Black Metal Imperial Stout - Jester King Craft Brewery

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into tulip 22/7/12 thanks Masterski ans Sean9689 for sending the bottle

A not quite jet black but pretty dark, just a thin edge of cola when held too the light, large three finger mocha head falls quickly and leaves no lace

S chocolate syrup and pudding, licorice, molasses, slightly nutty, there's still some faint hops in there too with a little booze , good but not overly complex

T what I smell but some dark roast coffee, char and smoke, and its just much more intense then the nose and pretty darn tasty if you ask me, the booze is better concealed then the nose too, digging it!

M full bodied but its not getting stuck in my teeth, silky but perhaps from low carbonation, very little heat and a charred wood aftertaste lingers strong with a little dark fruit

O a good example of of a big ass stout, loved the taste and not much reason too complain elsewhere. rich dark roast is always a good thing

I had little trouble taking down the 750ml on my own, nothing to put it into the world class but puts itself well above most, Is there a barrel aged version I should know about?

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 05:26:58 | More by wordemupg

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.38/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle to a taster. No bottle date. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - No head. Viscous black. Some bubbles form after, which confuses me. Whatever.

Smell - Chocolate all over. Not a whole lot else.

Taste - Bitter chocolate and then some caramel. A nice bitterness develops with a good coffee roast. Hoppy bitter finish, but it's light.

Mouthfeel - Slick and not as viscous as it looks. Bitter finish is light, but rounds it out nicely.

Oveall - A little dull. Decent, but not necessarily much better than what my local brewery can make.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 22:32:49 | More by Alieniloquium

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle 10,4% ABV.
Served moderately chilled an over sized wine glass.
No bottle date, but I would guess this is a 2011 vintage.

Appearance: Beautiful pour, absolutely pitch black body, topped by a massive dark mocha coloured head. The head retention and lacing are average for the Abv. A light swirl regenerates a small cap of foam and leaves moderately-heavy alcohol legs as well as a light yellow stain on the glass.

Smell: The initial nose consists of moderately dark chocolate, cocoa, a hint of coffee and some roasted malt. Warming yields dark fruit, molasses, toasted nuts, caramel and black liquorice.

Taste: Mmmmm, this is certainly a delicious imperial stout! The flavour has the same notes as the nose, but just seems a lot fuller and more powerful. The initial flavour is of dark chocolate, dark caramel, cocoa and roasted malt. Warming yields molasses, dark fruits, liquorice and a touch of smoke. The finish is lightly bitter with flavours of coffee and cocoa. The 10,4% is covered perfectly, I would not guess that this was any more than 8%.

Mouthfeel: Medium (or just over) bodied with a medium-high level of ultra smooth carbonation. I usually prefer my imperial stouts to moderately carbonated and extra heavy, but this is so sublimely drinkable I do not mind a bit!

Overall: Great imperial stout, I could have happily polished off the whole bottle! I will certainly buy this one again.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 20:33:26 | More by Thehuntmaster

ehammond1

California

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle (2011)

Urge Gastropub
San Diego, CA

Black throughout with a moderately sized dark brown head that eventually leaves the glass oily and spotted with lace.

Simple, straightforward, though appropriate aroma of roast, chocolate, and dark, black malt.

The flavor is similarly straightforward, though tasty. There's lots of roast and mild chocolate.

Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation.

Good, straightforward imperial stout, though I think the farmhouse version is slightly better.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 16:23:48 | More by ehammond1

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.4/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

750mL bottle from HH84. Thanks! (This is the original, not the farmhouse, so it's about 9 months old I believe.)

A: Pure black like its namesake. Aggressive pour yields thin mocha lacing. Lacing sticks around, but the beer doesn't have much in the way of legs.

N: Brown sugar, heavily roasted malts. Dark chocolate/mocha coffee. Some licorice as it warms. Probably the most enjoyable part of the beer.

T: Intense roastiness, the kind you might find in pure espresso. Some chocolate and there's a bit of hop bitterness. There is a discernible sharpness from alcohol. Leaves a heavy coffee aftertaste which gives this a few more points in my book.

M: In between a dry stout and an RIS. This is pretty watery, so it loses quite a number of points here.

O: Don't dig this. Really pretty average stuff, and though I'd try the farmhouse version, I wouldn't expect much.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 21:40:42 | More by writerLJBerg

BilbosNuts

California

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Pours a pitch black color. It has a one finger, mocha colored head that fades quickly to a thin ring on top. It looks pretty still and lets no light in.

S: Big roasted malt character with hints of coffee and toffee. A sweet molasses comes through as well. A mild hop profile is also noticeable.

T: The taste is much sweeter than the aroma leads you to believe. The sweet molasses character makes a big appearance. The roasted malts are still there and provide a nice backbone.

M: Full bodied and lightly carbonated. Finishes smoothly and with just a slight presence of the alcohol.

O: A fine example of the RIS style. Every aspect was spot on. No complaints here.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 02:30:09 | More by BilbosNuts

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours pitch black with a surprisingly active medium brown head that dissipates with lively carbonation to a thin film and ring around the glass that leaves light lacing. Nice aroma of roasted malt, dark fruit, chocolate; a bit boozy. Flavor is dark roasted malt with a lot of chocolate, coffee and a hint of sourness. Finish is very chocolately, leaving an aftertaste that is surprisingly similar to pouring whiskey over chocolate ice cream. Body is surprisingly light, but has a creamy finish to make up for it. Wow! This is addictive. I really had to pace myself with this one because of the ABV. I really liked this RIS a lot, it is an excellent stout. I’m glad I got to try this original version, a chance find while visiting California.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 03:13:12 | More by LiquidAmber

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a glass. Stamped 0002515.

A: Black, appropriately enough, with huge medium-brown head (good retention). Completely opaque. Nice lacing.

S: Slightly metallic. Nutty malts. Roasty.

T/M: Surprisingly tasty, considering the smell. Creamy-full, with loads of roasted chocolate malt (black chocolate). Hops make another interesting appearance on the endtaste and dry aftertaste. Excellently deep and bitter.

O: Great imperial stout, actually. Recommended. Would drink again. Drinkable, tasty, roasted, and creamy.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 05:48:44 | More by AgentMunky

Scotchboy

Idaho

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle sent from BeerHunter76 back in November, reviewed from notes. Poured into a Jackie O's tulip.

A: Pours syrupy & dense, opaque with a large khaki head, good lace...carbonation visible on the glass.

S: Deep dark roasted notes mixed with dark fruits, definite vinous notes, sour red grape, caramel and chocolate, pleasant booziness. A nice mix of roast & sweet notes.

T: Alcohol, roasted barley, caramel sweetness, roast bitterness, chocolate, burnt caramel, dark fruits, cherry tartness.

MF: Full bodied, dry and bitter, and a bit boozy. Nice syrupy complexion.

O: Its a decent stout, a good RIS for sure but some of the Belgian-like notes (tartness, slight funk) were a bit odd.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 15:56:27 | More by Scotchboy

Brodybeer

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A damn. That's an amazing pour! Head is huge! Foamy huge mocha brown black head. Two to three fingers in a tulip. Dark brown. Head sticks to glass. Stays put even when tipping
S spicy chocolate. Very potent. Roasted coffee dark.
T very much like a mocha. Creamy and espresso. Cream taste lingers last. Espresso flavor is so good it might be better than espresso itself. Roasty delicious
M pretty thin but not offensive. Just plain smooth. Little lingering bitter roastyness.
O really flavorful is. Love the Roasty espresso flavor yet easy to drink. Magnificent

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 03:03:14 | More by Brodybeer

TATURBO

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Solid Black. Minimal Head

S: Very Inviting, Alcohol is borderline overpowering, Very Strong.

T: Kind Of Mediocre Roasty and chocolaty.

M: Medium Carbonation

O: Good, but not as awesome as the tasting group was expecting. Really Roasty, Kind of chocolatey. Really isn't a beer I'd hunt for. Bonus Points for cool label. Reminds me of King Diamond! Rocking! 3.5/5 IMO

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 16:10:08 | More by TATURBO

smakawhat

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass, this does not say Farmhouse on it anywhere. 0001700 on the barrel label.

Lots of snapping sound bubbles with a dark cocoa head, settles slowly and dissolves with lots of evisceration. Manages a very thin brown collar, but a very dark brown walnut, almost black body.

Nose is sprity fresh, and dark malt. Almost an interesting carbonated char and nuts character to this. I am liking this, this is quite different.

Mouthfeel is very carbonated, but leaves a good jagged edge that is tolerable. Taste brings a nice char roast character, and lingering tobacco note. Dry and almost pop rocks in feel on the finish. No sense of heat for the high abv either.

This is kind of a fun neat beer and an interesting take on the style. I dig it. Horns up!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 02:25:45 | More by smakawhat

Aethien

Netherlands

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a solid black with a small dark brown head, not much lacing.

Strong smell of coffee, roasted malts and earth give it a rough character. Figs, chocolate and booze add a sweetness to the smell.

Full of chocolate and coffee with strong burnt malt flavours, medicinal alcohol and some liquorice. Smokey finish with plenty of malts and a little bit of hops.

A heavy drink, definitely a sipper. Not much carbonation.

Overall this is a good and enjoyable RIS.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 15:24:27 | More by Aethien

rtepiak

Poland

4.15/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

had this at cellar temp.

consecutively releasing very nice beers. great RIS with all the notes of coffee, earth, dark fruit, and roastiness. great body for something with such high abv. fluff. quite doughy. total blackness, hince the label... and properly so. great after a bottle of red wine as it brings out full body grapes. english RIS notes. hazelnut undertones. a tad meaty... savory, but not without accent. nice and warm going down but still very easy to drink. although still a share bottle without a doubt.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 06:31:13 | More by rtepiak

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Duff27 for bringing this brew!

poured into snifter.

Appearance: black bodied beer with 1 finger of brown head. Head drops to ring around glass. Spotty lace.

Smell: Roast malt and black licorice. Molasses, yeast, and booze.

Taste: Black licorice upfront and a mildly roasty malt profile. The beer has some earthy qualties like peat moss. Thie finish is quite intriquing not sure that I am a fan of it. It cloyingly sweet from the molasses notes and it has an ashtray quality to it.

Mouthfeel: Low end of medium bodied beer with high end of moderate carbonation. Bottom line a little overcarbonated and a little too thin on the body for the beer style.

Overall: This beer is hyped. It better than average, but thats where it stands in my book.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 07:02:21 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Duff27

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours with a short dark mocha head, very little head retention. Nice alcohol legs with some lacing.

Mmm smells good. Sweet candy chocolate.

Kind of has a medicinal taste going on. Sweet like "molasses". Low on the roast end. Mild alcohol burn.

Medium mouthfeel, fizzy carbonation.

I don't know, it was alright. I wouldn't go as far as saying its gimmicky (the label is one of the best I've seen in awhile) but it didn't live up to expectation. Buyer beware.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 00:06:07 | More by Duff27

seand

California

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a murky inky black with a large amount of dense tan head. A film retains on the surface with some buildup around the edge of the glass, which is enough to leave small sheets of lacing.

S: Dense anise sweetness on top of coffee and dark chocolate tones.

T: Full bodied coffee leading into dark chocolate bitterness, with a hoppy overtone. Much like a scooped metal guitar tone though, it feels like it's missing something in the middle.

M: Full body, medium carbonation.

Overall, I thought this was good, but not exceptional. It seems like it's just missing some body in the middle, though it's a little hard to describe.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 03:59:15 | More by seand

HosP

Indiana

3.13/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Got this from a very generous Fullobs! Poured into cbs snifter.

Pours thick, oily black. Very thin dark brown head. Left almost immediately though. Very little flavors in the smell, mostly roasted coffee notes. A little burnt hint to the smell. Unfortunately the taste follows suit. Very dull flavors. Nothing pops out at all. Some coffee notes, maybe some licorice. A little on the sweet side at first. Some bittering at the end. Very thick fullness body mouth feel. Low carbonation. Very heavy ris, not bad, just nothing to it. Still glad I got to try!

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 02:13:30 | More by HosP

cvm4

Mississippi

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to optimator13 for this gift

Poured into a snifter

A - Pours jet black with a billowing tan, almost brown 2 finger head.

S - Coffee, roasted malts and liquorice.

T - Starts off kind of sweet or slightly tart. This is the liquorice coming through. Then comes the bolder coffee/dark chocolate notes. This definitely has a bite to it.

M - More carbonated than I'm used to with a RIS. Kind of thin on the mouth. But, very crisp and an easy drinker for this abv.

O - It's more sour/tart than I'm used to seeing in an RIS but a good change of pace for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 01:52:07 | More by cvm4

comfortablynumb1

California

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"Feeble devout,
Nothing resides,
Break it to pieces,
That obstinate mind"

Given the name of this beer, I thought it would be fitting to drink this while listening to a solid metal band. Enjoyed while listening to some Dark Tranquility...

750ml into a Stone IRS snifter...

A - Pours black with a two finger light brown head. Head retention is pretty good, but lacing is minimal...

S - Chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, and a hint of alcohol...

T - Roasted barley, and chocolate dominate. Not very complex, but pretty tasty nonetheless. Finishes dry with roasted barley, and some lingering chocolate. Hops must have faded as i'm not picking any up. The alcohol that came through in the scent doesn't make an appearance here. Very smooth...

M - A tad thin. Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbontaion...

O - Really enjoyed this one. Glad I chance to try it again. Big thanks to Drew for sharing a bottle...

Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 04:05:09 | More by comfortablynumb1

Lawl3ss

Texas

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

lightly chilled 25.2 oz. bomber poured into a Troegs 300 ml tulip. No visible bottling date.

Look- Black, completely opaque. Blood red touches around the edges. Decent stick on the swirl. Moderate fizzy cocoa-brown head that dies down astonishingly quickly, not much in the way of lace.

Smell- Bold coffee, chocolate, licorice, light charred wood. Moderately booze-y. Standard fare, but more pleasantly arranged than most.

Taste- Starts off with tart dried fruits and cola, baker's chocolate and espresso follow. Peppery alcohol and vanilla come out in the middle, before finishing off with charcoal, dark molasses, and a (very faint) hint of raspberry jam. Aftertaste is woody and reminiscent of root beer and coffee grounds. Odd play between aggressive and subtle flavors, but on the whole I'm a fan. Definitely more bitter than your typical RIS.

Mouthfeel. Smooth, Moderate to heavy carbonation for the style. Full body, but feels fairly light nonetheless. Moderately warming. Crisp on the sip, very clean finish. Exceptionally drinkable for the style and ABV.

Overall- It hits all the right notes, and does so with panache. Nothing unexpected, but man, is it well put together. I can't really put my finger on why it's so good, but I think it comes down to the balance in every area- it knows where to go big and where to hold back. I haven't yet tried the farmhouse version, but I hope it's as good.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 02:14:12 | More by Lawl3ss

miromanyth

North Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Huge Black Metal fan drinking a beer called black metal...does it get any better?

A: black as death with an awesome milk chocolate head.

S: smells like dark chocolate. tons of roasted malt smell and some hops.

T: Huge. massive chocolate and coffee notes. licorice. Some cookie notes.

M: creamy with a nice hop bite.

D: this is a great beer that I am so glad to have tried!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 23:54:19 | More by miromanyth

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to LadyOfMuchBeer for the bottle

Pitch black, ring of tan/reddish head, not much in the way of lace but there is a bit in places. Smell is coffee heavy, bakers chocolate and roated malt, some hoppy scents, some warm alcohol, berries and other red fruits come and go with some milk chocolate on the back end. Taste bitter at first, coffee and hops, deeply roasted almost burnt malts, chocolate with some more coffee, burn/roasted finish with some chocolate and coffee grinds. Light-med carb, full feel and a pretty solid weight. Nice stuff here, certainly a big beer that needs to be shared and sipped slowly.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 13:52:04 | More by peensteen

Thingus

California

3.88/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Live tasting, 750 ml bottle into Duvel tulip...

Appearance; pours blacker than the blackest black times infinity with a Behemoth (see what I did there? And before anyone nitpicks with me, their first few albums were black metal ;)) brown head... Close to four fingers, and this thing hangs around FOREVER. Thick and lush, but definitely not what I was expecting for a 10.4% stout...

Smell; fairly unremarkable, coffee and hints of roast, notes of chocolate and if I get my nose close enough, the slightest touch of alcohol...

Taste; leads off with chocolate, with flavors of coffee, roast and malt... Slight notes of alcohol...

Mouthfeel; lush and viscous, this is probably the highlight for me, decent amount of carbonation... Goes down smooth, with a sticky mouthfeel... Full bodied...

Overall; a good but not incredible RIS, worth trying but not sure I'd go out of my way for it again...

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 00:13:23 | More by Thingus

DoubleJ

California

3.8/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Jester King makes it to California with much anticipation. Only two varieties are available right now, and Black Metal was the one I grabbed. Coming from the 750 ml format, on to the beer:

Black as ink, topped off by a reasonable, nearly brown colored head with solid lacing and retentions, and showing off some legs. The nose is a hit and miss at first. The fruity aroma featuring a lot of cofee beans, dark cocoa, and licorice are yummy notes, however its major flaw is a distracting band-aid note. That aroma does die off for the most part, but as it warms a modest nail polish remover aroma seems to take its place.

Love and hate at the same time. Why the hate? Well, that damn band aid aroma is here in the flavor. Thankfully, it does die off faster, and for good in the taste of the beer. Dark cocoa syrup makes the canvas for the beer. It has a spiced sensation, like chiles, though chiles weren't used in the beer. It's roasty alright. Its body is nearly full, the alcohol content in general is hidden, and essentially a sipping type of beer.

While Black Metal has a lot of potential, that phenolic flaw does suggest that not every bottle is going to taste as it's intended. But what a joy it must be to drink a bottle during the course of a night, one without that flaw!

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 03:56:04 | More by DoubleJ