Black Xantus - Nectar Ales

zackinthebox

California

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

the bourbon barrels, chocolate and black cherries really stand out in this beer. Thin light brown head that quickly dissipates. I don't drink coffee so I don't feel qualified to comment on that trait . It is dark but not black. Smooth. Nectar of the gods.
I like it. A lot. Thank you!!!

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 08:11:45 | More by zackinthebox

Suds

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An exceptional imperial stout. This one was better than expected. It pours a thick, viscous black liquid. Small - quickly nonexistence - head, reminiscent of some motor-oil-like brews. the aroma is of grain and malt, fuel and alcohol, wood and chaff. Roasted and strong boozy scents. The taste is very warming, but not hot. It's an engaging and approachable beer. Full and thick in body, the aftertaste, of grain, alcohol, and thick malt, linger for minutes. I'd look for this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 02:52:09 | More by Suds

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Black Xantus, number 900

A-Pours rather light for a beer of its stature and girth. When held up to a light source, I can see through the beer all the way through. Granted, I really squint and strain to do so. An aggressive pour gives birth to a big, frothy brown head. Head is over an inch tall but it does die down considerably. Lighter lacing bugs and specks.

S-The nose is firstly a huge fog of milk chocolate. Vanilla bean and flat cola with light spicy notes. A delectable oaky barrel character arises as well. Very light bourbon notes. Fresh brewed coffee and burnt toast. Leaning towards charred maltiness. The barrel combined with the chocolate makes this one quite aromatic.

T-Ah yes! Chocolate bourbon ice cream milkshake. The barrel notes complement the beer's base flavor exceptionally well. There is some definite peppery heat here. Dark roast coffee and pumpernickel bread that has been over-toasted. Mocha deliciousness. Reminds me of a deluxe New Holland Dragon's Milk.

M-Quite full but not incredibly viscous. Plentiful, soothing carbonation. Light bitterness. Dry. Super drinkable. The bomber is disappearing quickly.

O/D-Really nice brew. Its big but not gigantic. Far more drinkable than other barrel aged Imperial Stouts. It just barely misses that upper-echelon for this style. About as drinkable as a barreled stout over 10% can be.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 04:05:52 | More by VelvetExtract

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a snifter glass.

A: A jet black color that does not let light through. Very small light brown head with minimal glass lacing.

S: Bourbon on the nose right away with dark chocolate, roasted notes and some darker coffee.

T: The bourbon is very forward on this beer and mixes nicely with the darker chocolate flavors. Some burnt coffee, roasted flavors and espresso mix with an underlying sweetness that keeps everything working together. Finish has more bourbon with some woodyness that doesn't allow the sweetness to linger. Nice roasted finish.

M: Full, coating, alcohol forward (very welcomed) and low carbonation.

O: A very good barrel aged beer that I was completely surprised and blown away by. The bourbon was just about perfect and mixed well with the sweetness to make a very balanced but complex beer.

Loved this beer, I need more. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 14:16:52 | More by Kadonny

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

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 bottling

A - Pours a deep thick inky black. Not much foam forming, just a under a fingers worth of tightly packed brown bubbles which quickly dissolve into a ring round the glass. Though it does better upon the second pour which after it has warmed a bit.

S - aroma is intense and concentrated. The bourbon character is very strong lend sweet caramel and vanilla notes along with a thick oaky char with just a hint of smoke. Underneath is an slightly oily, roasty malt character with maybe a touch of chocolate.

T - grainy, dark bread with a malty sweetness up front. Rich caramel flavor from the bourbon with a reserved sweetness. woody flavors and hints of vanilla meet oily espresso and roasty bitterness. Finish is medium length with a lingering caramel note.

M - Full bodied with a creamy decedent texture. Medium to high carbonation keep the beer from being too cloying.

O - A rich and satisfying ale. A desert beer if there ever was one. What is most remarkable is how smooth the flavors are. Just another example of Firestone Walker being the Kings of barrel aged beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 04:59:35 | More by Teleweizen2

zhanson88

Montana

3.6/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color with about 1/2" of tan head. Retention is really pretty good, and it has some okay lacing.

Smell: Chocolate, slight roast, liquorice and a hint of molasses. More sweet notes than roast or bitterness. Smells pretty good.

Taste: Milk chocolate followed by black liquorice and molasses notes. Again, leans toward the sweet and slightly hot side, but still good.

Mouthfeel/Overall: Mouthfeel is about medium, with pretty high carbonation. Overall, it was decent and worth a try. Not a ton of complexity and lacks "wow factor". Edit: after a bit of reading it seems this was barrel aged. This beer had sat for a while and maybe that is why, but I did not pick up a bit of barrel. Seems odd to me. Definitely did not pick up any added complexity from the barrel treatment.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 03:58:54 | More by zhanson88

SHODriver

California

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 bottling

A: poured into a DFH snifter to a deep black with a small tan head that fades to a collar around the glass and a small pool in the middle due to the nucleation points at the bottom of the glass
S: smells of coffee, chocolate, a bit of bourbon, some woody notes and a bit of charred wood
T: tastes of coffee, chocolate, caramel, a bit of vanilla, some nice woody flavor, hints of vinous qualities from the wine barrels, and roasted barley. swallow brings flavors of bourbon, alcohol, chocolate and more coffee
M: full with soft but slightly prickly carbonation that's a bit more heavy than I'd like but helps to keep things moving. it thins out the feel a little bit as well
O: pretty mellow for the alcohol with nice flavors and just a touch of heat. the beer is well crafted and the flavors blend well without one being overly dominant. even the coffee lets the other flavors shine through. I like it. Not sure on the aging potential but I might have to pick up a couple more.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 03:38:49 | More by SHODriver

chugalug06

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Two finger toast colored head; filled with foam. Brew is a bit on the thinner side..but pitch black. Lacing is decent.

Strong (over bearing) hazelnut aroma...I'm not the biggest fan of hazelnut... Coffee, caramel, dark chocolate also dominate.

Flavor is much better then aroma. Strong, roasty, robust, caramel, molasses, coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla oakyness. Dry, perfectly malted, great carbonation, no heat, deep, and chewy.

A very good brew with a major hazelnut problem. If Firestone would have left the hazelnut out, it could have been one of the best Imperial Stouts i've had... Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 00:44:23 | More by chugalug06

harrymel

Washington

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Well, wanted to try this in a minimalist, lazy sense. Showed up at the local, figured I'd give it a try.
Bottled: 30AUG12

Pours deep black, light khaki thin sheet atop. Smells of cocoa powder, nougat, some coffee, bourbon (amazing how much the signature FW smells come through), vanilla and a touch of roasted malts. Very sweet nose. Taste is vanilla, sharp alcohol, sweet marshmallow cream, roasted malts, toasted malts, some coffee, cocoa powder again, a hint of licorice and a little bit of leather. Full, viscous body with low carb and an off dry finish. A stout worth drinking, not worth the $15 I dropped on it. It's about $5 too much. It is really reminiscent of a lesser FW beer. It's not bad, but a little out of it's realm.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 07:54:29 | More by harrymel

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 2012 vintage chilled and poured into my Kate the Great tulip glass. Picked up yesterday at the store.

Appearance: Dark brown in color. Actually a lot lighter in color than I would have expected for the style. Pours a nice one finger light brown head. Recedes pretty quickly into a light lacing.

Aroma: Dark roast coffee beans, vanilla, caramel and a touch of bourbon. The coffee tones really seem to dominate and lend a nice bitterness that really counters all the other sweet notes.

Taste: Roasted coffee beans dominate with some tones of vanilla and caramel that complement underneath the initial bitterness. Some light earthiness and hop character. Really drinkable considering the ABV. Chocolate and oak notes are definitely noticable throughout as well.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied. Very nice carbonation.

Overall, a nice barrel aged stout with some really nice coffee flavor throughout. Defintely not in the top tier but there is enough complexity here to keep this interesting throughout. Definitely glad I got the chance to try this.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 20:26:21 | More by Gosox8787

Vec2267

Florida

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - jet black, big light tan head, minimal lacing

S - huge, big nose of roast malts, sweet, chocolate, vanilla, molasses, alcohol

T - heavily roasted malts, chocolate, vanilla, oak

F - rich, lush, sticky

O - they hammered the rich thick chocolate side of things, not enough balance, no hop bitterness balance, not enough complexity

A big, rich, lush, sweet, chocolate malt bomb. Add some bitter complexity and you have great beer. This is half way there.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 00:36:39 | More by Vec2267

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.15/5  rDev 0%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours mahogany with a sliver of fast fading mocha colored head. Minimal head retention & lacing, a minor short-coming

S: Dark fruit & port notes, a touch of chocolate too

T: Figs, raisins, dark cherries, a bit of port & some dryness up front. Oaky dryness, plus a bit of chocolate covered raisins & some coffee thrown in as this warms, some vanilla too edging towards Bourbon/x-mas pudding, Finishes oaky, some warming/boozey with maraschino cherry & a bit of vanilla & cocoa

MF: Fairly chewy with slight carbonation, stickyness as well, gets fairly warming as well

A fairly complex & yet drinkable take on the style. This one would age very well I bet, but is drinking great at the present, almost gave this a 4.5, but some slightly rough edges held it back just a little. Will buy this again to be sure

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 04:07:10 | More by russpowell

TKEbeerman

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured into my SA perfect pint, this brew pours a super dark brown. Held to the light you can see some light shine through. The head is lacking body.

S: The aroma deserves a 4.5 simply due to mouth watering .complexity. Medium roast coffee, notes of chocolate and vanilla, some toffee, and maybe some hazel nut.

T: The flavor is almost equally as complex and satisfying as the nose. Very smooth chocolate, vanilla, coffee mix with a slight bitterness on the back of the pallet.

MF: The mouth feel is velvety smooth with excellent carbination for brew supposedly aged in various barrels.

Overall, a brew completely worth the price. It is rare to see a brew of this quality on the shelves here in FL

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 00:45:02 | More by TKEbeerman

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2011 vintage. Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Half Acre snifter.

A- pours black with a 1 finger tan head. Minimal lacing resides immediately.

S- roast, coffee, slight bourbon, maple syrup, dark fruits.

T- dark chocolate, nice coffee flavor, some dark fruits and sweet roasted malts with bitter coffee at the finish.

M- medium body and carbonation. A little thin for 12% and still has slight burn from the abv.

O- good imperial stout, but not a ton of barrel if that's what you are looking for. Nice coffee and dark fruit notes.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 02:19:41 | More by kawilliams81

Dope

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle doesn't appear to be dated. I assume 2011. Could be almost 2 years old.

A: Pours black with a big and dense medium brown head. Fades at a moderate pace. No lacing but decent head retention.

S: Decent bourbon, heavy on the caramel and brown sugar. Touch of toffee and oak. Rich, earthy coffee, not super bitter or acrid like some. Hints of dark fruit. Rather creamy - maybe that's some vanilla from the bourbon.

T: Mild bourbon and roasted malt, nice combination. Toffee, caramel, brown sugar and vanilla mixes with strong roasty coffee and chocolate. Coffee and chocolate turns a bit bitter in the middle. Lots of dark fruits into the finish. Lots of cherry and grape specifically I'd say. Lingering finish is bitter coffee and touches of oak and dark fruits.

M: Fairly heavy and thick. Borderline brownie batter. Slightly chalky, especially the coffee in the aftertaste.

O: Love the complexity on this one. There are lots of bourbon flavors, roasted malt flavors and fruitiness. They all stand apart from each other at times and at other times they meld wonderfully. No one flavor truly stands alone, it's really nicely balanced overall. Excellent brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 03:42:17 | More by Dope

StlHopHead77

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours out a much thinner than expected asphalt black body with 2 inches of rapidly disappearing,light khaki head that left thin but sticky sheets of lacing.

S-Really nice nose of strong,natural,dark roast coffee,creamy vanilla,mild bourbon and bittersweet chocolate.Some notes of caramelized nuts and toasted coconut as well.

T-Taste is super clean with flavors of coffee,bittersweet chocolate,mild raisin,vanilla,mild bourbon and finishing with the flavors of Almond Joy(chocolate,almond,coconut).

M-Just a tad thin but with well integrated and complimenting flavors.Mouthfeel a little disappointing but ABV is totally in hiding.

O-This reminds me in some ways of a Barrel aged Peche Mortel,which is a very good thing.If this had a little more body on the pour and was a little chewier it would have scored much higher.Still very good though.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 16:39:02 | More by StlHopHead77

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Picked up a bottle mostly based off of Firestone Walker's rep, $15. Standard stout appearance, the first glass I poured had a head but each subsequent refill did not. Aroma was weird, peanuts, touch of whiskey (or bourbon), and astringent alcohol, not nice. The flavor was better, very subtle coffee notes, whiskey and a really cool peanut butter and chocolate combo. Overall I was pretty let down by this after loving FW barrel aged beers. Maybe this was an old bottle and the coffee has faded?

edit: just checked the bottle and it is dated 08/30/12 so this was not an old bottle by any means bummer

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 17:30:31 | More by ArrogantB

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a small snifter from a bomber. Beige head with moderate to low retention. Oily, clear lacing. Dark, dark body, not quite all the way black, but almost. Aroma includes coffee, bourbon, vanilla, alcohol and roasted malt. Taste includes slight alcohol, some bitter chocolate, coffee and a nice roast. Great flavor, and quite drinkable considering the abv. Very interesting and complex.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 03:26:03 | More by KickbacksSteve

CHILLINDYLAN

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black! Small burnt tan head. Light lacing doesn't stick.

Sweet Roasty chocolate. Vanilla, oak, booze. Touch of banana.

Roasty chocolate. caramel banana bourbon. vanilla oak and booze. pleasant dark roast coffee bitterness.

Full Silky body. above average mouthfeel, but not outstanding.

Very enjoyable. Good oak and bourbon character. A few steps below the world class.

(12/2010)

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 19:08:01 | More by CHILLINDYLAN

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

really underrated. tastes and smells like chocolate covered coffee beans. pours chocolate brown, and just like hersheys. surprisingly robust dark brown head as well, but it doesnt last long. the nose is seriously milk chocolate and coffee beans. love it. flavor is more milk than dark chocolate, but there isnt a ton of leftover sugar, which is awesome in a beer of this size. where is the alcohol? 11% and you would never know it. the feel is smooth and groovy, nice and full on the body, with moderate but ample carbonation. this is a straight up ice cream float beer, and i think it deserves more props on here. maybe not the most style accurate big stout because of the chocolate, but man this is good. for real, a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be the best dessert i can imagine. get into it.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 02:04:23 | More by StonedTrippin

brystmar

New York

4.3/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pitch black body, tan head, good retention. Rounding down on appearance to hit my target ~4.28 mark. Aroma caught me off guard being more pungent and concentrated with coffee than expected. Wow, this smells great but it doesn't last as long as I'd hope. Rounding up on aroma.

Geez, how is this only a 4.05 on BA? Incredibly deep, rich, flavorful profile. Very dark; depth of coffee the flavor here is remarkable. Caramel, roasty malts, booze. Nothing subtle here: this is flavor country, ladies and gents. Big, thick body carries these flavors to my palate. I'm quite impressed.

Apparently these are $8/bottle in NJ? If so, this is one of the very best values in beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 03:47:29 | More by brystmar

mfavoino

Washington

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber enjoyed on 10/7/12. Batch that was released in late 2011.

A: Deep brown, almost lack that shows more brown with some color behind it. One finger of mocha head retains for a minute or so.

S: Strong roasted malts, coffee is obvious, and some booze heat. Not getting much of the barrel in the nose.

T: Sweet chocolate, roasted dark malt and coffee dominate on the front end. Also a bit of booze, then smooths out and some of the barrel is noticeable. Coffee lingers as it finishes.

M: Medium-full bodied with appropriate carbonation. Booze heat as it finishes.

O: Good Imperial Stout that isn't as barrel forward as some others that I've had with this style. Coffee forward and not too heavy.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 04:28:36 | More by mfavoino

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

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz, 2012 batch
HF glass

A: Pitch black color. Half finger of medium tan head. Some alcohol feet. Some light tan bits. Maybe getting some dark reddish hues on corners.

S: Holy coffee! Big coffee nose here. Don't get much barrel, aside from some light vanilla. Also some roast character. Being a coffee head....I like the nose.

T: Bitter dark chocolate on the tip of tongue. Big coffee notes. You do taste some of that oat body smoothing this out. Really getting minimal barrel character through the coffee and dark chocolate. Not bad at all. Definitely imperial, as I do taste the booze a bit. Dry dark chocolate finish that lingers.

M: Full bodied. Big beer. Carbonation helps a bit.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 18:19:46 | More by inlimbo77