seen. Small tight head, with gentle lacing.

S - Gentle coffee notes. Roasted malt, and touches of cocoa and vanilla.

T - Wow! Lots of stuff going on, all in harmony, but lots of individual flavors. Starts very gentle with cofee. Gives way to vanilla, bourban and chocolate. Just enough hops to keep it balanced.

M - Medium body with moderate to high carbonation. It's rich and smooth, but not heavy. The carbonation prickles the tongue a but, but the finish is velvety smooth.

D - Absolutely. If it weren't for the hefty price tag, the fridge would be full of this stuff! Excellent beer, with lots of complex flavors and the alcohol is completely hidden.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2009 19:44:47 | More by Genghis22

bamadog

Kentucky

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Special thanks to kels for sharing this at a recent tasting in Williamsburg, VA. Poured from the bottle to a snifter, review is from notes taken on 2/25/2010.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown/near black with some mahagony highlights near the surface; no real head to speak of, just a thin tan film on the surface; body is opaque and there is some spotty tan lacing left on the sides of the glass.

Smell: Quite nice and potent -- strong roasty malts and syrupy semi-sweet chocolate coated berry and dark fruit scents (cherry?); definite whiff of alcohol.

Taste: Very nice! Definite roastines, but not really burnt -- more like a well-brewed espresso; a nice semi-sweet chocolate flavor combines with the dark cherry-like fruit/berry aspects; definite presence of alcohol, but it's very well blended and compliments the flavors as opposed to dominating or making it hard to drink.

Mouthfeel: Body is solid -- moderately thick and creamy; tons of sticky and thick coating left throughout the mouth; bit of gritiness left on the palate; slight drying action from the ABV and the stomach is left a litle warm; carbonation is low and smooth.

Drinkability: I could sip on this all night despite the high ABV. The flavors are amazing and I really dig the mouthfeel. Wish this was something that was accessible to me.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2010 20:00:06 | More by bamadog

farrago

New Jersey

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Aggressive pour yields virtually no head at all, swirl all you want, you're not getting any form or lacing. While jet black, clear enough to see a solid burnt orange tinge at the rims and glass bottom, nice of it to allow for some color. Smooth coffee, chocolate fudge, almost German chocolate cake, in the nose, not quite doughy nor bready, biscuity, if anything, the roast noticeably subdued, pleasing wafts of citrus zest, more anise than licorice, good mixture of sweet apricot, plum, cherry, black grape scents, the hops remain in the background. Medium to full-bodied, extremely well-polished and fluid, deftly utilizes its weight to carry the flavors. Hoppy with a pleasing biscuity, piney touch to the attack before cocoa, mocha, dark chocolate, caramel and coconut take the stage, comes close to evoking bourbon barrels. Shows Brazil nut, cashew aspect, stays toasty versus roasty. The carbonation has a slow churn, turns over at a slow rate. The flavor intensity remains complete through the finish. Dee-licious.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2010 18:12:39 | More by farrago

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Black Xantus pours black into the glass with a small light tan head on top. The foam dissolves quickly leaving behind a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is not as strong as I thought it would be. It has rich malt with notes of coffee, roasted malt and nuts.

Each sip of this full bodied beer is chewy with light carbonation. The flavor is sweet. It begins with coffee and chocolate. In the middle creamy milk notes blend with roasted malt, toffee and nuts. It finishes mildly bitter with grassy hops.

This is a full flavored beer that hides its 11% abv very well. It's sweet with nice coffee notes, however the coffee doesn't overpower. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 01:28:02 | More by WanderingFool

daveytheformer

Oregon

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

from notes.

Pours a dark black (brownish hued) with a noticeable tan head that has some lacing remaining.

Smells like chocolate, vanilla, dark fruit, light roasted malt, lots of bourbon, just a tad nutty and overall amazing!

Tastes are raisins, prunes, caramel, sweet chocolate, vanilla, and a huge bourbon presence. Nice.

Mouthfeel is medium with a silky smooth finish. Light carbonation that fits this kind of beer perfectly.

Overall is excellent! One of the best beers like this I've had.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 18:41:50 | More by daveytheformer