E. Normagene - Revolution Brewing Company - Brewpub

emerge077

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served at the brewery in a small snifter. Jet black, creamy mocha surface foam, lasts after first few sips. Good retention considering the high abv.

Deep aromas of caramel, chocolate, vanilla, toasted marshmallow, dried dark fruit.

Big chocolate and caramel flavors, vanilla, oak tannin, light coffee. Creamy chewy viscous, rich and chocolatey. Nice and smooth Woodford presence, well integrated with a little bit of heat. Liquid chocolate bourbon caramel confection. A fine experience.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2012 00:51:21 | More by emerge077

homebrew311

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at production brewery, drank it side by side with Hugene. Pours thick motor oil black, dense cocoa head with nice retention. No light passes through. The aroma is a bourbon bomb. Vanilla and oak ooze through the nose with notes of chocolate, molasses, and coffee in the background. Taste is incredibly bourbony up front and it intertwined nicely with thick malty sweetness. Notes of caramel, fudge, dark cherries come through with a sweet finish. This tastes huge, but the high abv seems well integrated. Mouthfeel is thick and viscous with mellow carbonation. Overall, this beer is huge and it is aptly named. Quite decadant!

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2012 00:25:24 | More by homebrew311

ratatat

Wisconsin

4.93/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

What a great beer. Had it as a horizontal with weegene, eugene, and hugene. I was blown away from the start with this one. Wow.

A- black as the pits of hell with a chocolate head.
S- great, really. Whisky hints with plenty of standard porter notes. There's a feel of creme brulle there (but not in the Southern Tier way).
T- so good. Lots of caramel. Not hot for an imperial.
M- smooth and easy. Not for everyday, but then neither is my ex-wife. It's a bit sharp, but mellow enough for the strong-willed.

I was pleasently surprised by this one. Must try if you can. Of course, our cute bartender, Sam, helps. She might make Bud Light worthwhile...

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2012 21:15:35 | More by ratatat

MasterSki

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at both the Taproom at the brewpub. 5oz taster glasses.

A - Tan foam settles to a thick collar, wisps, and minimal lacework. Body is pretty much pitch black.

S - Big oak and bourbon presence, but thankfully none of the green apple booze note I got from the new batch of Very Mad Cow. Semisweet chocolate, light vanilla, a hint of caramel. Even though this is aged in Woodford barrels, I don't get that distinctive coconut smell I got from Bean Gene. As it warms up the caramel intensifies.

T - The taste is quite similar, with big oak and bourbon flavor, but with some roasted and perhaps lightly charred malts alongside the baker's chocolate and vanilla flavors. Very smooth for 12+% and with surprisingly restrained sweetness.

M - Smooth texture, and big and sticky in the finish. Avoids being overly syrupy mid-palate and is mildly dry and oaky mid-palate. There's some obvious alcohol warming, but nothing excessive for the listed ABV. Low but present carbonation.

D - A very nice beer that improves on some of the weaknesses in the base beer. I'd happily order another snifter of this if I were in the neighborhood again. Another winner from Revolution's barrel program.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2012 03:27:44 | More by MasterSki