Lips Of Faith - Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout - New Belgium Brewing

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle poured into a New Belgium globe.
9% ABV,

A - Lips of Faith Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout gloops out with a thick and quiet pour, filling the glass with a midnight black beer. Before subsiding rather quickly, a dark tan head forms over the beer and leaves delicate lace on the glass.

S - Wake up to the aroma of this beer; powerful freshly roasted dark coffee beans! It's reminds me of my morning routine of grinding beans and brewing dark roast coffee. Hints of milk chocolate add some smoothness behind the dark bittersweet chocolate and mocha aroma that's so abundant while a trail of faint smokiness wafts in.

T - Much of the roasted chocolate aroma can be attributed to the malts used, but the beer's aroma doesn't much suggest "malt" as it's other characteristics. The same can't be said for the taste though, which predominantly features a heavy, acrid bitter roast that's almost burnt tasting. Baker's chocolate and extremely dry cocoa overlap the cold-brewed roasted coffee flavor for a rough-around-the-edges finish that features notes of chocolate-covered raisin, molasses, rye toast, and oak.

M - Harsh, acrid bitterness bites at the tongue throughout the duration of this beer with a full body and gritty, oily feel that has few moments of smooth milk chocolate feel appearing few and far between. Light carbonation dances on the tongue keeping it from feeling completely like a thick, unforgiving beer.

O - New Belgium's Lips of Faith Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout pours nicely, creating a powerful and inviting aroma of fresh coffee and chocolate but it's flavor, and subsequently the feel, become gritty, rough, and somewhat arresting. Smooth it out by enjoying for dessert with some creamy cheese cake.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 21:08:48 | More by BeerFMAndy

beergorrilla

Michigan

4/5  rDev +1%

05-23-2013 05:33:30 | More by beergorrilla

dfillius

Michigan

4/5  rDev +1%

05-23-2013 01:02:52 | More by dfillius

verge

California

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

05-21-2013 18:18:50 | More by verge

drgonzo2k2

California

4/5  rDev +1%

05-18-2013 17:48:19 | More by drgonzo2k2

SocalKicks

California

4/5  rDev +1%

05-17-2013 05:31:44 | More by SocalKicks

BillyTWilliams

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

05-16-2013 00:08:03 | More by BillyTWilliams

lucasj82

Indiana

4/5  rDev +1%

05-15-2013 00:58:44 | More by lucasj82

DeschutesFan

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

05-11-2013 17:17:35 | More by DeschutesFan

ToddHolder

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1%

05-11-2013 01:25:57 | More by ToddHolder

rph97

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

05-10-2013 01:09:01 | More by rph97

jacewg

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

05-09-2013 21:12:07 | More by jacewg

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -30.6%

05-09-2013 01:44:51 | More by tommyguz

gtermi

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

05-09-2013 00:53:18 | More by gtermi

leftstagebrew

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1%

05-04-2013 19:17:36 | More by leftstagebrew

pschul4

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours a light black with a 1 inch black head

S - Espresso notes along with a hint of bakers chocolate and some roasty malts

T - The roasty malts take the lead but there is a nice coffee taste along with a nice touch of booze in the back

M - A little thinner than would care for

O - Some thinkness would essentially turn this into FBS. Really good but somewhat light. That said I'd drink this often if given the chance

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 01:47:15 | More by pschul4

djs467

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%

04-30-2013 16:17:21 | More by djs467

Integritous

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%

04-30-2013 01:44:36 | More by Integritous

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Solid stygian blackness, beneath a gorgeous deep tan head, long lasting, creamy and luscious.

Aroma: chocolate first on the nose, sweetness aplenty, rich and lovely. Mocha delight. The glaze on a scrumptious chocolate donut. Coffee hasn't revealed itself yet. Very pleasing, nonetheless.

Taste: In the mouth, cocoa sensations resonate, with coffee notes rising up to greet them. This is delectable. Now we're dunking that chocolate-dripped cruller into our morning cup joe. Getting the best of all worlds. It's the most intense, the richest, the fullest, or the deepest, but it's tasty and drinkable, beside the high ABV. Fullish body, long, but not overly intense finish.

Alcohol isn't showing just yet, and, as noted before, there's not trace of "imperial stout" flavors, like dark fruits, char, dark rum, molasses, etc. Just chocolate, with coffee beans peeking in at the sides.

Someone asked me if this was a "Belgian-style" stout, and I replied, no, just regular, plus coffee, plus chocolate, plus imperial. But through their name and their past brews, people expect everything NBB makes to have a Belgian bent of some sort. Personally, I'd like to see more of this, especially now that they've embraced their hoppy nature, or formed one, or something.

No, this is not barrel-aged, or vanilla bean infused or whatever other gimmick we need to use these days. It's just a darned good beer. Really nice, and very flavorful.
What's wrong with that, I'd like to know, so here I go…again…
...

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2013 08:04:55 | More by feloniousmonk

hsus0225

Texas

4/5  rDev +1%

04-23-2013 02:07:21 | More by hsus0225

jabo134

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1%

04-22-2013 11:45:59 | More by jabo134

dbrelsfo

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

04-22-2013 00:10:51 | More by dbrelsfo

Bowers-Brew

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

04-21-2013 21:50:33 | More by Bowers-Brew

PatrickKlopfenstein

Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

04-20-2013 21:38:28 | More by PatrickKlopfenstein

nickfl

Florida

4.16/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours with a small head of off-white foam on top of an opaque black body. The head settles quickly and leaves little lace.

S - Lots of coffee with a touch of chocolate.

T - Espresso and dark bread up front. Some molasses and burnt caramel in the middle and a finish of dark chocolate, more coffee, and just enough bitterness to keep it balanced.

M - Medium-thick body, moderately high carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - This is somewhere between a robust american stout and a real imperial, but it works nicely. The coffee character is excellent and there is enough chocolate to justify its inclusion in the description as well. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 00:45:25 | More by nickfl