Serpent's Stout - The Lost Abbey

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks for the trade Crushinat0r. Pours a chocolately thick dark brown with lots of attractive dark brown head. Balance is always worth currency, and this RIS has it. Chocolate and roast and not overdone though substantially roasty. Thick mouthfeel. I have had lots of great imperial stouts recently, and this is included in the group. Satisfying and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2008 03:13:37 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Black as sin. No highlights are seen, in spite of bright afternoon sunshine behind the glass. An incredibly loud pop! on cork extraction was followed by the creation of a massive head of caramel colored foam that has a whipped creamy texture. A generous amount of lace only adds to the magnificence.

The nose is full-to-bursting with a roasted maltiness in which dark chocolate is much more prominent than black coffee. The beer has a freshly baked brownies aroma that is lightly accented with American hops. Increased intensity with warming allows the score to be increased without a second thought.

I am continually amazed at how many different styles The Lost Abbey nails to the wall... with authority. SS is a wonderful ADS that's almost as good as Santa's Little Helper, which is the only other big stout that I've had from this brewery (if Port Brewing counts as 'this brewery').

Serpent's Stout teeters on the edge of greatness in the flavor department. The first few ounces had 4.0 written all over them. After the next few, 4.5 is making a serious case for consideration. It looks like the final call will have to wait until the second half of the 750 ml bottle. I need to finish this review before the beer is gone because the 11.0% ABV is beginning to work its magic with a stealthy efficiency.

Even if it isn't as thunderously black malty and as mind-bogglingly complex as The Abyss, Serpent's Stout means business. Flavors include double chocolate fudge brownies made with generous amounts of coffee, vanilla and blackstrap molasses. A background citrus fruitiness is welcome, even if the alpha acids are fighting a losing battle against the tidal wave of malt sugars. Maybe it's the alcohol talking, but 4.5 is now an easy call.

This is one of those big beers whose mouthfeel improves the more it sits. The reason is slightly too harsh carbonation early on. Now that almost half an hour has passed, the bubbles have calmed considerably and the beer is nougat chewy and borderline thick. Exactly like I like 'em.

My experience is that beer from The Lost Abbey is anywhere from good to great to world-class. Serpent's Stout isn't at the pinnacle, but it's one of the best offerings from one of the best American craft breweries in business today. Bottom line: sinfully delicious and devilishly drinkable. Thanks Tomme. Long may you brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2009 21:01:10 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.7/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I was thrilled when I was able to get this lovely bottle last week and I could not wait to pop it open, but knowing the strength of it, I wanted to wait until the right moment, well last night I figured was good enough and I went for it.

Appearance - This one poured out a thick dark black. Completely opaque with no light shining through I knew this one was going to be a dozy. A big chocolate brown head of foam came up over the top to a height of around three inches before it finally was able to settle down to a reasonable layer of about an inch and a half, and this hung around throughout the entire session. Very nice lacey looking webs of froth going up and down the sides of the glass really highlighted the body of this one. Very impressive looking

Smell - The aroma was huge. The first thing I noticed was a deep smell of chocolate, lots of roasted malts here. Nice hints of vanilla and lactose mingling in throughout really giving it that extra-added touch of sweetness that made it just wonderful. Loads of dark fruits underlying everything with a rich blend of raisins and plums. Nice little touches of spiced rum as well. Very complex and typical of Lost Abbey brews, very strong.

Taste - The flavor were exquisite as well. The first flavor to hit the palate was the rich chocolate malts. Very sweet on the tongue, even from the start. Nice touches of vanilla and molasses in here now as well. Very rich. Dark fruits abound through it as well, with loads of raisins, and plums now coming into clearer view. Some very nice spices in here as well, like a nice spiced rum sitting right under the surface. There was a touch of alcohol, but just a touch, and nowhere near as big as I thought it would be. Nice long lingering finish with an almost burnt or smoked chocolate on the tongue and a decent touch of hops at the end. Very nice, with a lot more yeast then I am used to seeing in a big stout, but it seems to work very well here with the fruit flavors really accenting the malts very well.

Mouthfeel - This had to be one of the smoothest and creamiest beers I have had. The feel is not super thick like you see in others, rather it relies on very nice carbonation to give it that micro bubble silky feel. Really very tight..

Drinkability - For an 11% Imperial Stout, this was absolutely as sessionable as you can get for the style. I did not even think for a second I was drinking something as big as this was. The alcohol is all but covered up and you can just sip on this one for days. Remarkable stuff going on here.

Overall, I really have to say that this one was outstanding. I was not sure what Tomme was going to do with this style, but it came out very nice, with their own little twist to it. This was more akin to the Belgian RIS style. Very big with just the right amount of yeast. Very highly recommended, you need to go get this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2008 10:14:58 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.5/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On-tap at Port/Lost Abbey

A: The pour is absolutely fantastic--almost black in color with a finger and a half worth of mocha colored head.

S: The nose is roasty with plenty of vanilla and coffee. There's also some bitter chocolate and quite a bit of booze.

T: Like the nose would indicate, the flavor is very...intense. The chocolate, coffee, roast, and vanilla are all very pleasant. Unfortunately, this beer is incredibly hot.

M: The body is on the fuller side of medium with a smooth, low carbonation and some heat on the tongue.

D: I liked some of the flavors going on in this beer, but it was just way too boozy. This beer can definitely benefit from some aging.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2010 05:30:46 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by drabmuh. Served in a tulip.

Pours near black without any head other than a few bubbles forming a collar around the edges. No lacing to stick. Not a good sign in the carbonation department. The nose is slightly roasty with a good amount of chocolate. Hints of coffee as well. The flavor is pretty good with some roast and chocolate and a bit of sweetness in the background. Mouthfeel is medium without any carbonation to hold anything up. Drinkability is pretty good, even with the low carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 11:29:48 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours an opaque black body with a small, short-lived, white head.

Smell: Predominately roasty aroma with lesser notes of dark chocolate, smoked dark fruits, spiced espresso, and oven-roasted almonds.

Taste: Roasty, burnt maltiness and a full taste of coffee and dark chocolate. Charred sugars and nuts. Slight berry-like fruitiness. A wisp of smoke. Earthy bitterness. The flavor grows increasingly roasty as it warms. Dash of spent espresso grounds. Sweetish, roast-packed finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Somewhat chewy texture.

Drinkability: Roasty to the max, baby! A very tasty, highly recommended stout from the fine folks at Lost Abbey.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2008 03:00:33 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a nearly black color with ruby highlights and a dark tan head that sticks impressively and patterns the glass with lace

Smell: Loads of chocolate, molasses, dark fruit char and, to some extent, licorice

Taste: Opens with a chocolate base that adds the molasses and char elements by mid-palate, with bitter dark fruit arriving as well; after the swallow, the molasses and fruit elements balance the chocolate and char to provide a complex tobacco finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: This is a very nice Double Stout; consumed young it is nothing special, but with a year of age on it, the flavors have blossomed

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2008 22:48:25 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Ransackingpete for sharing this one!

Bottled sometime in 2012 (date stamp is partially smudged off).

Pours an opaque black with a 1/2 inch dark khaki head that fades to an oily film. Small dots and streaks of lace slowly drip back into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa powder, coffee beans, and some alcohol aromas. Chocolate chip cookie dough aromas come out as the beer warms. Taste is of dark roasted malt, chocolate chip cookie dough, roasted coffee beans, and a slight alcohol kick on the finish. There is a very nice roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a light level of carbonation with a thick and creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good stout with some awesome aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 04:45:39 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a medium brown foamy head with great retention and great lacing. Aroma of tar with some light alcohol, some coffee and a huge Belgian style malt base. Taste is also quite different then most IS out there right now and is comprised of a mix between some tar, some light coffee, load of Belgian style malt but no black chocolate note as I had expected. Full body with great carbonation and some light alcohol was discernable. I thought this was an interesting beer closer to Allagash Black then most American style IS out there.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2008 18:29:53 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Substantially malty and chocked full of roasted grain flavor- The Lost Abbey continues to churn out world class beer after world class beer. Imperial Stout: check!

Opening with a deeply hued bark-brown color, the beer is absolutely opaque but not because of haze. In fact, the beer carries an onyx-like sheen; rather the inability for light to pass seems because of the sheer density of roasted malts. An abundance of carbonation fuels a huge froathy tan head and laces with intermitten patterns of foam on the glass. The beer delivers everything that's expected from stouts- at least to the eye.

Strong aromas of roasted grain hinges on burnt scent of grain, but releases just in time for the moderate scent of burnt caramel instead. Malted milk, rummy alcohol, cherry-like esters, and nail polish remover are just a hint of elements that hide beneath the blanket espresso, cocoa powder, walnut, grass and charred woods.

Flavors follow similarly with the bulk of the emphasis on espresso, wood fired malts and woods, bitter cocoa, walnut, slightly scorched toffee, malted milk, and a slight grassy taste that morphs evenly into mild resin bitterness in finish. Strong alcohols are somewhat distracting with the flavor of acetone and rumy sweetness.

Full bodied, but not as insane as many newer Imperial Stouts. Instead Serpent's relies on a firm malty early texture that's lifted by the airy carbonation and high attenuation- the beer seems to lift off of the tongue with ease in comparison to it's fullness. Creaminess subsides at mid palte and ushers in a malty-dry finish of acrid roasted grains, coffee grounds, and mild powdery ash.

Though quite dry and efforvescent, the lack of sweetness here allows the brunt of alcohol and burnt grain to reveal the rougher edges that cause slight difficulty in drinkability although the flavor profile sings praises. Unfortunately, heartburn inducing acids limit this beers ease of enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 07:06:21 | More by BEERchitect

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

After a long time o' gapin' at this guy on the shelf, I'm finally gettin' to taste it. Right on. It pours an opaque black that looks like something that washed up on the Gulf Coast (ah, topical humor...slightly better than topical cream...). Hardly any head in formed, though a small colony of brown bubbles attempts a settlement, only to end up like Roanoke. The nose comprises heavily roasted malts, chocolate syrup, molasses, and a heapin' helpin' o' grain alcohol. The taste follows closely, adding force to the chocolate (making it closer to chocolate syrup) and a fairly strong vein of bitterness. The alcohol now expresses itself as a steady burn, just not too hot o' one. The body is thick and heavy, with very little carbonation and a smooth yet chewy feel. If it weren't for a couple key issues, this would be a ridiculous stout; instead, it's just pretty dern good. I kinda want another one...

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 04:42:15 | More by TMoney2591

WesWes

New York

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a pitch black color with a thick and creamy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a nice black malt bitterness along with a killer chocolate malt aroma. It's rich and creamy with a bit of warmth. The taste is awesome! Wow, what a great stout! It has a thick and rich chocolate malt flavor with a stiff black malt bitterness and underlying roasted character. The mouthfeel is good. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn good stout. I'm a big fan of the chocolate flavor; man, what a drinker.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2010 22:47:18 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I split this bottle of flat stout with Throrpe. Beer is black with almost no head, no carbonation, and no lacing, it is really black though.

Aroma of the beer is super sweet with only a mild roast to it, it almost smell boozy. It does not smell bad though. Just really sweet.

Beer is medium bodied and like syrup up front but in a good way, the back fo the palate is a little dry with only minimal bitterness. This beer leads with it's front palate flavors and falls off quickly after that. It's a decent enough beer, I wonder if the low carbonation levels in it are indicative of a problem or by design, I thought only their barrel aged beers had carbonation problems. Overall it is a decent Impy stout but I'd be slow to buy it again (or trade for it as this was the case).

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 17:51:37 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to exiled for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours dark brown to black with a tan head. The aroma is brown sugar with roasted malt, smoke, dark chocolate and coffee. The flavor is chocolate, oak, vanilla, coffee and roasted malt. The alcohol is very well hidden. Medium-thick mouthfeel and low carbonation. Another very good beer from Lost Abbey/Port Brewing.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2010 01:37:08 | More by Mora2000

metter98

New York

4/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a thin dark tan head that died down and left wispy patterns of bubbles on the surface.
S: Light aromas of dark malts and chocolate are present in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, there are flavors of dark and chocolate malts in the taste.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a low to moderate amount of carbonation. The beer tends to coat your mouth a bit.
O: This beer is quite easy to drink because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 04:53:23 | More by metter98

MasterSki

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2009 bottle, served in a pint glass. This bottle lists 11% ABV.

A - One finger of milk-chocolate-colored foam that dissipates slowly and leaves some spotty lacing. Pitch black - not even a little lighter at the edges of the glass.

S - Heavily roasted malt, cocoa, coffee, and a touch of dark fruits and hoppiness. You can tell this is a fresh bottle. The smell just leaps out of the glass.

T - This is pretty intense. It starts with bitter coffee and dark chocolate, but unleashes a torrent of sweet milk chocolate, malt, caramel, and floral hops on the middle of the tongue. The aftertaste mirrors this with strong bitterness up front but a lingering sweetness at the back of the throat. Maybe the tiniest hint of booziness.

M - Full bodied, with moderate carbonation - goes down smooth and velvety. Leaves a clingy residual stickiness. Very warming.

D - My wife and I will easily finish the 750ml bottle. The carbonation and high ABV will probably keep me from drinking much more afterward.

I've had this beer before, and I don't remember it being this good. Perhaps being fresh improves it, or perhaps they've tweaked the recipe slightly. I'm so glad we're getting the Lost Abbey seasonal brews, as the regular lineup is a little overrated. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2009 23:28:01 | More by MasterSki

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.48/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Well carbonated as a reasonably careful pour produces a four-finger thick, creamed chocolate brown colored head in my 25cl glass that threatens to over flow. The beer is a rich black color with just a hint of concentrated brown to it. The head only slowly subsides and leaves a thick layer of froth on the sides of my glass. No amount of moving it up to the light makes this anything but opaque. Rich roasty malt notes, with a distinctly toasted grain note. Not totally unsurprisingly this smells exactly like the Moonlit Sessions Lager, perhaps a bit more intense, but not overly so; even that distinct, toasty grain character is replicated. Aromas of chocolate, well browned bread, toasted cracker aromas, dark roasted coffee. Underneath the dry, roast-driven malt notes is a deep malt sweetness with notes of burnt raisins and blackened figs. While this has a touch of burnt acidity and acrid roast character, these are fairly well in check and this has a fairly nice nose for a beer of this style.

Despite resting for 10 minutes it is still quite well carbonated; it feels frothy as it first hits the tongue, but it is thick enough to over-power the ample carbonation. After swirling this to degas it a bit, the texture becomes a bit more manageable; thick, chewy, with a creamy texture, though it is not hugely thick, though most definitely a powerful beer. Lots of sweet malt flavors contribute notes reminiscent of charred raisins, dark chocolate, touches of molasses and even some black liquorice flavors. Chalky grain notes stick to my teeth as does a slight astringent, burnt grain character. A light burnt acidity mixes with thick sweet malt notes in the finish, providing a bit of balance. The hop character is fairly mellow here, at least the malt character is so big that you really don't notice any hop contributions. The roast grain notes can at times contribute a burnt vegetal note, though it is not nearly as offensive as some examples.

A decent example of the style, it probably needs a year or more (and will remain good for quite some years) to round out the burnt vegetal notes. I like that this is not overly burnt in character, the roast malt character steers pretty well clear of being overly harsh, astringent and acidic. I am waffling between this being quite tasty and just a bit too green; in the end though, while this is a tasty brew, the second runnings of the mast (Moonlit Sessions) is the better beer.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2008 04:59:20 | More by Gueuzedude

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This one poured out as a nice looking black color with a thin tan/brown colored head on top. The smell of the beer was had a good amount of roasted malts on the nose along with some dark fruits and wooden aromas. The taste of the beer was rich with some dark chocolate notes coming through with a bitter aftertaste of burnt malts and caramel. The mouthfeel of the beer wasn't as heavy as I thought it should be. The carbonation was decent and it was still a drinkable brew. Overall it's not most impressive stout to me but I'm glad I gave it a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 19:12:09 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this from Autumnaldave, thanks Dave!

Pours ebony with a finger of of mocha/brown head, nice carbonation can be heard upon the pour initial poor. Below average head retention, average lacing & a nice oily sheen

S: Dark chocolate, dark fruit & a bit of booze, plus a bit of brown bread

T: Dark chocolate, roasted malt, iron & cherries up front. Dryness, raisins,figs, leafy hops & a tinge of boozey coffee as this warms. Finishes a bit hot, with pruneyness, persimmons, carob &
toasty malt

MF: Chewy, moderate carbonation, stickyness, thins out just a bit as this warms

Drinks pretty easy for the style & ABV. Not much to find fault with here, almost worth it's rating IMO, but not quite in the upper echelon of the style

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2009 04:17:49 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

3.3/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

25.4 oz. bottle, bought at Hi-Times,

A: Pours black, with a full tan head into a Chimay chalice, good retention, leaves a smattering of lacing.

S: Could be better, but definitely chocolate and molasses notes.

T: Huge amounts of roasted malts bombard the palate at first, but then the flavour calms down a bit leaving a more mild chocolate character. Great milk chocolate notes in the aftertaste, though overall I found the beer to be too bitter at times.

M: Thick, lusciuos, and viscous, full-bodied, great for an RIS.

D: A powerful beer, wasn't my favourite RIS of all-time, but certainly a tasty beer, definitely a sipper I'd like to have around Yuletide.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2008 17:21:32 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: pitch black in color with a 1/4" milk chocolate colored head that falls to a spotty surface foam.

Smell: roasted malts, alcohol, dark chocolate, and a hint of coffee.

Taste: follows the nose. Big thick malt base with bitter dark chocolate, milk chocolate, prunes, and a nice bitterness. Some earthy tones and alcohol warming arrive late.

Mouthfeel: heavy in body. Smooth throughout, with some light dryness arriving at the finish.

Overall: a wonderful double stout that is a meal in a glass. Slow drinking beer, but nicely satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 18:38:18 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to PhxHorn for this!

750 ml cage-corked bottle - 2009 vintage - poured into a tulip glass:

Pours pitch black with a dark brown (ruby-ish tinted) head that quickly settles to a very thin cover. Some trailing lacing sticks.

The smell is of a lactose milk sourness with some chocolate, licorice/anise and some alcohol.

The taste is of chocolate - sweeter than the nose - lactose sour there, but more subdued. Some licorice is there. Fruity/peppery alcohol, while sharp and slows it down, adds to the flavour more than it masks it. It has a lingering earthy bitterness in the finish.

It has a creamy, milky body with a sharpness. It has a full, but not syrupy, body with quite a bit of carbonation.

This is a boozy one, for sure, and took a long time to go through (as expected for the high abv). Sweet to start, has a bitter finish. Not too crazy about the slight sour (in a milk/lactose) way here. An Imp. Stout that's a bit different/unique. A pleasant, slow sipper, overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2009 13:18:39 | More by jwc215

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Picked up a 750ml bottle from only $6.50 at Abe's Cold Beer. What a deal. I'm not usually a big fan of strong stouts, but I take exception to this beer. The flavors are a great mix of darkly toasted bread crust with semi-dark chocolate. The aroma has similar roasted grains, and black toast. This beer is made more drinkable by the lack of excess residual sugars and that pays off additionally with a dry, cocoa finish that balances an earlier chocolate sweetness. Yum. Give this a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2009 20:45:23 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to throwitallaway for this corked and caged 750 mL bottle.

A: The stout is black. No other words can do it justice. The only hint of color comes from the coffee-and-cream colored head that looks like it will lace in strata around the glass.

S: An excellent aroma, even when cold. Thick bready aromas are decadent, throwing off nutty, graham notes. Coffee and cocoa powder also make appearances.

T: Ample carbonation fizzed in my mouth like a soda. Behind the fizz, big things started happening. Roasted malts, burnt and scorched, set the tone for the stout. Fast on their heals were powdered cocoa, espresso and a mild spice profile. Caramel follows in what is fast becoming an orgy of flavor. Hops add a citrusy flourish and yet another dimension. I am very impressed.

M: The mouthfeel is full, changing flavors from one sip to the next. The depth is remarkable, I've rarely had an imperial stout that was this complex.

D: At 10.5%, this is no pounding stout. I'll be lucky to finish the bottle before it knocks me out.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2009 01:26:46 | More by akorsak

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thank you to brewandbbq for a big hookup.

Pours pitch black with a dark tan head. Nose is a cocoa molasses thing. Kind of morphs into something different as it warms. Flavor is nice. Thick and robust. Massive malts. Massive chocolates mixed with molasses. The alcohol does show itself a bit too much IMO, but it really isn't that bad. Feel is smooth on liquid with a nice carbonation. The alcohol is slightly noticed on this one which cuts down the drinkability a bit. But still, this is tasty. I'll admit this is a less attentive than normal review than normal as I just wanted to sip the beer and enjoy. I'm sure you'd have no problem doing the same.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2008 09:13:56 | More by RblWthACoz