Noble Knight Changer
Noble Ale Works

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From:
Noble Ale Works
 
California, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.6 | pDev: 13.33%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
17
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 05, 2014
Added:
Jan 16, 2011
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4 by AleHunter805 from California

Aug 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Chuggernaut00 from California

Feb 08, 2014
Photo of BeerAdvocate
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

3.92/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #65 (June 2012):

Raw in a few ways perhaps, but we have to tackle these big beers with open arms and just go from there. A few gulps in, and it warms up to us a little more ... and that’s not just the alcohol talking. Clearly a sipper, but one we are certain you will grow fond of.

LOOK: Black, stellar tan lacing

SMELL: Brown malt, dark bread, soft char, black currants, mild coffee, cacao nibs, nougat, clean alcohol

TASTE: Very creamy, thick body, charcoal, roasted grain, black currants, iced cappuccino, modest hopping, warming alcohol, herbal, cocoa powder, bitter roastiness, drying finish
Nov 27, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by redleg411 from Wisconsin

Jun 28, 2013
Photo of Halcyondays
Reviewed by Halcyondays from California

3.82/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
On-tap at Beachwood I,

A: Pours black with a medium brown head, some good lace, good retention.

S: Dark chocolate, notes of coffee, some earthy hops.

T: A hoppy Imperial Stout, reminds me a lot of Yeti in this regard. Dark chocolate and dark malt with a hint of carob and vegetal feel. Piney woodsy hops, a nice balance here.

M: Full-bodied, creamy, soft carbonation, a frothy feel.

O: A good imperial stout, nothing wowing, but gets the job done. I enjoyed the pour.
Mar 04, 2013
Photo of UCLABrewN84
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

3.27/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
On nitro tap at Noble Ale Works in Anaheim, CA.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, and slight coffee aromas. Taste is much the same with a cocoa flavor on the finish. There is a medium amount of roasty and hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a low level of carbonation with an almost flat mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer this is displaying some muted aromas and flavors from the nitro presentation.
Feb 25, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by t0rin0 from California

Nov 28, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Broden from Nevada

Nov 06, 2012
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Reviewed by The_Kings_Quart from Bhutan

2.86/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
A: Deep brown that lets the light through nicely. Takes a finger's worth of bubbly head. Bubbly on the lacing and up the sides of the glass.

S: Messy mixture of plums and other dark fruits/berries, clove, alcohol, and a pungent yeastiness. Nose comes at you all at once and in a very general way. I feel a bit dirty.

T: The beer talks a big game, but it doesn't come through here. There's a nice charcoal character that fills the mouth. Just a little chocolate to speak of and a slight alcohol burn on the finish. Was expecting more.

MF: Nice carbonation, but too thin for me. Treats you well enough, but just lays there in your mouth until you down it.

O: Eh. Not, terrible, not great. Does what it should to meet the style. What bugs me is that it could be much better than it is, but it doesn't seem to have a sense of identity. I can tolerate a bad-tasting beer as long as it knows what it is. Very forgettable.
Oct 02, 2012
Photo of BilbosNuts
Reviewed by BilbosNuts from Missouri

2.61/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Thanks to McD0uche for hooking me up with this one.

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a goblet.

A: Pours a motor oil, black color with no head at all. Though no light is let through, a light amount of carbonation bubble streams can be seen.

S: Roasted malts are the backbone to the aroma. There is a soy sauce, almost a sour teriyaki beef jerky kind of smell. Not really digging it. I'm picking up quite a bit of black licorice as it warms.

T: The taste is similar to the aroma. Roasted malts are the major presence but that soy sauce aspect makes an appearance again. As it warms, these unpleasant tastes reduce and the roasted malts and licorice tastes come through more.

M: Medium bodied and sort of flat. It has a wet finish and coats the palate in an oily sort of feel.

O: Maybe my bottle became infected or something, because I was not enjoying the sour/soy sauce aroma and taste. I'll have to try a fresher bottle and compare. But as is, I was pretty disappointed.
May 04, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Popp24 from California

May 01, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by pperez38 from California

Jan 28, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Someone from California

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of IKR
Reviewed by IKR from California

3.45/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Appearance - Dark Brown to Black coloration with small light brown head

Smell -Smells of roast malts with alcohol. Has a faint sour milk aroma.

Taste - Moderate roast flavors, with some alcohol and hops following.

Mouth-feel - Fairly thin body with moderate carbonation.

Drink-ability - The beer's thin body and decent taste make it somewhat easy to go down, but the upfront alcohol is more than most beers with 8.5% ABV.
Feb 13, 2011
Photo of vince4953529
Reviewed by vince4953529 from California

3.65/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A 22oz bottle purchased at Vendome Fullerton, the only place where I've seen this sold.

Color is dark. The smell showed chocolate, a faint whiff of coffee, and fair amount of hop.

Poured at room temperature, the initial taste was rather sweet. Then followed by chocolate taste, and the hops followed through. The mouthfeel is full-bodied, not watery at all, finishing is dry.

This is an above average stout, it is bit of a simplistic beer. But at $8/bomber, I would take a cheaper and better Stone IRS over this anytime.
Jan 31, 2011
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

2.88/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
Pours 1/4 finger of tan head. Color is black.

Aroma: Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, caramel, grassy hops, some vanilla. Kind of muted.

Taste: Big roasted malt flavor, coffee, grassy/earthy hops, chocolate, caramel, and more malts. Molasses and syrup.

Mouthfeel: roasted and bitter. Full bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends dry.

Overall, kind of a boring IS. Nothing that really stands out. Very porter like. Not something I want a lot of. It was hard finishing my glass and enjoyable.
Jan 17, 2011
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

4/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On-tap at Noble Ale Works

A: The pour almost black with a dense tan head and quite a bit of sticky lacing.

S: Just a ton of coffee to the nose on this beer, maybe some chicory, too. Quite a bit of roasted malts and a slight nuttiness. There is a dark chocolate note to it as well.

T: There's a slight charred flavor to this which works well with the big roast and coffee flavors. The chocolate is there but it's not exactly dominant. A decent bitterness to this one, too.

M: The body is medium with a moderate carbonation and a slight creaminess on the tongue.

D: A bit of a simple beer for an imperial stout, but pretty good. Apparently this one will be going into bourbon barrels soon enough.
Jan 16, 2011
Noble Knight Changer from Noble Ale Works
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 17 ratings