Big Hugs - Half Acre Beer Company

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark brown to black color with a tan head. The aroma is full of coffee and chocolate with a lot of roasted malts. A very nice smelling Imperial Stout.

The flavor is more of the same. The chocolate and coffee really compliment the roasted malt notes well. There is also a nice cream and oats component to the flavor which I really enjoy.

Thick mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

A very nice Imperial Stout.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 02:15:56 | More by Mora2000

scottfrie

California

3.45/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2010 vintage. 10% ABV. Thanks to the generous BA who hooked it up a while ago.

A: Pours black with a finger of very dark brown head that faded into a thin collar leaving almost no lace.
S: Rich notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, a splash of coffee, and light alcohol vapor.
T: The dark chocolate dominates but there is a good amount of ‘roasted’ flavors to the brew. The coffee may be a bit faded by now but it shows up nicely in the finish and aftertaste. I get a kind of bitter nuttiness overall as well as a touch of dark fruit. Vanilla is in the aftertaste.
M: Super smooth mouthfeel, no trace of alcohol, low carbonation and a thick body. It could be a touch thicker, especially towards the finish.
O: Not the boldest of the imperial stouts but enjoyable none the less. I hardy get any coffee at all though. Is there supposed to be coffee? The bottle leads me to believe there should be.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 01:06:39 | More by scottfrie

COBeerBuff

Kansas

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

This is the 2010 version, and I received this bottle in the most recent Black Booty BIF.

Appearance: The pour into my trusty Spiegelau tulip yields a viscous opaque black liquid that is crowned by a finger of tan colored head. The smoothness on top of the head is astounding. It’s not wispy or light or billowy like many IS’s. It’s flat and smooth surface, and its resiliency is ridiculous. A full five minutes after the pour, the beer appears as it did at the very start.

Smell: Heavy notes of chocolate and coffee blast my nose upon first whiff. There’s a little bit of toffee and caramel and a hint of vanilla, but the majority of this aroma is thick with the roastiness of the coffee and a little bit of burnt chocolate. This is hands-down one of the best Imperial Stouts that I’ve smelled this spring. Just awesome!

Taste: Just like the nose, the flavors rock your palate with tons of coffee, chocolate, and a little bit more of the caramel sweetness. The dominating flavors of the roasted malts are balanced quite well with the sweetness from the vanillas, caramels, and toffee flavors that come up on the backend.

Mouthfeel: The beer felt exactly as it appeared on the pour. The viscosity of this beer is very high, and as you sip it, it announces itself by coating your palate and removing all doubt that this is a beer to be reckoned with. The toasted malts and grains rest heavy, but the sweetness helps lighten the mouthfeel slightly, transitioning well into a somewhat dry finish. Very good for the style, and very enjoyable for this beer.

Drinkability: This is just as good as I remember it being at DLD 2010, and that was the previous year’s version. If I lived in Chicago, I would drink the s**t out of this beer, and that’s not an understatement. The flavors are so rich and well-defined, and the mouthfeel and overall experience this beer creates is exquisite. The only thing I’m not looking forward to with this beer is finishing my last bottle tonight.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 00:49:24 | More by COBeerBuff

UMNbeerhunter

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2009 Vintage poured into a Brooklyn Brewery tulip on 4/27/11.

Pours super dark almost oil like with a finger of fluffy mocha colored head that dissipates leaving little lacing on the glass. Head retention is good but not great and I would have liked to see more lacing. The color of the head is very pleasing.

Smells of tons of toasted malts and coffee. There is a slight aroma of chocolate in the background but this beer is almost all about the roasted malt and coffee. Good aromas but not great. Well balanced.

Taste is bitter sweet chocolate mostly and then some roasted malt taste in the middle and finally it leaves me with a slightly fruity fig, raisin taste on the back end. I would have like to see a stronger coffee taste but it is a good swill even without it.

Mouthfeel is very light for the style. The resins coat the mouth with a bitter sweet fig taste that make you keep swallowing and tasting. Decent.

Overall this is a good brew but not stellar. One that isn't really worthy of going after all the time but definitely don't pass it up if you get a chance. I enjoyed it and look forward to having it again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 02:51:59 | More by UMNbeerhunter

jampics2

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle into a tasting snifter. I've been holding on to this to share at the right occasion, and a throw-down for a great friend who is leaving town seemed like a perfect opportunity. I believe this was an extra in a trade!

The beer looks great in the glass. It's a nice dark color with only the slightest touches of color variation around the edges. The black and dark brown liquid is capped with a nice off-white crown of foam that stays for a few minutes than sinks back into the abyss below.

The taste is full of roasty notes. The roasted malt gives dark chocolate impressions while the added coffee lurks a bit in the background. There's more of a molasses or fudge note than a coffee domination IMO.

The taste brings whatever coffee was missing in the nose, though. There's some initial sweetness, powered by roasted malts giving caramel and milk chocolate impressions. Then, the chocolate steals the spotlight, followed up by the coffee. A true star of the show, the coffee closes the experience in good form, dominating the closing set but also allowing the pervious flavors to sit in for a song or two.

The mouthfeel was really the only unpleasant or notably dissapointing aspect of this brew. It was just way too thin, with too little viscosity to balance out the flavors. Other than that, the booze was masked really well, and the beer was good overall. This is nothing jaw-dropping, but I would take another hug sometime in the future. Especially as an extra. Free hugs, right?

The mouthfeel

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 13:12:26 | More by jampics2

Spider889

Ohio

3.15/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Another beer from the first Central Ohio Beer Tasting. I can't remember whose this was atm, I want to say schwaeh...

Black as night, had a decent cap of mocha head.

Toasty malt flavor, lots of char and bitterness. At this point I was just finding out that this was a coffee beer. Really? Coffee beers are some of my favorite, but I wasn't getting a shred of coffee in the aroma here.

The coffee in the flavor is also nearly nonexistent imo, but it's there if you try to find it. Dark and syrupy. This ale is full of biting green hops that provide a grassiness I am growing to dislike in a stout (think IST).

Not a bad stout, but as a coffee beer this is a fail.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 09:34:10 | More by Spider889

cosmicevan

New York

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

Big thanks to 2beerornot2beer and Pellinore1 for both hooking up this brew. The 2 bottles I have both are 10% with the Cat stomping the building, Godzilla-style with Japanese-ish label.

a - Popped the bottle and filled my founder's snifter. Soft black with a creamy tan head that bubbled and hung out for a few minutes. Lacing appeared milkshake-ish but then slid down the glass leaving just a ring.

s - Roasted dark chocolate and a touch of milkiness. Nice malty smell.

t - Flavor just like the nose. I expected it to be a bit more robust, but was pleasantly surprised that the flavors were so nicely balanced and not overdone. What jumps out most to me is the milky malts...almost a bit milk stout-like crossed with a porter. Roasted malts are subtle.

m - Full bodied, left a cooling bready feeling. Extremely smooth.

o - Overall this beer is a really nice surprise. The few beers I've had from Half Acre have all been solid. This is a brewery to keep an eye on. ABV is invisible and the flavor is smooth and balanced and this is a super easy drinker.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 03:02:21 | More by cosmicevan

GallowsThief

Florida

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received in trade from RC0032 (much thanks Rich). Poured out of a bomber into my tulip.

A - Black as night. Big 3 finger milk chocolate head. Nice looking. Head receded fairly quickly and leaves a nice sheen. Sticky lacing all down the glass.

S - Mocha, chocolate, coffee, vanilla and a nice sweetness. Roasty malts.

T - Much like the smell you get the whole combination of goodness. First is the mocha and chocolate. The coffee flavor comes next and is not overly aggressive if you're a coffee drinker. Its nice and subtle. It finishes off sweet and has just a bit of warming alcohol at the end.

M - Creamy smooth, medium carbonation. Thought it would be a bit more viscous after seeing and smelling it but it is a bit on the thin side.

D - Heck yes. This is a damn fine stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 23:53:04 | More by GallowsThief

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a Portsmouth Brewery tulip. Big thanks to Alewatcher for throwing this in as an extra in his 'Rare Bourbon County LIF', thanks Jeff!

This is the label with a 'King Kong' Cat stomping a castle and Japanese-influenced font. 10.00% ABV

A - Pours a flat black in color, and slowly but gradually develops a frothy, tan head. Coming in at about 2-fingers, the head is almost packed completely dense with bubbles so it almost resembles an inverted black and tan (though with a different shade of tan). The head retention is pretty good, lasting for several minutes, and as it fades it leaves intricate lacing.

S - This smells of roasted malts, a good amount of coffee grounds, and slight alcohol. There are notes of hop as well. Sniffs of chocolate ink their way out of the malts, but for the most part this is a robust nose focused on roast and coffee. Overall fairly sweet and enjoyable.

T - At first this beer is a pretty heavy hitter, bringing a big rush of espresso and chocolate, but it quickly drops the roast for more chocolate sweetness. Given the nose, I was expecting a lot more coffee and am kind of let down that there isn't more here. Near the end some citrusy hops add their own twist to the flavor, while a rather fusel alcohol finish is a bit off-putting.

M - Mouthfeel is moderately heavy with above-average carbonation for the style. This is definitely a full-bodied beer and it will take a while to finish. Normally this amount of carbonation would be a hindrance for the style, but with the relatively hoppy finish, I feel it goes well.

D - Drinkability is moderate. Honestly I was expecting a bit more from this beer in terms of coffee influence, because as of now, it's faint and short-lived. Probably not the best idea to follow Kate the Great with this, but it's still a solid beer if you like a more sweet, hoppy stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 03:20:08 | More by nhindian

Retsinis

California

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got to try this at the Clusterfork # 2 tasting, thanks Irishgirl for sharing this.

The beer pours a dark, murky brown, nearly black, but closer to say espresso in color. A dark tan foamy head barely rose, but receded to a ring of bubbles, good lacing on the glass.

As the appearance lead on in the color, and dark head, the aroma has a strong creamy espresso note, followed by roasted malt, caramel and dark chocolate. Got a little whiff of heat.

Taste was a bit sweeter than I expected given the nose. Still had plenty of coffee flavor though, followed with chocolate, small hints of figs and raisins, light roasted malt, and sweet finish. Alcohol did not come through much in the taste, but did more so in the nose.

Mouthfeel is creamy, medium body, with light carbonation.

Overall, awesome I got to try this, it was good, and I would have it again. Two Half Acre beers in the same day!

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 23:42:36 | More by Retsinis

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Shared by Dan, thanks buddy.

Beer is black with a thin off white head that has some retention, minimal lacing, apparent moderate to low carbonation.

Lots of roast and some sweetness, perhaps milk chocolate in the nose. Smells good.

Beer is thinner than expected, sweet up front with some chocolate in the midpalate and some coffee on the finish, overall a decent beer, nothing too special though.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 23:27:13 | More by drabmuh

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from notes taken 2/23/11. Bomber split with wishuwerebeer.

Poured into a sniffer, this brew appears black in color with a thin film of dark brown head that dissolves quickly leaving only a thin ring around the wall of the glassware. Faint spotty lacing appears when sips are taken. A swirl revives the cap to a finger's strength.

The aroma is roasty with a scent of dark fruits and light fusel alcohol that tingles the nose. Light indications of coffee are roasty and earthy and very well integrated into the smell of this brew without being dominating. A light citrus aspect developes as the brew warms. A herbal, earthy hop aroma is revealed when swirled.

The taste is roasty with burnt to charred character of the grain. Dry grainy residue clings inside the mouth that is lightly musty. Citrus hops and coffee notes are exaggerated by the warming fusel touch of alcohol. Some dark skinned fruit flavors linger inside the mouth with indications of licorice.

This is a medium bodied brew to full in the feel with a light level of carbonation. The abv is pretty apparent in this brew yet easy drinking and well incorporated. Well rounded overall, nice and roasty but with a touch too much citrus and fusel alcohol to make this one outstanding. Still pretty good and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 14:26:29 | More by stakem

mdfb79

New York

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

From 03/05/11 notes. Brought to a local tasting. 2010 vintage.

a - Pours a dark brown color with one inch of tan head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of roasted malts, chocolate, vanilla, and light coffee. I enjoyed the smell a lot, but was expecting a lot more coffee.

t - Tastes of coffee grinds, roasted malts, chocolate, sweet dark fruits, and vanilla. More coffee than the smell, but still not a lot.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

d - I liked this stout, though I didn't think there wasd a lot of coffee to it. Opening a 2009 vintage in a few weeks so interested to see how that compares.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 23:42:41 | More by mdfb79

ChrisPro

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted blind on 3/13/11 as part of Blind BIF #4

22 oz poured into a tulip. Opaque super dark brown, but not quite black. A single finger of khaki head forms and lingers for minutes.

Aroma is nutty and caramel with big chocolate. There's a slight earthiness or smoke as well. Maybe there's a little oak in here?

Taste is quite sweet and much more caramel and molasses than I expected. There's definitely some rich chocolate there and a slight coffee finish. This is a text book imperial stout. great balance between sweetness and bitter on the finish. As it warms, there's some strange flavor that I can't peg; maybe anise? I feel like there might be some sort of spice in this beer. As it warms, this is reminding me of berserker, and I'm wondering if there is maybe some molasses as well.

Very full-bodied, thick mouthfeel. This is almost like drinking carbonated milk. There's some light carbonation that's appropriate for the style. Either this is aged a bit, or it's more in the 9% range since I detect hardly any heat whatsoever.

Quite drinkable imperial stout. With the body, it's hard to put this down quickly, but it also doesn't need to be a sipper, either. Definitely a solid imperial stout and I'd be happy drinking this again.

Reveal: Half Acre Big Hugs!

After the reveal, I realize that the strange taste I've been getting is, in fact, the coffee. This is a well-roasted coffee and well-made coffee beer and tastes incredibly smooth, not like 10% at all.

4.5/4/3.5/4/4.5

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 02:51:34 | More by ChrisPro

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by mdfb79 at a recent tasting. Served in a Bruery tulip.

Pour yields a dark brew with an off-white head that sticks around for a bit before falling into a cap and a thin collar. Nose brings forward mostly roast with a touch of coffee and chocolate in the background. The flavor is pretty similar to the nose in that they're really both on the light side with just a splash of coffee. Body is medium--though light for the style--with moderate carbonation and a smoothness without much booze. Nothing too complex or earth shattering, but pleasantly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 12:20:09 | More by Thorpe429

nrbw23

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a black color, maybe really dark brown with a tan head. Head is gone pretty quick and leaves a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass. Not too much in lacing on the glass.

S- Smell is a good mix between chocolate and coffee. Picking up quite a bit of roasted malts. Picking up some faint grassy hops as well.

T- Has a nice amount of sweetness here too. A good amount of coffee, chocolate, vanilla and creamy taste. Alcohol is hidden well.

M- Full side in body and really low carbonation.

D- I found this one very easy to drink. I'll keep my eye out for this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 02:04:42 | More by nrbw23

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance -- Pours an incredibly dark brown with a slim sudsy khaki head. Looks like it might be a bit thin, but otherwise Very good. Lacing also good.

Smell -- Roast malt, licorice, cocoa, molasses, and a touch of vanilla. Coffee aroma surprisingly mild - not faded, just largely absent. The nose is definitely the weak point of Hugs.

Taste -- Upon the first sip one is greeted with roast malt, blackstrap molasses, leather, cocoa, vanilla, licorice and anise. Herbal and citrusy hops make their presence known mid-palate. Like the nose, the coffee character is mild - perhaps to it's benefit. Lingering flavors of dark chocolate, brown sugar, and herbal hops.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-full with moderate prickly carbonation, bordering on creamy. I'd love some more body, but otherwise impeccable. Also, alcohol is VERY well hidden.

Drinkability -- For me, Half Acre are the local boys, but Big Hugs really delivers. Lots of malty depth paired with some top-notch hopping. It's an imperial stout that uses coffee to accent the malting rather than be the showcase, which works for this beer.

I'm now regretting not buying a case...

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 03:50:25 | More by yeahnatenelson

MbpBugeye

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Second to last blind. Thanks for the surprise box AleWatcher! Another one that calls for a snifter.

A- This beer is not pitch black at all. Its a dark brown with reds thrown in. There is a sticky yellow-tan head that leaves polka dots of lace. 4

S- Hops like a wet dog are the first thing I notice. Citrus pith and grass. The hoppiness is pretty out front. The balancing characteristics are white chocolate and cocoa powder. There is some slight butterscotch as well. Coffee comes out suddenly and strongly with adequate warmth. Im thinking Black IPA. 3.5

T- Nice balance. Starts out like a normal IPA, full of floral and citrus hops. Candied orange and the like. Very juicy. Black pepper segues things into a dark malt base of milk chocolate, cocoa and caramel. The finish bitters up with pine and coffee. The coffee strengthens with warmth. This is pretty good, but I dont normally like black IPAs. 4

M- Dry powdery finish. Body is somewhere in the middle. 3

D- I like this, but I dont think I'd drink it religiously. 4

The reveal: Half Acre Big Hugs? Huh? An imperial stout with coffee? Damn, this is a solid beer but it falls shy of being a great coffee stout. I was much happier thinking this was a CDA. Someone needs to make a Black IPA with coffee...

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 21:29:47 | More by MbpBugeye

msubulldog25

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle sent by imperialking/Jeff just about a year ago (early 2010); has been cool and dark (i.e. cellared) ever since. Poured to a bulbous 'Great Divide' snifter, half now and half after dinner, after a reasonable 3+/- mile run.

Label: among my favorites of all time. A gargantuan tabby 'hugging' a fracturing skyscraper as planes buzz above and elevated trains derail; the perfect blend of 'cat'-astrophic mayhem and adorableness. The faux-Japanese scripted 'BIG HUGS' vertically down the right side is a bonus. This bottle is a keeper...

A: Jet black darkness (with ruby/mahogany trim) cowering beneath a modest partial-finger of tawny cream. Receding head to a clingy ring and patchy veil; tiny dots of lacing. Too dark to find any carbonation; still, a good-looking stout.

S: Musty coffee roast and dark cocoa powder, a savory aroma. Not much else, but that's good enough for me.

T: A dessert-like fudgy richness that melds outstandingly with the coffee blend used here. A dark 'burnt nut roast', a latent spice and creeping notes of 'barrel', 'berry' and 'vanilla'. Kind of a 'creme brulee' spiced sweetness at times, then back to a deeper and ashier coffee/chocolate. Very flavorful and very likable.

M: A little dated, so take that for what it's worth... really smooth, but ends both thin and sticky. A medium, rather unremarkable, body, fine carbonation, lasting cocoa sweetness.

D: Still elegant and very drinkable, rather 'sipable'. A notion of its strength, but a mild enough feel to deceive. I really enjoy this now, a year aged, and it would be a pleasure to have again (whether 'old' or 'new'). This big cat has me purring...

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 02:25:15 | More by msubulldog25

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Acquired this from GbvDave so a big THANK YOU goes out to him!
Poured in to my Brooklyn snifter

A: This beer pours a nice, deep, dark, thick, opaque brown with a 2 finger of foamy, light brown head. Head recedes somewhat quickly leaving wisps of spotty lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is espresso, toffee sweetness, chocolate, and hints of roasted malt.

T: Taste starts with a toffee and caramel sweetness. Mixture of roasted malts, mocha with a back and forth of bitter and sweet chocolate fill out the middle. Some alcohol notes come through here. Finish has a touch of dark fruit sweetness, and an underlaying current of coffee that hangs on the back of your palate.

M: Medium to full body, medium carbonation, nice rich, creamy feel ..perhaps a touch sticky.

D: Goes down easily, quite tasty, somewhat filling, nice kick, and very good representation of style. Please keep the Half Acre brews rolling this way - they are putting out some solid offerings.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 03:00:24 | More by Jayli

seeswo

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Shared from a growler at a recent local Madison tasting.

Pours black with a minimal tan head. Smells like dark roasted coffee. Nothing overwhelming, but pleasant. Taste is very smooth, well integrated dark roasted coffee. No booze on it at all, with an enjoyable, slightly bitter finish. I like really dark coffee, though. Very well balanced, smooth and very drinkable. The somewhat thin mouthfeel and low carbonation contribute strongly to the drinkability, even if they are not quite ideal.

Serving type: growler

01-16-2011 18:53:26 | More by seeswo

weatherdog

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler provided by Richard and shared among friends, poured into a Cigar City snifter.

It pours big, black and thick with a smaller mocha colored head.

The aroma is filled with a deep roasted fresh coffee with a backend of bitter chocolate

The taste follows up with the huge roasted coffee flavor, it borders on burnt though which is distracting. An alcohol is pretty noticeable at the end as well.

The mouthfeel is on the lighter side which really help the beer from becoming too sweet. Drinkability is also pretty good with the only exception being the alcohol finish.

Serving type: growler

01-11-2011 00:26:05 | More by weatherdog

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From notes:

Pours pitch black and completely opaque with a 1.5 finger beige head that has decent retention, only slowly fading into a lasting ring. Minimal lacing.

Deep roasty aroma with hints of coffee/espresso bean, silky chocolate malt, molasses, caramel, toffee and hazelnut. I'm also picking up some slight lactic cream, burnt toast and subtle hops.

Roasted medium bodied that's on the fuller end of the spectrum with some luscious chocolate malt, sugar, molasses, deep roasted coffee bean and oatmeal. Slightly acrid with some burnt toast but overall it's well balanced and the ABV is excellently masked making this very quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 08:45:37 | More by corby112

kzoobrew

Michigan

4.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to cadaugherty for this awesome bottle. Cheers!

Moderate pour into unbranded snifter. The beer settles in with a very black oily body. One finger sandy colored head perched atop momentarily. The head recedes in short order leaving a nice ring around the glass. An impressive amount of lacing clings to the walls of the snifter.

Dark coffee, roasted malt and caramel aromas are prominent. One smell that I cannot get over is cinnamon. The aroma is pleasant and well placed just very much unexpected. Molasses finds its way in near the back.

Very pleasant flavor profile. Out of the glass a balanced combination of roasted malt, coffee and cocoa roll across the tongue. A caramelly sweetness emerges towards the back of the palate. Not a terribly complex beer, the flavors which are there are allowed to shine and mesh very well.

Medium bodied beer. Carbonation is moderate though a bit stronger than I anticipated. Very smooth feel, falls just short of creamy. Big Hugs is lacking a bit of viscosity which would really take it to the next level.

Tremendously drinkable beer. Pleasant and enjoyable to drink. Lightly warming but as a whole the booze is well masked. My only complaint is the lack of body. Viscosity is a must for any Imperial Stout, this lacks just a bit. Half Acre is doing a hell of a job, another excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 23:49:46 | More by kzoobrew

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a snifter. Big thanks to Khazadum.

4.5 A: Black color. Two fingers of creamy light brown head with good retention and plenty of lacing. Very nice here.

4.5 S: Great mix of roasty toastiness, TONS of chocolate, coffee with lots of cream, and layers of caramel. A touch of smoke and burntness. Not ridiculously complex, but really elegant.

4.5 T: I really like the flavor this has. It tastes like it might be EE Toaster's little brother. Toastiness is the main attraction here. Roasted barley, semisweet chocolate, espresso strength coffee, some crystal malt sweetness, and a moderate bitterness from the malts and hops. Really wonderful.

5.0 M: Heavier medium to heavy body. Good moderate carbonation. Super creamy and super smooth with a touch of burnt aftertaste. Really nice here. If this was just a touch thicker it would be perfect. Still, very good here.

5.0 D: This is a damn good beer and right up there with my favorite RISs. I'm going to need more of this. Like I mentioned, this shares some traits with Toaster and since Toaster isn't going to be made again, this can fill in and do a great job doing that.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 00:51:54 | More by DavoleBomb