Black Metal Imperial Stout - Jester King Craft Brewery

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Lots of bells and whistles. A tad of smoke, more would have been appreciated. Really coffee, big in coffee, a point of astringency. Syrupy sweetener, lots of sugar, and salt. These impeded drinkability.. Huge head, big and foamy.Thanks for sharing Pino.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 03:07:42 | More by northyorksammy

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 750ml bottle into Alesmith Horny Devil snifter.

A- pours a dark black with a ridiculous, nearly full glass of dark cola head. Very little lacing that resides immediately.

S- roasted malts, char,chocolate, pinesol.

T- chocolate, roasted/burnt malts, and pine.

M- medium body, high carbonation. Very effervescent from the bottle conditioning.

O- good RIS but was expecting more. Needs more than just roast and char, and the bubbly mouthfeel is different.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 02:04:53 | More by kawilliams81

LittleDon

Texas

4.85/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This brew, from a bottle cellared approximately one year, pours an oily jet black with a minimal head and lacing which can be reproduced with a quick swirl. The aroma reminds me of chocolate covered apricots with a touch of alcohol. It is one of the richest stouts I've had, big and thick. The mouthfeel is incredibly smooth, just enough carbonation to make it interesting, but not so much to overwhelm the palate. The flavor is extraordinary, chocolate, figs, some alcohol toward the end. Bittersweet finish. It will be interesting to compare this with the farmhouse version. Had I known, I'd have bought another bottle or two for a side by side.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 23:51:34 | More by LittleDon

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

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

Thanks to Rutager for this one.

A: 1/4" brown head that dissipated quickly over black liquid.

S: Chocolate, coffee, yeast, alcohol, toasted malt and roasted barley.

T: The roasted barley is quite present in the taste, followed by the toasted malt. Flavours such as coffee, and chocolate are also present in a bitter semi-sweet form. As it warms, the yeast becomes more apparent.

M: Medium mouthfeel with a medium level of fine carbonation.

O: A very good Russian Imperial Stout. The bitterness and acidity from the toasted malt and roasted barley are nicely balanced by sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 02:04:25 | More by DaftCaskBC

jegross2

Illinois

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

Reviewing the Black Metal Imperial Stout from Jester King Craft Brewery. I was not planning on drinking this beer, which is retired and no longer brewed, but in pulling out beers for a tasting tomorrow, I inadvertently dropped the bottle and "pssst'd" the cap. Thankfully no beer was lost, but a broken seal means that this one has to be consumed now (or it'll be flat later).
Score: 85

Bottle has "2013" imprinted on it, which I have to presume is the "best by" date (otherwise I received this bottle from the future). Served in a Dogfish Head snifter and enjoyed on 03/07/12. The label claims this beer is best enjoyed while reading the Necronomicon. I guess watching the Evil Dead will have to suffice as an alternative.

Appearance: Pours a jet black color, totally opaque. No light slices through this beer, though you can kind of tell that a very faint amount of light is trying to peek through at the very top of the beer. Pours two fingers of foamy milk chocolate colored head that kind of turns kind of creamy in appearance as it settles into a thin layer atop the glass (and ultimately into a ring around the glass). Above average lacing for a double digit ABV beer. Excellent retention. 5/5

Smell: Dark chocolate, cocoa powder and tons of roasted coffee. Some hops and a faint smokiness. Figs, a light amount of alcohol and an acidic coffee filter smell too. 3.5/5

Taste: Acidic, burnt coffee upfront. The coffee then subsidies into a dark chocolate residual flavor that provides a really pleasant balance to an otherwise aggressive first impression. There's definitely some dark cherry and dried fig (sweetness) on the midpalate, but these flavors do not linger or last for very long at all. There's a really raw, bitter chocolate finish. Really bitter-forward; this brew could use some dark fruit sweetness to balance out the bitterness. A roasted, but not burnt, coffee flavor grows throughout the beer as it layers. The 10% ABV is pretty well hidden. A solid, un-complex brew. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, light carbonation. Feels a little bit thin for a 10% ABV Russian Imperial Stout. Smooth mouthfeel on the way down. Finishes bitter, dry and "chalky." 3.5/5

Overall: A gorgeous looking Russian Imperial Stout, but it's all downhill from there. Certainly a solid brew in the style, but it does not stand out in terms of aroma, flavor or mouthfeel. Not over priced at $10 a bottle, especially at 10% ABV, but Leinenkugel's Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout was much better, and you can get four 12 oz bottles of that for a couple of bucks more.

Recommendation: Definitely give this beer a whirl if you get a chance, but don't break a sweat seeking it out.

Pairings: Merk's Almond Swiss cheese spread.

Cost: $9.99 for a 750 ml.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 06:41:33 | More by jegross2

russwbeck

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: We opened this at a tasting while watching a movie (Paul), but from what I can tell it's a very dark black pour without much head.

S: Roasted malts, ton of chocolate, molasses, and hints of booze. Very nice aroma, but nothing that jumps out at me as special.

T: The taste is a little focused on molasses and roast. A bit disjointed, the taste is sweet and boozy. Roasty backend with a dry finish. This is a nice, large, imperial stout, just not as balanced as I wanted.

MF: Heavy body and carbonated well. The booziness, compared to the other flavors, doesn't detract from the beer. Decently drinkable.

O: Great stout, just not one that stands out in my mind. Probably not worth much more than $10 for the bottle. Enjoyable, just not great.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 00:46:35 | More by russwbeck

pmarlowe

California

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to the several traders who sent a bottle of this. Tulip glass.

A: Pours a true motor oil consistency. Black with two fingers of very dark brown head, nice and compact, and leaves some rings as the head deflates. A thick ring and surface film last for the entire pour. Looks good.

S: Really nice cola, vanilla, coffee, malt, and milk chocolate. Flavors are integrated and well balanced.

T: Lots of coffee, roasted malt, some cola and vanilla, slightly unpleasant char. Leaves some coffee bitterness and bright acidity on the long finish. Alcohol is somewhat noticeable.

M: I can say without hyperbole that if there were a notch above full bodied, this would be it. Quite thick and somewhat mouthcoating.

O: A very good beer, but limited in its drinkability. This is big enough that a small portion would do fine. Smells awesome, and evolves over the course of the glass.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 04:16:14 | More by pmarlowe

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.53/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks very much to my mate Aaron for bringing this back to Sydney from Texas on a recent trip. Big kudos.

Pours a gorgeously dark and sensuous black with a huge, but fine and believable head of mocha frothy brown. In fact, the head is a little too coarse-bubbled, and the body is surprisingly light; in actuality it's almost as though this beer tricked me into believing it was exceptional. It's still good enough, but it has missed a little something.

Nose is deep and roasted, but... oh, and I really wanted to love this beer—it's also a little flat and stilted, with a carbonic acidity rearing its head and providing a jolt of carbonated nothingness. There's a hint of banana to it, which suggests a touch of sugar in the brew, and overall, it stays light where it should be dark, complex and heavy.

Taste is decent, but very dull and generic. It has a strong roasted component, with a touch of dry earthiness, and very little sweetness. I almost like the dusty aridity of it; that sense that it's truly a stout and don't you dare deny it. But it doesn't have the purpose and drive to make me believe that. It's just dry and dark because it doesn't have the depth and complexity of its betters.

Feel is a little thin—it matches with the rest of the palate, but otherwise it's a bit dim.

Don't get me wrong. It's a good beer. But I'm starting to wonder if it's just a Good Beer From Texas. I wanted to believe that the insular nature of Texas meant that they were just keeping all the best American craft secrets to themselves. In fact, it seems like they're just providing decent but not phenomenal brews.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 07:15:27 | More by lacqueredmouse

inlimbo77

Delaware

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

750ml bottle with no bottle date poured into a Boulevard tulip. I think I got this one via trade in the summer and I've been sitting on a it a while. I still have another, as I know it's retired. Also, looking forward to trying the Farmhouse version as comparison.

A: Pours a dark brown/black color. Completely opaque. I got a really nice looking head on this pour. Two fingers of two toned tan head: light tan at that top and darker towards the actual beer. Really tight tiny bubbles from the bottle carbonation. Definitely seeing some alcohol feet.

S: Trying this after IST, and definitely pulling more coffee on the nose of this one. As well as the traditional dark roast malts etc. Predominately coffee though.

T: Lots of coffee bitterness on this one. Tip of the tongue you get that coffee. Middle of the mouth you get that roast and bitter dark chocolate. I wonder if this would stand to come together a little more with some time. It's not boozy at all, which is nice. I just wish the flavors meshed a little better.

M: Full bodied RIS. Nice chewy mouthfeel on this but the bottle conditioning really helps clear the palate.

O: I'd go a solid B+ here. Definitely would revisit.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 16:35:49 | More by inlimbo77

DovaliHops

California

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

Pours a thick, black, motor oil-like substance with a large dark tan, mocha colored head that goes down slowly. Scent is immediately milk chocolate with some faint anise. Tons of dark fruit aromas with some roasted malt and more milk chocolate. Taste is immediately milk chocolate with a hint of anise and some great roasted/burnt malt flavors. The dark fruits are not as heavy as the nose leads, but they are definitely there. Not too bitter until the finish. Lovely mocha flavors. Mouthfeel is full bodied and highly carbonated...maybe a little too carbonated. Drinkability is fairly high. Overall, this is a very tasty imperial stout that I would definitely purchase more of.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 07:07:14 | More by DovaliHops

mjtiernan

New York

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

Thanks to davacano for this one! I’ve been saving this for a special occasion, but occasions seem to be few and far between. So, I’m celebrating the impending arrival of some more Jester King!

750ml bottle poured into a Jester King Grand Opening snifter. Looks like there are remnants of a bottle date at the top of the bottle but I can’t make it out. I received this bottle in 5/11.

A: About as good as a stout can look. Jet black body with a dark brown one-finger head. After some decent retention it reduces to a small cap in the center with a ring around the edge. Some spotted lacing.

S: Very aromatic. Chocolate and coffee. Faint hops and licorice. A good dose of roasted dark malt.

T: Beautiful roasted malt is featured and interplays with the chocolate and coffee from the nose. Very nicely balanced..no one flavor dominates. Finishes very smooth and dry with slight warming but overall alcohol is very well hidden.

M: Heavy body and medium-low carbonation. Kinda chewy. The balance, mostly-hidden alcohol and smooth finish make this very drinkable for such a full-flavored beer.

O: I loved this. I’m assuming that this was more hop-forward when fresh, but I’m glad that I let this rest for awhile even though it was difficult to do so. It reminded me of some other classic English style stouts I’ve had.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 02:48:06 | More by mjtiernan

DaveHS

California

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours deep, dark impenetrable black with an inch of mocha colored head that leaves minimal, stringy lacing.

S- Decadent, mouth watering aromas of dulce de leche, milk chocolate and mocha.

T/M- Silky, mouth coating caramel sweetness yields to rich yet balanced flavors of chocolate milk and weak coffee. Delicate earthy hop bitterness runs from beginning to end, truncating the sweetness. The finish is soft and lingering, with a tart/sweet note reminiscent of blackberry juice. The body is one of this beer’s best assets. Viscous without ever approaching cloying. The hop bitterness dries out the palate just enough to keep it from ever getting sticky sweet.

O- An impressive imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 21:32:11 | More by DaveHS

LtCracker20

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- A little bit of a gusher here. But finally pours a deep black with only a slight hint of reddish hues along the edges. A nice 3-finger tan head that shows great retention before falling to a very thick cap. Pretty minal lacing, though.

S- The aroma is mellow and subdued, but you do get a slight grassinness, vanilla, oak, and bittersweet chocolate.

T- Vanilla, oak, dark chocolate, burnt chocolate, and a good bitter bite at the end.

MF- Moderate to medium bodied with a nice carbonation level that keeps the flavors very sharp on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 03:31:50 | More by LtCracker20

chocosushi

Oklahoma

3.15/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Duvel Tulip
A ~ Pours pitch black with a great cap of mocha colored head, quickly receding into a ring.

S ~ Big bouquet of roasty phenols and Chocolate covered raisins. Lush homemade caramel notes. Solid Nose.

T ~ Dark Chocolate follows through with cherries muddled in bourbon fading into dried fruit notes. Hints of spice. (Cassia & Pepper) Molasses notes are strong that don't work for me. Ashy wood notes on the back end that seem misplaced. Finish is heavy.

M ~ A beast that's hard to drink. Heat is pretty heavy. Balance is not key which is a huge disappointment. Sticky as well.

D ~ A decent stout at best. I wouldn't revisit. Let's hope with the farmhouse version they retooled things, because something just isn't right here. Needs major adjustment in terms of balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 22:13:21 | More by chocosushi

kojevergas

California

3.5/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

1 pint 9.1 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a conical Guinness pint glass in low altitude Los Angeles, California. I chose not to serve it in a snifter per the label intentionally. Reviewed live. Not paired with food. Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm as time went on (after all, how quickly can you quaff a 10.4% imperial stout?)

A: Pours a three finger beautiful tan colour head of great cream and thickness, and magnificent retention for the high ABV. Colour is a solid black.

Sm: Chocolate, caramel, oats, roast (not as potent as I'd like, but at least it's present), and dark malts. A moderately strong aroma.

T: Rich chocolate, with some unexpected peat notes (perhaps best described as tones actually). Lots of caramel, with a dark malty base. I'd prefer roasted barley as the foundation, but instead it's a sort of mild note on the climax and towards the finish. No alcohol or yeast comes through. The chocolate could be richer. Some nice cream is present on the climax. It could really use more roasted barley; if it were prominent the beer would be a lot better. The oats come through on the finish. It's complex enough, but not as much as other beers in style. I don't get the hop bitterness per the label hardly at all. Balanced decently but not impressive. Built pretty well, but not in a unique or special way - especially compared to other beers in the style.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with some cream but not enough. Surprisingly, it's too thin for the flavours. Should be more coarse and dry (again, a problem easily remedied by the addition of more roasted barley). Not too heavy on the palate.Decently handled overall, but certainly not without its flaws.

Dr: It hides its ABV quite well, and is very drinkable as a result. It's good, but not great. I'd happily try it on draught or nitro-draught, and it might age well. It's disappointing that they're retiring this one, but the sour version sounds more appealing anyway. I like it and it's enjoyable, but it's not fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 04:49:47 | More by kojevergas

schlimenhaumer

New York

3.08/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from the standard pressure cap bottle into a Southampton snifter at low altitude. Thanks to ballmouse from personally importing this one from Texas.

A: Pours an opaque black with a two-finger creamy dark-tan head. Looks oily when swished around in the glass. No lacing to speak of.

S: Chocolate malts, oak, peat, very malty and some definite booze.

T: Oak up front with dark chocolate and heavily roasted malts to follow. It's not particularly balanced, and the finish is abrasively boozy considering the ABV.

M: Full-bodied, wet and sticky with alcohol burn on the finish. This could be much, much smoother.

D: I'm glad I had some friends with me to tackle this one. The booziness is very noticeable and there's no contrast to the oak and deeply roasted malts. I think Jester King made a good decision to retire this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 19:46:43 | More by schlimenhaumer

ms11781

Massachusetts

2.95/5  rDev -28.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

750ml bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours a thick, viscous looking black with big beige colored head of creamy looking foam. Surprisingly, the head settles in at about a finger high and stays for quite a while. Spotty, wispy lacing is left on the glass. The head stands out though. I really can't say enough about the retention. If the lacing was a bit better this might be the best looking stout I've had.

The nose if full of big roasted malts. When the beer is chilled booze is a big component as well. As the beer warms some chocolate and subtle black licorice come out. The nose is pretty much straightforward with big roasted notes leading the way. There are some other characteristic but it's not all that complex.

The taste sort of falls flat. The roasted notes come across first but they are nowhere near as strong as the nose. That being said the roastiness is the dominant flavor. As soon as the roast fades each sip falls off considerably with light chocolate and a touch of some licorice. The chocolate and licorice are extremely weak and may only come through because there isn't anything else going on.

The mouthfeel is really big. Each sip is thick, viscous, slick and silky smooth. The mouthfeel is big and the carbonation is slow. Spot on for a really big stout.

Overall this beer was a bit disappointing. It looks and feels fantastic but the nose is a bit lacking and the flavor even more so. It's not a bad beer but it just doesn't stack up with other beers of the size and stature.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 02:10:45 | More by ms11781

flannelman808

California

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep very dark brown and very opaque (even in small amounts), also this carries a violet streak around the edges. Topped with a good sized medium brown head smooth in nature with pretty good retention. Not too much lacing noted, but some does cling to the glass.

S: Melting snickers bar on the nose this reminds me of milk chocolate and nougat, caramel and peanuts.

T: Throw some dark chocolate along with all of the aforementioned smells on the the palate as well as some frothy carbonation and you have it. Very rich in nature with the bitterness showing its balancing presence in the form of dark chocolate. Despite the rich nature of this beer both a tough of alcohol and hop driven bitterness (and carbonation) really help to balance it out.

M: frothy with a touch of prickle

O: Good stuff, Ill be curious to see how it ages. Carries a good depth of flavor and has a nice balance finally leaving one with a dry bitter feeling mouth. Tough to do with all the malt driven flavors. This is one which would absolutely benefit from having been aged in barrels... hopefully that's in the works.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 01:09:20 | More by flannelman808

notchucknorris

California

3.93/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

So stoked to find this in San Diego!

A: Super black with one of the darkest heads I've ever seen. Deep, 1 finger milk chocolate colored head.

S: A bit faint, but some good notes of roasted malt, black licorice, molasses and dark chocolate. Hints of plums as well.

T: Not quite as big as some of the RIS' out there, but still pretty darn tasty. Roasted malt upfront with some notes of milk chocolate, espresso and charred grain husk on the finish along with the slightest touch of hops. Smooth and slightly chewy mouthfeel is a tad thin for my taste, but still pretty solid. This is good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 21:54:37 | More by notchucknorris

PatrickSwayze

California

3.8/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Jet black plain and simple.

S: Various degrees of roasted malts hints of chocolates, oats, and dark fruits towards the end. Not to alcoholic on the nose.

T: very light tasting in roast but very upfront with the chocolate with a hint of light pepper at the end.

M: Leathery like mouthfeel that is sweet and quite easy on the buds.

O: I only paid 11.99 for this bottle which was easily worth this 750ml bottle of goodness. 

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 05:26:25 | More by PatrickSwayze

CaptainPiret

Tennessee

4.7/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Black as night with a dark tan quarter-inch head that halved in size before my first sip.

S: Beautiful; chocolate, coffee and lots of roasted malt. Really stands out.

T: Dark chocolate and malt hit me at first, but a bitter hoppiness provided a great finish.

M: The creaminess really coats the mouth.

O: This beer really surprised me — in a good way of course. It is very complex and stands out from your ordinary stouts, thanks to that hoppy finish. Next time I'm in Texas I'll go out of my way to pick up a few more.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 23:42:41 | More by CaptainPiret

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Special thanks to kp for this one!

Appearance: Pours out a black body with a tall, surging, deep mocha-toned head. The head flattens producing near nil lace, though it never quite dissipates.

Smell: An array of well roasted malts smelling of bittersweet chocolate, espresso, burnt nut shells, and wafting alcohol ahead of chopped fruit packed in syrup.

Taste: Simple syrup sweetness mixed up with shaved baker's chocolate and lowly astringent, though pointedly roasted barley for an alcohol-laced frappuccino quality overall. A bit of that unforgiving black patent malt in there as well. Hint of hand-picked berries, a little rum raisin. A snippet of black licorice rope. Drying, quite warming on the back half with plenty of roast that yields hints of burnt smokiness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Somewhat chewy mouthfeel.

Overall: A fairly good, slow-sipping stout that's nicely warming on this cold, dreary, drizzly day in a seemingly endless series of cold, dreary, drizzly days in Georgia. Now, off to go house-hunting!

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 20:10:47 | More by ChainGangGuy

bens0n

Texas

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours obsidian black with no traces of light that even show the slightest trace of anything other than infinitesmal blackness with copious amounts of creamy tan head.

On the nose its not extremely aromatic but its got a nice roasty tasty malt going on, not much hop action going on though.

Flavor wise its got a dry burnt roasty malt flavor mixed in with some aggressive hoppy bitterness that comes in at the end.

Its got a nice low level of carbonation, medium viscosity, goes down nice and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 04:30:34 | More by bens0n

doughanson78

Washington

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

750ml bottle poured into a snifter. Huge thanks to bhollas for this major want.

A: Might be the blackest beer I've ever seen (Ten Fidy). One finger dark chocolate head with minimal retention and a little lacing.

S: Smell is a bit light. Chocolate, roasted coffee. Slight touch of anise.

T: Vanilla and milk chocolate upfront. Anise and big roasted coffee come next. Finishes with roast coffee, dark chocolate and the anise. Slight alcohol burn.

M: Full bodied. Super thick. Medium carbonation. Very smooth and velvety.

O: Up with the top RIS's I've had. And it's not even bourbon barrel aged. Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 03:56:57 | More by doughanson78

sholland119

Pennsylvania

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

Thanks to cfh64 for this one.

A-pour is black as night with a foamy dark head with great lacing.

S-lots of licorice , good roast, some chocolate. Caramel and mocha as it warms.

T-follows the nose with good licorice, bittersweet chocolate, roasted malt, caramel and mocha. Remarkably well hidden alcohol.

O-terrific! What a tasty beer!

Hv

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 02:57:50 | More by sholland119