Requiem Espresso Stout - Gentleman Scholar Brewing Co.

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.88/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

So I've been on this kick to drink a bunch of my older stouts that have been kicking it at room temperature. This poured out mostly black, a little brown, decent head in the half inch range. Aroma, mild coffee/espresso aroma. Far from pungent.

Taste, again, good coffee/espresso-ness, a little lighter than a 7% stout, easy to drink, yet robust enough to hang, enjoyable to drink most importantly. Not an uber coffee beer, really shows nice touches in just the right amount of everything, a nice balance between heft and the vanilla/cream smoothness that contributes to that enjoyability factor. Nothing is over the top, but no corners are cut, there's an ample malt bill, the right amount of hops to contribute to the pop of the beer, but not distract from the flavors more akin to an espresso stout.

For laying sideways in a wine rack on the floor in the desert for two years, this one aged tremendously I would say. Boost that, I picked it up for only $4.99 (hence the somewhat experimental nature of the aging process).

Would definitely recommend, a solid espresso stout that ages with the best of them, hearty, sturdy, these types of adjetives do well with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 03:18:30 | More by Beerandraiderfan

biglite351

Pennsylvania

2.53/5  rDev -26%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

A - Considerable red with a tall creamy tan head.

S - Strong toasty malts, sour dark fruit and a trace of smoke.

T - Sour drery malt and a touch of coffee. Potentially past it.

M - good coating with a tingle on both sides of tongue.

O - I think this one might have been off so I would liek to try it again ssometime.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 18:42:40 | More by biglite351

warnerry

Michigan

2.05/5  rDev -40.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

A - Pours black with very hlittle head to speak of. Leaves no lacing.

S - Slight chocolate and coffee aromas. A faint ashy aroma. Not that appealing.

T - Very thin tasting. Watery coffee, a bit of roasted malt, and a very faint tartness. Really nothing redeeming here.

M - As subpar as the smell and taste are, the mouthfeel is downright offensive. It quite literally feels like a flavored water. The thinnest stout I've ever had. Really disappointing.

O - Unimpressive in every way. A big disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 01:02:02 | More by warnerry

CampusCrew

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Low ratings and im surprised. Well done. Lots of coffee flavor. Low head retention and carbonation. Loaded coffee flavor. Medium bodied, light for style. Paired well with some brownies I had. Overall, good stout, love the coffee flavor. Would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 02:14:49 | More by CampusCrew

AgentZero

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Black colored beer with a finger of tan head.

S - Smells mostly of coffee, with roasted malts, some bitter chocolate, pretty par for the course.

T - Taste is about like the nose, it's a coffee/expresso heavy beer with a lot of roasted grain that is a little bitter. There's some chocolate in there as well but coffee is the dominant flavor here.

M - Lighter side of medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O - If you like coffee, this isn't a bad beer, although I would have preferred it a little sweeter and creamier myself.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 15:49:40 | More by AgentZero

hickmancase

California

1.73/5  rDev -49.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Bottle from Total Wine poured into a pint glass.

A: Dark but translucent brown. Uneventful pour.

S: Espresso? Hello? Where are you? The other reviews say it smells like coffee. I think someone forgot the coffee in mine. Smells like a stout.

T: Same as smell but with a hint of raunchy. Disappointing. None of the coffeeness that I so desire.

M: Bubbly. Too bubbly for a stout.

D: PASS. This delivers none of what it claims to be usually does. (Read it again; it makes sense).

3/10

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 09:07:35 | More by hickmancase

UCLABrewN84

California

2.35/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours an almost reddish dark brown with a tiny 1 inch beige head that fades to a film. No lacing on the drink down. Smells of watery coffee and weak cocoa powder. Tastes of watery coffee, slight bittersweet chocolate, with a bit of a medicinal taste. The beer sort of numbs the mouth, which is really quite weird. Watery mouthfeel with mild carbonation. Overall, this is not a very good beer. Way too watery for a stout and the numbing quality in the beer is horrible. I would not recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 04:37:05 | More by UCLABrewN84

wajacobs

California

2.75/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

In college the lines that divide the day between coffee and beer can easily blur. In one of these blurred moments I created coffee beer more out of a need to free a hand than any culinary creativity.

Requiem is your typical coffee stout with a good dose of coffee/ espresso on nose and the tongue with no discerning off flavors to subtract from it.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 02:36:55 | More by wajacobs

imagese

California

1.38/5  rDev -59.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Bottle with no date pored into RIS snifter

A- SUPER heavy pour of this black water like beer initially had no head, but once the glass was 2/3 full, a nasty carbonation burst made the head explode over the glass. The head looked like dish soap foam that faded to nothing

S- The initial scent is promising with a mocha coffee scent, but then a SOUR fruit smell comes thru followed by the smell of coffee grinds that have been sitting for a few weeks

T- I don't know why I took a sip, but this is truly one horrible beer. The taste is so sour that I feel like I just ate an Atomic Warhead candy that was under my sink and I didn't bother to clean off the dish soap it was sitting in

D- Carbonated beyond description. Not sure how I got this down

D- Hopefully this will clear some of the gunk in my drain. That's where it's going

I hope I got an infected bottle. There is just something way off on this beer. If I happen to be given a bottle, maybe I'll retry, but since this says it's "limited release", I doubt I will...

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 07:45:44 | More by imagese

t0rin0

California

4.33/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at Stuffed Sandwich 1/5/2011. I guess this is the same as the regular Requiem Espresso Stout with some vanilla added.

Pours jet black, no light shining through, short dark brown head, good lacing but not much retention.

Aroma is huge on the vanilla and coffee but also with plenty of roast, chocolate, and touches of caramel to ensure that it is in fact a beer.

Flavor is roasty, sweet from the vanilla, chocolatey, and oh yeah, coffee. Aside from the fact that I don't like coffee the only negatives are the abundance of burnt/roast flavors and possibly the too much vanilla if you're not into that.

Body is medium, highly drinkable.

Ƭίcƙ

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2011 21:00:37 | More by t0rin0

emagana

California

3.7/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a dark black with a brown long lasting head.
Aromas of Expresso with some vanilla.
Stats off smooth and thin. The coffee flavor really developes on the finish. Smokey stout flavoring rounds out the beer quite well.
Mouthfeel is thin but not a bad marriage with this one. I enjoyed but not sure if I will pick another one of these. I remember the price was right so if you have a chance give this one a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 00:43:23 | More by emagana

doraex

California

4/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This ber has a very strong coffee presence. I love espresso and I love beerso this beer delivers on all fronts.

Black with a small cafe au lait head.

Smells like a cup of espresso with a little sweetness.

Tastes like coffee and cream mixed with imperial stout.

Heavy on the tongue.

A beer like this has it's limitations in drinkability - but I love it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2010 19:38:19 | More by doraex

Bobsurfhb

California

2.85/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A - poured with a very light tan, thin head that dissipated very quickly. Had a brown halo and was a bit transparent to bright light.

S - Coffee, Nuttiness, a little bit of earthiness and a little bit of dark chocolate.

T - light coffee with chocolate tones and some nuttiness. It is all very light when cold but starts to be more prominent when it warms up a bit. But not much going on.

M - When cold it is like drinking "dirty" water very smooth and not much going on. After it warmed up a bit though it began to taste more like beer.

D - It is defiantly a beer for someone who is wanting to just get into stouts. very easy drinking and like I've said before, not much going on.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 07:54:55 | More by Bobsurfhb

david131

Michigan

2.83/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- A very dark brown liquid with some light getting through rather easily. The head is almost non-existent and settles to a thin ring around the edge. Almost dead looking

S- Coffee, sweet chocolate, earth, and a bit of nuttiness. The best way I can describe it is "dirty coffee," but not in a bad way.

T- Some coffee, chocolate, and some nuttiness. Tastes like a sweet, watered down coffee. Not very appealing.

M- Watery and very little carbonation. It is rather clean on the finish with just a little bit of lasting sweet roastiness.

D- Not really what I look for in a coffee stout. A little sweet and thin.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2010 03:27:31 | More by david131

womencantsail

California

3.9/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The pour is nearly black in color with a thin layer of tan head that ends up as a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.

S: There is some nice coffee aroma to the beer, but not quite as much as I would expect from a beer calling itself an espresso stout. Semi-sweet chocolate and roasted malts are present as well.

T: A pleasant flavor, and if you're a huge coffee fan, then perhaps you'll be disappointed. However, there is a nice blend of coffee and chocolate with a more subtle roast. Some light caramel sweetness underneath.

M: The body is medium, appropriate for a "regular" stout, with a low smooth carbonation.

D: I've shied away from trying this due to the connection with Skyscraper, but it's actually a pretty nice beer. Not as much coffee as I would have expected, but such is life.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 19:29:29 | More by womencantsail

eggland

California

4.08/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Daily Pint, LA, CA

a -the place was dim, so the pour was black coffee dark, with slight brown edges.

s - dark, smooth, light vanilla, deep

t - goes down smooth, dark, not too heavy.

m - low co2, clean, dark and smooth, medium of the "darks"

d - awesome chill out beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2010 17:35:11 | More by eggland

pants678

California

3.1/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Jet black body in a tulip glass, poured with almost no head foam

Smells like a bag of coffee beans, nicely roasted.

Coffee is right up front, some vanilla, and it's got a bit of a dry, harsh bite to it on the finish. It's all coffee/espresso and hints of cocoa, not complex, or not that my palate can detect.

Lightly carbonated, thick. Couldn't drink but maybe one more of these.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2010 17:51:17 | More by pants678

armock

New York

3.68/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured a black color with a tan head that fades quickly to a ring no lacing

S - Is of roasted malt that gives off strong coffee scents from the name I expected more coffee than whats there

T - Follows the nose roasted malt with a decent amount of coffee still expected stronger

M - This beer has a thin watery body with medium carbonation to it

D - Overall this isn't really a bad beer it just falls short on a lot of levels its still an enjoyable beer it just isn't making any top lists of mine

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2010 19:55:38 | More by armock

DJM13

California

4.13/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I really enjoyed this beer. We let it sit in our glass for a few minutes to get a true room temperature taste (recommended). It looked black with a frothy top. Smelled like coffee and chocolate. Tasted like coco. Not a lot of bubbles or carbonation. Would have this again as a nice cap like last night.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2010 20:42:31 | More by DJM13

mdfb79

New York

3.78/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 5/21/10 notes. Had at a local DC tasting.

a - Pours a dark brown with 1 finger of tan head and light carbonation.

s - Smells of coffee, roasted malts, vanilla, and chocolate.

t - Tastes of roasted malts chocolate, and coffee.

m - Medium body and low carbonation.

d - A decent stout. Would try again.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 03:34:08 | More by mdfb79

GbVDave

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottlke into a 20oz imperial pint. Thanks to errantnight for this from our most recent trade!

A: Pours a dark coffee black with some hints of brown and ruby red at the edges. Sitting atop of this is a creamy, light brown, one finger head that decided to stay around for awhile before receding to a thick ring that left tiny flecks of lace.

S: Nice aroma of fresh ground espresso (with that hint of cherry/berry) that's been blended with cocoa and some roasty malt. Aroma of espresso dusted chocolate cake.

T: See above. Excellent cocoa/espresso flavor mixes it up with roasted malt, caramel, dark chocolate, and a bit of bright berry flavor.

M: Suprisingly mellow and smooth for a coffee stout. Body is just on the thin side of medium bodied. Nice bit of dry and peppery bitterness during the middle and finish.

D: This is a great drinking coffee stout. I think that its' slightly thin body makes for an overall better drinkability score. Thanks Derek!

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2010 23:45:15 | More by GbVDave

jminsc76

California

4.05/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at BoHo in Hollywood. Pours a little head atop an impenetrable black body.

Intense and complex aromas that include vanilla, oak/wood, and cocoa.

A sip yields burnt espresso beans, a quaff yields richer coffee flavors of sweetness, roasty almonds, and a little bit of that aforementioned vanilla.

The mouthfeel is thick and pillow-y. Very pleasant on the palate.

Overall, I am a huge fan of this beer. It's balance is excellent yet exhibits a powerful (and memorable) punch . Good job gents.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2010 16:00:46 | More by jminsc76

DoubleJ

California

3.58/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Naja's, on to the beer:

It's cola black in appearance with hues of orange at its edges. Not a lot of lacing is left on the glass. Smells like espresso beans. Yeah, big surprise there. Tastes like espresso as well. Yeah, big surprise there. Very coffee forward, with a little bit of chocolate. To sum it up, this is solid coffee stout, not great, not bad.

BTW, is this really 7.5% ABV? I was guessing upper 5's when I drank it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2010 02:32:04 | More by DoubleJ

augustgarage

California

3.6/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Blue Palms Brewhouse in Hollywood. Served in a generic wide-mouthed tulip.

Bistre liquid which allows some light to pass through (though it is difficult to discern the color of the highlights, especially in a dimly lit bar). A thin, wheat colored collar persists and a curling skin bubbles slightly when agitated.

Aromatics are of freshly ground, well roasted, black coffee. Clean, lacking the malt you might expect or the DMS or diacetyl you might fear. The coffee overwhelms whatever undertones might be in the nose.

Rich coffee astringency with a low malt undercurrent and hints of molasses and brown sugar. Dissecting the profile I really feel I'm more dissecting a decent cupping of espresso than I am a glass of beer. While well crafted, this is a bit one note - its deficiencies become more prominent when compared with something like Péché Mortel. It bears a little too much resemblence to Kahlúa for my palate.

Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation and light astringency.

A beer that will appeal more to coffee geeks than beer geeks - but still a pleasant pint worth having if you're in the mood.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2009 06:25:38 | More by augustgarage

JTahoe

California

3.85/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Black with one finger head settling wuickly to 1/8" frosty layer, thick slow melting sheets stick to glass.

S - Fresh ground roasted coffee.

T - Like smooth, good quality iced espresso. Coffee flavor is distinct but not overwhelming, very low bitterness. Muffled milkiness, light chocolate, a touch of roasted malts and grains, and a slight twang of iron in the aftertaste. Not very complex, but fairly satisfying.

M - Effervescent and fairly light (just moving towards medium) mouthfeel. Clean and pretty crisp, actually. Slightly drying on finish.

D - Not bad... breakfast anyone? I'm thinking this would be great on a warm summer morning.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2009 07:06:22 | More by JTahoe