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

Halcyondays

California

4.14/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours black with a medium dark tan head, some thick lace is left as the beer is drunk.

S: Heavy on the creamed coffee, fragrant, pleasing.

T: This beer has 2 distinct phases to it. Upfront it's all floral coffee an in-your-face with that flavour. In the finish it smooths out to a glorius dark chocolate flavour heavily reminiscent of brownies, very tasty.

M: Medium to full-bodied, rich, creamy and smooth.

O: A very good imperial stout. Nothing mind-blowing just a good adjunct heavy American stout.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2013 21:19:10 | More by Halcyondays

Dope

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Pours pitch black with a huge and dense medium-brown head forming. Fades slowly with excellent head retention. Great thick lacework left behind.

S: Lots and lots of rich roasted coffee bean. A little bit of bitter chocolate backs it up but the coffee dominates here. Get a bit of char too.

T: Loaded with coffee like in the aroma but a decent amount of baker's chocolate mixes in and subdues it a bit. Get a strong salted crunchy pretzel taste in the middle. Lingering mellowed coffee and chocolate in the aftertaste with just the slightest hint of anise.

M: Medium bodied. Smooth and mouth-coatingly viscous.

O: Pretty much exactly as the bottle says. Decent stout with heavy coffee and chocolate adjuncts. Not much else to it. Can't give it major scores due to its relatively simple nature but it's still a tasty and drinkable brew. Mouthfeel stands out a bit, I will say. Quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 06:22:43 | More by Dope

Naters333

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into my snifter from a 22 oz bottle.

A-Poured a nice black color that's not too thick or thin for this type of beer. Nice one inch tan/mocha head. Head was more on the tan side. Nice thin layer of tan head that sticks to the sides of the snifter. Decent carbonation.

S- Dark chocolate, slight coffee, slight alcohol, dark fudge.

T- very tasty beer. Chocolate brownie, dunkin donuts coffee, dark chocolate fudge, not overly sweet.

M- Average for the style. I would say medium body for an imperial stout. Not too thin, but not really think either.

O- I really liked this beer. Very easy to drink. Hardly any alcohol burn at all. Wouldn't want to age this beer. Smooth, tasty, and satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 07:50:53 | More by Naters333

zachary80

Indiana

4.51/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

22oz painted bottle, no date. Somehow this rang up under $6 before discount/tax/deposit.

Extremely dark brown body, medium creamy tan head. Good lacing.

Could smell this one once I popped open the bottle. Delicious chocolate is the most prominent with some enticing coffee notes as well. Smells a little sweet.

Huge with the coffee and chocolate in the flavor of this one. There is a real depth to the coffee flavor, unlike the shallow/generic coffee flavor of some others, and it blends perfectly with the chocolate and underlying roastiness from the stout. High in bitterness, relatively slow sweetness for an imperial stout.

Full bodied; light-medium carbonation, no alcohol presence.

Overall this is a great beer. Probably my favorite coffee/chocolate combination in a stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 03:41:06 | More by zachary80

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.04/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours out mostly black and dark brown, nice beige head on it, .88" in depth, good lacing, retention. Yummy aroma, hits both the chocolate and coffee aspect in the right amount, not huge, not boozy, just a solid mild coffee presence and dark chocolate.

Taste, again, hits with a substantial dose of chocolate, coffee to a lesser degree. Definitely leads with its dark chocolate foot forward, not a coffee bomb, but not a pushover either. Avoids a bitter coffee presence, probably from the smoothness of a substantial malt body and dark chocolate of the less bitter nature. Even though the chocolate is the most prominent aspect flavor wise, this beer never came off as sweet. Alcohol engrained nicely, hidden, not boozy. Pretty easy drinking stuff at 9%abv. The malt body never feels heavy either. At only $6 a bomber, this is a pretty solid option. I should have grabbed one more to age.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 23:16:28 | More by Beerandraiderfan

brewdude1982

North Carolina

4.44/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

This was a bomber poured into a pint glass.

Pours a dark beautiful black with a good head with dark brown bubbles and good lacing. It smells bready. It tastes like roasted malts and coffee, followed by a sweet caramel. It has a good body and carbonation to match. I love this beer an would recommend to anyone who likes coffee, chocolate, and/or stouts.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 16:59:39 | More by brewdude1982

tdm168

North Carolina

3.99/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - pitch black with a huge, thick, brown head that has great retention

S - chocolate, dark fruit, faint coffee, roasted malts

T - intense dark fruit notes, some rich sweet chocolate notes, faint coffee-like bitterness

M - medium bodied, a bit thin at times, well carbonated, some faint warming alcohol

This is a decent beer with a nice flavor profile. I like this beer, but I wish it were a bit more full-flavored. Neither the coffee nor the chocolate are as intense as I would have liked it to be. The dark fruit notes are impressive and add layers of depth. The mouthfeel is a bit thin which also takes away from the overall experience. Despite all this it is still a really nice stout that is worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 16:51:35 | More by tdm168

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.59/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Expectations were high, unrealistically, on this LOF series beer owing to the high score. Big coffee, cold coffee taste, with a little chocolate in the aftertaste. Aroma only coffee.Dark body with lots of cream head. I would like more of the chocolate. Thanks Josh.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 14:21:39 | More by northyorksammy

portia99

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a New Belgium globe.

A - Pours a super dark brown/not quite black color with two fingers of fluffy mocha foam with decent staying power. Over a minute or so the head falls steadily to the surface leaving sparse lacing on the glass.

S - Tons of milk chocolate and cocoa powder, mid-level coffee, creamy with touches of vanilla, mild dark roast. Pretty standard stout aromas.

T - Pretty much in line with the aroma, smooth and rich milk chocolate with some powdery cocoa. Coffee underneath the cocoa that grows in intensity towards the finish and blends for a smooth mocha effect. Rich and creamy. Smooth and tasty, but not remarkable.

M - Full bodied with an extremely creamy carbonation. Carb is at a lower level and makes this a bit frothy and milkshake'y. Chocolate dominates at the front and blends to the coffee at the finish. Finish also turns a bit burnt and heavily roasty with this character lingering well past the swallow. Might be the best aspect of this beer.

O - Overall a solid imperial stout that focuses on chocolate character. It is solid and well executed although lacking in some of the finer nuances that stand out in other fine examples of the style. Very drinkable (I'd have another any time), just doesn't blow me away. I wouldn't go out of my way to find this again, but it was a fine beer to have with dinner on a Thursday night.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 00:58:22 | More by portia99

denver10

Colorado

4.24/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Going to re-do this review since my latest experience with this one was FAR superior to my initial one.

Pours black with a dirty white head. Aroma is coffee and dark chocolate with a little roast. Flavor followed suit; some nice coffee (that has toned down significantly from my first try...in a very positive way...still there for sure, just in a more fitting/balanced way), some dark chocolate that offers some bitter and milkiness but not quite sweetness, some roasted barley, and a kiss of some char in the finish. A medium body, somewhat creamy. Overall a well done and highly enjoyable beer. Would happily drink again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2013 01:00:10 | More by denver10

kevanb

Illinois

2.8/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle poured into a New Belgium globe.

The beer pours a nice deep black color, touches of dark brown when struck by light, a nice, thick, frothy, 2 finger caramel colored head which has good retention, leaving behind a nice soapy film and a great network of sticky lacing. The aroma is very milky, lots of sweet milk chocolate, with bitter roasted coffee and a touch of smooth grain. The milkiness is really overpowering and pretty unpleasant. Bitter coffee hits the tongue straight away, with a touch of grain behind it, before the outrageously sweet milk chocolate comes back and really dominates the tongue. The milky flavors are a bit watered down on the tongue which makes it much worse, literally like a glass of milk with water poured over it. The body is fairly rich and full, a touch thinner than I'd like for a stout, coats the mouth well and has a nice easy finish.

Verdict: A pretty poor offering from New Belgium. The milky flavors and overbearing sweetness makes this beer very unpalatable. The Lips of Faith series has been fairly successful in my mind, but this is definitely a forgettable experience, a drain pour.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 01:56:54 | More by kevanb

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Bottle pour for New Brew Thursday's 3rd Anniversary event held at Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, and coffee aromas. Taste is much the same with a coffee flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 01:13:07 | More by UCLABrewN84

Uncle_Jimmy

California

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- nearly opaque dark brown 1 finger of brown foam lingers and leaves lacing

Aroma - coffee vanilla, roasted cocoa

Taste- definite coffee on the front end and dark chocolate even baking chocolate. a lot of back end roasted malt character. Hops assert themselves in the finish, a bit too much.

Mouthfeel- Dry definitely dry for this high ABV and noticeable alcohol warmth.

Overall- this one was hyped quite a bit when i was buying it but may not live up to it. It is good and does a lot of things well- ( Mouthfeel and aroma in particular) but I feel it falls a little bit short. I do enjoy the coffee the most in this, i just wish it had a tad more complexity in the taste. I found myself struggling to taste more than coffee.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 00:21:22 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

Zach136

Georgia

4.09/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

On tap at Trappeze Pub in Athens, GA. Served in a Palm snifter.

$5/12oz $3 for Half Pour.

A - Opaque black with light tan head that disappears quick. Excellent lacing.

S - Mostly rich milk chocolate with a hint of coffee.

T - Strong on the coffee flavor, not very much chocolate at all. Definitely a "fresh" coffee flavor as well. No hops to speak of.

M - Fairly rich, chewy and creamy. Leaves a sweet sticky residue in your mouth after.

O - Great coffee stout. Not the best, but very good. I'd love to sit on it for a year or so and I bet I'd like it even more.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2013 17:54:59 | More by Zach136

sammib528

Iowa

3.96/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A – Poured very dark with a tan head

S – Big coffee, earthy smell

Taste – plenty of coffee taste, hints of chocolate and caramel

Mouthfeel – medium to heavy, creamy and bitter

Overall – Love the coffee, would have liked it to be a bit heavier, but overall was very good

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 20:28:06 | More by sammib528

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 22 oz. bottle into a New Belgium Globe glass.

Appearance: Pours a dark oily black with a moderate amount of black. About two fingers of tan head that slowly fade into a thin patchy layer. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing on the glass.

Smell: A very roasty coffee and chocolate driven aroma. Dark roasted malts with big hints of coffee beans, and dark chocolate. Also some hints of burnt caramel, biscuit, toast, toffee, and nuts. Some burnt sugars and a little hint of smoke. Fairly earthy with some pretty decent hints of hops. Smells on the dry side with a big bitter roast. Pretty good aroma.

Taste: Like the aroma suggests, a roasty and bitter coffee driven taste with some chocolate. Dark roasted malts with a big taste of bitter black coffee. Good taste of dark chocolate, burnt toast, caramel, toffee, biscuit, nuts, and a little smoke. The coffee bitterness is fairly strong and the sweetness is subdued. A surprisingly noticeable presence of earthy hops add a little more bitterness. A very good coffee stout taste.

Mouthfeel: Body is on the heavier side of medium with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy, bitter, and pretty drying. Alcohol is hidden well.

Overall: A very good coffee stout. Slightly thinner feel for an imperial but I love the dark coffee bitterness going on. The coffee taste is very solid.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 07:32:05 | More by MattyG85

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.89/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Dark black with a tan head.

Aroma and taste are straight up espresso and coffee. A nice roast with a big chocolate profile. Reminds me a bit of fresh coffee bender.

Mouthfeel is roasty and a bit thinner bodied for a stout.

Nice coffee flavors all arouc. I wish it was thicker though.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2013 04:17:10 | More by mothman

superspak

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into signature globe glass, bottled on 10/05/2012. Pours fairly pitch black color with a nice 2 finger dense tan head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice dense soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big roasted coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malt, light char, cocoa, caramel, toast, toffee, cream, and light earthy hops. Damn nice aromas with good balance, strength, and complexity of roasted chocolate and coffee notes. Taste of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, roasted malt, light char, caramel, cream, toffee, toast, cocoa, and light herbal. Fair amount of roasted coffee bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, caramel, toast, toffee, light char, and cream on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of the roasted favors; with minimal cloying roasted flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very creamy, slick, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is very nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent imperial coffee stout. Very nice balance and complexity of roasted flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering as expected.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 05:21:44 | More by superspak

Joshpu

California

4.55/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served from a bomber into a pint glass.

A: Jet black, about a finger of head. The head is tan and frothy. Maintains a nice lacing.

S: The smell is very strong and great. I smell obvious bitter coffee notes, dark chocolate, and malts.

T: Fairly bitter coffee and chocolate notes. For me, its not to the point of overwhelming since I like bitter beers. I am not really getting a taste of the alcohol at all.

M: Mouthfeel is medium bodied. The flavors definitely linger, which in my opinion is a good thing. It is definitely carbonated feeling.

Overall: I think it is a good beer, not a first choice beer, but good. Although I think it lives up to its title well, maybe a little more bitter than most people might like for a stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 09:42:26 | More by Joshpu

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pitch black pour, looks great in my snifter. Mocha colored head that slowly disappears and leaves some bubbles. A lot of lacing.

S- Tons of coffee with a lot of roasted malt. Smells really good, but not a whole lot of chocolate in the nose. Maybe some bittersweet chocolate.

T- Surprisingly not a malt bomb. Coffee is huge in the taste with roasted malts and a slight chocolate flavor. The surprise is the hops that come through from the middle to the end. A really good mix of flavors.

M- Full bodied, medium-high carbonation. Slight sting on the roof of my mouth, but very smooth.

O- Really good coffee stout. I thought the coffee over powered any chocolate, but this is a really good desert beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 01:13:21 | More by stephenjmoore

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a globe glass)
A- This beer pours a jet black body with a sticky tan head of cream and a microcarbonation wall that glides up the sides of the glass

S- The full aroma of cold coffee grounds is fresh with an earthy black malt blend in the finish and some nice dark chocolate notes grow as the beer opens

T- The flavor of iced coffee finishes with a cold coffee grounds flavor and some mellow chocolate notes that turn into chocolate milk the more the beer warms. There is a coffee ground flavor that lingers in the after taste.

M- This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel with a thick texture on the finish. There is no alcohol heat noticed.

O- This beer has some good coffee ground flavors but they are still coffee grounds and some good chocolate flavor, not tootsie roll or nougat, but it starts to taste a bit like quick. And the Imperial Stout is buried underneath all of those flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 21:16:55 | More by rhoadsrage

jsulko

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a snifter glass

Pours a very dark black with decent chocolate brown head.

Smell is heavy with coffee and malty sweetness.

Taste is very coffee centric with a little sweetness. Little to no coffee bitterness on the finish.

A solid coffee stout but nothing very special for the Lips of Faith series.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 04:24:40 | More by jsulko

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from Belmont Station.

A: Black with no forecast for sunshine. 1/2" of thick, fluffy cappucino head.

N: Chocolate milk, fudge, Hershey's syrup, and espresso beans. There is a slightly offputting metallic flavor. Some roasted malt. All in all, it's well balanced with the sweetness, but it does lose some points for the aforementioned metallic flavor.

T: Coffee forward. Chocolate flavors grow as the beer warms. Milky taste with prominent roastiness. Has some wood and oak elements even if there's no actual oak aging. Nice stuff.

M: Really thin for the style. If this was labeled a 'single' stout, I'd be more forgiving.

O: A pleasant afternoon drinker and a beer worth recommending. A little more body and some additional complexity - though, given the ingredients you may not be looking for more - and this would be a real stunner.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 21:12:43 | More by writerLJBerg

scratch69

Missouri

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Black in color with a fingers worth of tan head. Light amount of lacing.

Smell- Coffee and roasted malt aroma with notes of chocolate.

Taste- Dark roasted malt and black coffee flavors dominates with notes of sweet chocolate toward the finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with an average amount of carbonation. Smooth and creamy.

Overall- Pretty good beer and very drinkable. The flavors aren't very complex which suits my palate just fine.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 20:55:52 | More by scratch69

cradke

Texas

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark brown to black. Pour is a little less viscous than other Imp. stouts. Very nice head and some decent lacing.

Smell: Good coffee and very forward chocolate. Some decent malt and it finishes smooth. Very few bitter notes.

Taste: Very pronounced coffee and chocolate again. Some hazelnuts thrown in. Limited bitter notes with a smooth aftertaste. Kind of like having a extra chocolate coffee late. Sweet but not to cloying.

Mouthfeel: A little thin compared to most imperial stouts but with a good amount of carbonation. It's very pleasant and it drinks very easy; almost too easy!

Overall: Very pleasant. Very forward on the chocolate and coffee as advertised. A little thin but it's very easy to drink. For New Belgium not doing very many stouts, this is a solid beer and for $6, I will drink this all day long. Well done

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 03:46:26 | More by cradke