Xbeeriment Black Force One - Xbeeriment I/S

laituegonflable

Australia

3.7/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a very, very dark brown colour, just glimpses of colour up to the light. Head is a gorgeous hue, ochre, with nice density, settles out to a thinnish film. But some lovely clingy lacing left behind. It's a cracker.

Smell is toasty and pleasant. Not too heavy, but a bold, strong roast to it giving charred wood, espresso and some black pepper. Notes of honey-glazed meat and some walnut characters as well. Also a slight hoppy note on there lifts it. Really quite good, but maybe a little too savoury; has a slight staleness to it after a while.

Taste is quite nutty and malty as well. Really rather sweet, with a touch of molasses, vegemite and some prunes, sticky date and caramel as well. Midway the roast hits, adding another dimension but not quite quashing the sweetness, just guides it gently with a final dark bitterness. OVerall, doesn't quite plumb the depths of flavours it introduces - the sweetness floats and dominates through it all, and the roastiness could have saved the day if it were a bigger complement.

Full, nice boozey texture, but manifested as dryness on the back without a lot of heat. Not bad at all.

Yeah, not as great as it could have been. Nice big characters, but there's a lot of homebrewers who could throw together these characters on a small scale and produce a similar beer. Not quite enough wow factor for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 10:29:23 | More by laituegonflable

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a very dark black color with a finger of frothy chocolate colored head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of chocolate malts, smoke, coffee, molasses, black licorice, and vanilla with a touch of dark fruit and booze.

T - Starts off with some chocolate malts with some molasses, dark fruit, vanilla, and black licorice. Through the middle, some coffee comes through with some good smoke flavor. The finish is a mix of chocolate malts, with smoke, dark fruit, molasses, black licorice, and a bit of booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a smokey, sweet, and warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice big smoked stout. Good balance of flavors with some nice smoke character.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 05:47:25 | More by ngeunit1

JTSbeerislife

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap, poured into a 12 oz brandy style snifter

Pours a light, creamy ¼” thick, tan colored head, which has very brief longevity, and some lace which sticks to the side of the glass with each drink, but then vanishes. Easily revived with a swirl of the glass. The lace was much improved on the second and third glass (first glass not clean enough?)
Opaque color, black.

The aroma begins with some light to medium hops followed by distinct, deep rich malt with a roasted espresso character, quite vinous with black bread and yeast notes. Totally different yeast in nose, very enjoyable and complex.

Crisp, rich, bitter entry on the palate of very light hops, followed by very distinctive, rich malt. The malt has a very refined, yeasty, roasted character with flavors of dark unsweetened chocolate and bitter espresso. The body is full, with a fine balanced carbonation and an off dry sweetness.
Delicious! Wow!

Very long finish of faint hops and bitter malt. The malt dominates with espresso bitterness and lingering richness, tinged with yeast.

This is an exceptionally enjoyable stout, with very different, and indescribable smells and flavors.
My guess would be the different yeasts and malts used. Very unique, delicious and rich!
You want another and another until you are finished off.
Highly recommended!

Serving type: on-tap

04-29-2012 16:18:10 | More by JTSbeerislife

kojevergas

California

3.25/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

1 pint .9 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into an EKU 28 snifter in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. I've never had an xbeeriment beer, but my expectations are high.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a one finger head of slight tan colour, nice cream and thickness, and impressive retention for the high ABV. Colour is a predictable solid nontransparent opaque black. No yeast particles are visible - probably due to the nontransparency.

Sm: Exquisite roast, smoke, and chocolate, and caramel. A bit simple but very pleasant and inviting. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Pleasant smoke is present throughout without being overbearing. Nice chocolate. The roast is extremely problematic. Alcohol comes through. Simple for an experimental beer. Not at all subtle; the few present flavours beat you over the head. No real layering. No yeast comes through. Badly balanced but built decently.

Mf: Astringent - a huge problem. Smooth, wet, and thick. Poorly executed for the style; it should be coarse and dry (and not at all astringent). Methinks there was an error on the brewer's part; maybe they boiled the mash by accident.

Dr: Drinkable for the high ABV but boring and bland. Overpriced. I certainly wouldn't get this again. I'll give the brewery a few more stabs, but this doesn't bode well.

C+

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 04:48:58 | More by kojevergas

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours jet black, with some dark head. Above average mouthfeel, slick oily. Decent, but a tad of the off mouldy taste I have had from other xbeeriment beers was in there. A fresh bottle. Decent drinkability.I liked it, my mate didn't want more than a sip.Smoke in aroma, and not overwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 02:37:07 | More by northyorksammy

superspak

Michigan

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours almost pitch black color with a very nice 1 finger dense khaki head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap that lasts. Some nice soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big dark chocolate, roasted coffee, charcoal, caramel, dark malts, tobacco, citrus, herbal hops, biscuit, and a touch of alcohol. Nice and well balanced aromas. Taste of big dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee, charcoal, black malt, biscuit, caramel, toffee, pine, herbal hops, and a bit of dark fruits. Fairly intense pine and citrus bitterness on the first sip that mellows out as you drink to reveal the malt backbone. Lingering notes of dark coffee, chocolate, pine, herbal, and biscuit on the finish for a while. Despite the big hoppiness; there is a nice malt flavor balance in this beer. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a fairly creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is an excellent and enjoyable Imperial stout. Quite an intense experience with the hoppiness, but is a nice sipper.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 01:50:22 | More by superspak

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Jason, 500ml into a tulip.

Black body with a light brown head. Fantastic retention and good lacing. Nose is big and hoppy, almost akin to an imperial black ale. Chocolate, brown sugar and a hint of smoke as well. Taste has bitter dark chocolate, with some balancing malt sweetness. Very nice hop notes again, brown sugar and some toasrty/lightly burnt/smoky malt notes as well. Thick and imposing body, a huge body. Some alcohol as well. An interesting beer surely, a big hoppy imperial stout, but straddles the line between an imperial stout and imperial black ale I thought.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 15:57:06 | More by liamt07

dbrauneis

New Jersey

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

Served on tap at Mugs Alehouse in Brooklyn, NY

A: Pours a very dark black in color with some subtle brown hints when held up to the light. The beer has a very thin tan head that reduces to a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Lots of dark roasted and slightly charred malts along with light hints of chocolate.

T: Lots of dark roasted malts with some subtle hints of bittersweet chocolate. Very smooth and very complex. Some bitterness in the finish.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Really enjoyable and definitely one to pick up again - I guess I'm lucky that my local bottle shop carries this one. I really liked the complexity of the flavor and the smell.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2012 15:57:55 | More by dbrauneis

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Purchased from Healthy Spirits in San Francisco, where Dave warned me it was a particularly smoky stout. That sounded more like an endorsement than a warning to me, so I picked it up with relish.

The pour is excellent, and in fact the head forms in such a blissful layering of melted icecream-like creaminess, leaving a tense and rigid, but still frothy head of mild chocolate brown. Lacing is excellent. The body is a deep brown-black, but it just hints at a translucent thinness at the edges that I feel really should not be there. Otherwise, a truly excellent looking brew. The head in particularly just makes me fall in love.

Nose is wonderfully deep and smooth, with mocha coffee coming through really pleasantly above a deeper darker base. The smokiness is actually rather refined and subdued, forming more as a part of the dark roasted grain rather than a character in and of itself. It integrates it better, but makes it less obvious as a result. Overall, it's a really pleasant nose. More towards the "normal" Imperial Stout realm than I expected, but good even for that.

Taste is smooth and full, with the body to support everything else put on top of it. Yes, there is more smokiness touching the palate, but again it lingers as an afterthought to the charred grain, forming more of an integral part of the beer than I expected—rather than the oddly skewing character I thought it might be. The sweetness is just enough to gentle caress and bathe the palate as a whole, making it supple and pleasant. Feel is smooth, but a little light. Really, once you're at post 10% ABV, you can afford to have a biog, meaty, chewy, chunky and otherwise obesely thick palate.

Overall, I enjoyed this a very great deal. While the smoke does provide an interesting side-note, the most impressive part of the beer is how well everything is integrated. It's complex but coherent. A great start in my book from another interesting Danish brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 10:30:36 | More by lacqueredmouse

arrowh

California

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at Pangaea's in Sacramento.

Very dark, nearly opaque. Not much head, but adequately carbonated.

Hops and chocolate aroma, light smoke.

Dry and fairly un-complex for an imperial stout, but what it does it does well. Chocolate-covered hops. The peat-smoked malt is subtle-- a nice touch without being overbearing.

Great, long-lasting aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2012 01:51:56 | More by arrowh

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle. Served in a snifter, the beer pours very dark brown/black with about an inch frothy tan head. The head sticks around a long time, and there's also a good amount of lacing left on the glass. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like roasted and smoked malt, chocolate, coffee, and some dark fruit. Taste is similar to the aroma, it tastes like roasted and smoked malt, coffee, bittersweet and milk chocolate, piney hops, dark fruit and a bit of licorice. Nice balance between the sweet and bitter flavors. I don't think the smoke is strong in either the aroma or flavor. It is noticeable, but it's closer to being subtle than it is strong (which is a disappointment since this is labeled as being a smoked imperial stout). Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's coating and has moderate carbonation. Even though this beer wasn't as smoky as I was expecting it to be, it's still a good overall brew and I liked it.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 22:39:40 | More by bluejacket74

chakadrum

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16.9 ounce bottle

Pretty darn close to jet black. Appropriate amount of head which is dirty-white in color. Strong lacing (not quite Duvel-strong but good).

I'd like to think I smell chocolate and roasted stuff. A good smell but not mind-blowing. As it warms up I like the smell of it less.

Chocolate, hops and roasted stuff. Tasty. There is some sweetness that makes me think of a milk-stout. The hop bitterness throw me off a little bit. This reminds me of something like Southern Tier Mokah but isn't quite as chocolaty as that beer. After taking a break for a minute or two, I'm amazing how dryed out my mouth is from the hops. I wonder what aspect the peak-smoked malt plays on the taste. I don't feel like I taste much smoke.

Good body to the beer.

Overall, a good beer. Reading the label and seeing what was involved in the beer helps the rating. Peat-smoked malt is cool idea.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 04:57:31 | More by chakadrum

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a quarter finger high tan head that died down but consistently left lacing on the surface as well as a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of roasted malts in the nose along with some hints of hops. The smell improves as the beer warms up.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has flavors of burnt and roasted malts and coffee and has notes of smoke from the peat and a moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied and somewhat dry on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer isn’t overly difficult to drink, although the bitterness and roasted flavors can get in the way of its drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 02:17:52 | More by metter98

jale

Michigan

2.95/5  rDev -27%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Had on tap at Crunchy's in East Lansing.
A: Pours black with a good finger of brown head.

S: Smoked malt and roasted coffee.

T: Smoked malt upfront followed by bitter cocoa and bitter coffee. The finish is a harsh hop bitterness. The flavors don't seem to mesh well in this beer. After a few sips, the hop bitterness takes over this beer and is all you taste.

M: Medium body with average carbonation.

O: Not a beer I would seek out.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 17:41:53 | More by jale

ehammond1

California

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On Tap

Urge Gastropub
San Diego, CA

Black on black with a thin light brown head. Lines and sheets of lacing down the glass.

An atypical big stout. There's a pretty substantial pine and earthy presence in the aroma along with the typical offenders of roasted malts, chocolate, and some mild coffee. A nice, if unusual, aroma.

A moderately bitter, somewhat piney, big American stout. The roasted coffee and chocolate are present but not quite as dominant as in most others within the style. There's a touch of alcohol warmth and sharpness here as well.

Big, luscious, thick mouthfeel. Decadent and lovely.

A decent, if confused, big stout.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2011 22:37:01 | More by ehammond1

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: on tap at Armsby Abbey, Worchester, MA

A heavy, imperial stout, that was apparently only brewed once, so I was fortunate enough to have it on tap at Worchester's amazing Armsby Abbey brewpub. (Though I believe I saw this on deck at TJ's, mid-Sept. '11...just FYI.)

Poured into a snifter, an opaque obsidian, with a finger of tan head that retained and laced well. Roasty aroma, as would be imagined, dark malts, chocolate, dark fruits, and hints of wine. Taste followed the aroma: roasted dark malts, dark chocolate, cocoa bitterness, coffee notes, raisins and black cherries, brown sugar, with a mild earthy hoppiness just barely detectable. Definitely one to enjoy nearer to room temperature, or at least not "ice cold." Rich and full-bodied, and very enjoyable overall.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 07:03:28 | More by Rifugium

rarbring

Sweden

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

The beer is black, a chestnut head with little lacing but good curtains.

Smelling much of roasted tones, vanilla, chocolate and caramel.

The taste has sweet dark fruits, coffee, some toffee and chocolate.

Medium carbonation, soft and oily and alcoholic, a dry finish and a good body.

A nice complex beer with good action and much to enjoy, this was a barrel aged edition.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 18:34:32 | More by rarbring

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from bottle into a Mikkeller oversized wine glass. Poured pitch black with a three finger light brown head that subsided to one finger slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, alcohol, and subtle smoke. The flavor was of sweet malt, caramel, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, cream, subtle alcohol, and slight smoke. It had a heavy feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. This one wasn't otherworldly but it was quite tasty for sure. Smelled great as it was very complex and had me guessing the entire time on what all I was picking up on. The flavor was also quite nice and complex as well which was very nice to see. A definite must try for anyone out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 19:52:03 | More by thagr81us

dgilks

Australia

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

Dark brown colour with a creamy tan head. Fair head retention.

Rounded sweet roasty malt and some coffee. Slightly earthy. Good.

Big, peaty smoke with some piney hops. Moderate coffee. Nice and very curious.

Medium body with a sharp medium carbonation.

A big flavoured stout with lots of peat. Almost a little OTT for me. Good.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2011 12:22:42 | More by dgilks

Phelps

Arizona

3.53/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed in a snifter.

Born from Xbeeriment #44, which was brewed for Barack Obama’s nomination, this stout’s made with five different kinds of malt, including some peat-smoked stuff. Three different hops made it into the boil, and the beer was dry-hopped with a fourth.

Midnight black, not a hint of light coming through anywhere. Liquid black. One finger of head the color of cocoa powder fizzles out quickly, becoming a thin ring and leaving grasping fingers of lace.

Nice. Lots of campfire smoke, peat and pine backed by sweeter dark chocolate. Maybe some anise and spruce as well.

The flavor’s quite a bit weaker than the nose would lead me to believe. The smoky pine remains, with a handful of bitter dark chocolate backing it up. Spicy anise is in there as well. Decently smoky, but it could use more sweet malt to back it up.

Light in body, a bit thin and watery. Light yet prickly carbonation with very soft fizz. I’m not impressed with the mouthfeel, but it’s redeeming quality is that it hides the nearly 11 percent ABV very well. I don’t feel it until I get the buzzing in the chest.

I could use more sweet malt to back up the smoke and add complexity. The alcohol is well-hidden, but I need more dimensions.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 05:35:49 | More by Phelps

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a snifter at Local Option.

Appearance: A surprisingly large tan cap rests on tap of a mahogany or black beer. Good lacing down the side for an imperial stout.

Smell: A lot of aromas balance out well, but the intensity is not that strong. Chocolate and roasted malt are the most dominant, with some coffee and a light hop bitterness as well.

Taste: Black Force One is a well balanced imperial stout. The start is fully roasted but not burnt or smokey malt along with a light molasses sweetness and some dark chocolate. A bit of vanilla and cream lead into an espresso flavor. Toward the end of the sip the bitterness turns hoppy, with a light earthy tint to it. The finish has more roast malt and coffee flavors and a lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: There is a moderate creaminess here, which really contributes to the balanced concept of the beer. The body is full bodied, but less so than I would have thought given the ABV, which is incredibly well hidden.

Overall: I will always welcome another member to the balanced, tasty imperial stout club. It seems like there has been a lot of talk about this beer lately, but even though this was not mind-blowing, it was still quite good.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2011 21:59:20 | More by KickInTheChalice

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

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

A: Deep black body with a moderate sized khaki head. Quickly recedes to a thin collar with spotty lacing.

S: Nice and smokey with hints of tobacco, peat, and general roasted malts.

T: Like the nose, various smokey and roasted malts dominate. A little chocolate, brown sugar, and coffee creeps in as well. Not overly complex, but I like the simplicity of this beer. This beer takes a particular flavor profile and works with it.

M: Medium bodied. Almost porter like in body and carbonation. Nice slightly bitter and smokey finish.

O: I enjoyed this a fair bitter. The price however, might make this tough to revisit.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 23:47:44 | More by callmemickey

bruachan

Rhode Island

4.55/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

smoked RIS? sign me up!

i hate reviewing the appearance of a beer like this: yup...totally black. the head is hardly quotidian, however. creamy, in fact

smoky aroma as promised. smells of tobacco, too

not a sweet impy. strong bitterness and kilned astringency provide a strong tactile experience and liven the tongue. chicory, burnt crust and plenty of heat. strong, still-sulpherous molasses. full and dynamic of flavor and effect

yum!

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 02:49:13 | More by bruachan

oline73

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had this on-tap at Max's in Baltimore. Poured into a goblet.

Appearance: Pours black with hardly any head except a ring at the edge of the glass that leaves some lacing.

Smell: The smell is mild. Roasty with a hint of dark fruit.

Taste: Very bitter from the roast and hops. Tastes a bit burnt and smokey. Hints of sweet dark fruit. The finish is really, really bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium to thick body, smooth tingly carbonation, and a mildly dry finish.

Overall: This is a very bitter stout. Not a whole lot else going on. Still not bad, but I'm not sure I want any more.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2011 21:14:15 | More by oline73

Sean9689

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to Alex for this one. Poured into Darkness snifter.

A - Pours black, thick collar, cream, thin cap. 4

S - Lots of smoke, chocolate, and roast. Pretty straight forward here, you know what you're getting.

T - Chocolate, smoke, super bitter harsh finish. The finish is just not all that good, truthfully. The harshness is just a little to much for me.

M - Body is medium, soft carbonation, creamy roasty finish.

O - The look, nose, and feel are all spot-on for me. However, the finish is just too harsh for me to enjoy drinking this beer. Cannot recommend.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 15:31:44 | More by Sean9689