Black Rain Imperial Stout - Lagunitas Brewing Company

Florida9

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Thin, dark brown in color with light shining through around the edges. A light tan head rises quickly, but fades away even quicker leaving the appearance of a glass of flat coke.

S: Simple roasted malts, coffee, and sweet licorice.

T: Predominant cola flavor intermixed with alcohol. Reminds me of a weak, flat, rum & coke, but with a generic brand of cola. Finishes with a light burnt coffee flavor. Noticeably sweet.

M: Surprisingly thin with virtually no carbonation.

D: I was hesitant when I purchased this one. At $2 for a bomber, I wasn't expecting much, but Lagunitas makes decent beers, so I thought I would give it a try. Well, while my expectations were met, that isn't saying much. Other than the alcohol content, I would never consider this beer an Imperial Stout. It is quite weak in flavor and is especially thin, though these qualities do make it somewhat easier to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2009 01:13:42 | More by Florida9

david131

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A- A very dark, clear brown liquid with some light getting through at the edges. The head isn't too shabby and saves the appearance of this a bit.

S- Smells surprisingly aged. Chocolate, dark fruits, old citrus, vanilla, and coffee. Very complex and appealing.

T- Tastes very fruity with a huge watermellon presence. Not as roasty as many beers of this style. Very sweet and tasty. I'm very impressed.

M- The carbonation level is nice and smooth. The sweetness keeps this even in the mouthfeel and keeps the bitter roastiness under control.

D- Between the sweetness, reasonable ABV, and complex flavors, this is awesome. I can't believe this was less than $4 a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2009 01:39:06 | More by david131

kirok1999

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep garnet, just a bit of foam that disappears quickly.
Lots of roasty char in the smell, a bit of burnt charcoal with a slight metallic twang.
Taste is much like the smell with some mild milk chocolate thrown in. Some slight raisin note as well. Just a bit of alcohol in the finish. Nicely creamy and dense. Easy enough to drink but not the best stout out there.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 02:28:00 | More by kirok1999

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.58/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Picked this up at Sam's Wine and Spirits on Butterfield on April 10, 2009.

A: Thick and very, very dark with minimal white head. A little bit of lacing.

S: Very sweet with a strong scent of black licorice. A little bit of dark malt with little hop presence.

T: Sweet and slightly bitter; the black licorice definitely comes through here. Very little complexity--mostly the sweetness throughout.

M: Light-to-medium bodied with very little carbonation. Slight alcohol feel as it goes down.

D: Not horribly impressive. I don't think I would buy this one again. Too strong on the licorice, and not nearly enough complexity.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2009 02:47:26 | More by Thorpe429

beerad666

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a thin very dark brown color, almost black. The heads disappears quickly to just a few outer bubbles. The aroma is a roasted malty with some hints of chocolate. The mouthful is extremely thin and smooth almost silky. There is some nice bitterness with a trace of alcohol. Also get a nice sweet brown sugar. But overall a little lacking... There's almost no aftertaste, leaving you wondering if you even drank anything. At $5.00 this is a great value beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2009 20:41:33 | More by beerad666

scruffwhor

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Black color with some faint blood highlights. Pretty quick head that recedes to nothing pretty quick. Semi-viscous looking liquid. Mellow roasted malts swirled with caramel, brown sugar and ripened fruits. Sweet, malty, and full aroma. Very smooth and creamy palate from start to finish. Definetly let this beer warm up a little. Just a mellow and thorough flavor that stays steady throughout, from front to back of the palate. Great roasted malt flavor that mixes with some caramel syrup. Then some creamy marshmellows blended with oven roasted fruits. This beer is super smooth, silky, and very easy to drink considering the abv.

This beer makes me feel very special. Since this beer is available only to Sam's Wines & Spirits customers in IL!!!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 04:10:42 | More by scruffwhor

barnzy78

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22 from Sam's DG. Poured thinner than expected for an imperial stout. Thin off-white head that dissipated very quickly. Aromas were fruity with a hint of chocolate and coffee. Mouth-feel was rather thin & flavors consisted of overly fruity esters, mild cocoa and chocolate, and a lingering of alcohol. This seemed to be lacking a dominant presence of roasted malt and robustness that is expected for the style. It was worth the try, but would not recommend.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2009 17:28:39 | More by barnzy78

dEM1972

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very, very dark brown (as opposed to actually being black); has a wonderfully dark roasted malty aroma with fruity elements; smooth to taste, with the usual dark roasted mouth biting bitterness; some coffee elements and traces of fruitiness (think more dried fruits than fresh, citrus fruits), thick and full bodied; bitter aftertaste lingers

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2009 16:09:53 | More by dEM1972

goethean

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +18%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Label says: "Brewed Specially for Sam's Wine in Chicago."

Burnt toffee, burnt caramel, burnt currents, burnt, roasted malt, burnt or blackened grain, cream, espresso. Hints of leather and tobacco? Tastes like it was brewed with lots of 150 L (very very dark) crystal malt, as well as roasted malt and grain.

Harsh at times but not acrid. Demanding, complex, wonderful. A stiff drink; a sipper. Lingering burnt bitterness which melds with hops bitterness. No tawny port character as was advertised by Sam's Wine. Maybe with some aging, though.

At $4.49, a fantastic deal for the price considering the typical price of a bomber of super-premium beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2009 01:40:59 | More by goethean