Black Metal Farmhouse Imperial Stout - Jester King Craft Brewery

womencantsail

California

3.43/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours black in color with a rather large tan head. A lot of roasted malt with a bit of metal and acidity to it. Strong coffee aromas with a bit of licorice and burnt sugar. The flavor is heavy on the coffee and roast with the same metallic notes that were present on the aroma. The regular version is significantly better.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 20:28:30 | More by womencantsail

brentk56

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: A very Belgian-looking pour, with a huge tan foamy head that caps the black liquid; the head fades quicker than expected, only leaving a clump or two of lace behind

Smell: Chocolate, charcoal and a tart, yeasty character

Taste: Chocolate, charcoal and subtle tartness that builds a bit, in the middle, along with a hint of fruit; a touch of spicy yeast, after the swallow, that cuts through the stout flavors and leaves a Belgian impression

Mouthfeel: Way too foamy and over-carbonated; medium bodied, underneath

Overall: Such a disappointment when compared to the original version, the choice of the farmhouse yeast strain really doesn't work very well with this base beer - the only disappointing beer I have had from Jester King, however

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 01:26:45 | More by brentk56

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

How do you make the best Belgian stout? The answer is to create a massive imperial stout and inject just enough yeasty spice and fruit character to add a kiss of complexity but not to rival the roasted malt. Jester King has figured this out and displays it well in Black Metal.

The inky black pour sells the "stout" appearance, and does so with enough of a yeasty haze to not allow any passage of light. And then there's the billowing pillow of foam that engulfs the snifter and signals notions of Belgian character that lies within. Its slight tan color proves to be rocky and frothy as it laces the glass intricately as the beer falls.

Robust aromas of roast, cocoa, molasses, and char rise from the glass with a ton of confidence. Filled with espresso, other fruity and spicy scents merge into the malts with mild aromas of grape, apple, and berry that versus alcohol, pepper and smoke.

The bold roasty character continues and even elevates in taste. Sharp espresso, cocoa-heavy chocolates, walnuts, burnt embers, and slightly scorched caramel are dominant on early palate, but then fold in vinous tart notes of cherry, berry, grape, and apple. Where any hop taste would appear woodish and blend into the charred taste, the beer relies on spicy peppercorn, toast, and tannin for balance instead.

Full bodied without doubt, but the Belgiany characer seems to lighten the body by pulling the beer from the tongue with its abundance of carbonation. Resulting in a semi-dry finish with slight powder and ash, the creamy upstart takes quite the journey across the palate. Certain alcohol warmth, slowly fading sweetness, and dry roast closes the beer with a delightful lingering aftertaste.

Black Metal isn't for those who are repulsed by coffee or chocolate. But even for those who have an affection for the taste, the unexpected fruit and spice notes pleasantly surprises the taste buds and evokes excitement, although the character is moderate at best.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 18:14:54 | More by BEERchitect

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Whip In in Austin.

The beer pours a very dark brown to black color with a small tan head. The aroma is full of chocolate and roasted malt, with a little bit of leather and a few assorted spices mixed in.

The flavor is similar. The chocolate and roasted malt notes are very strong and dominate the initial flavor. As the beer warms up a bit, I start to get a little bit of Belgian yeast and a little bit of brett mixed in to the flavor. There is also a little bit of anise and pepper mixed in.

Thick mouthfeel and low carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2011 04:08:55 | More by Mora2000

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.15/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured like liquid black metal, only a little thinner with a good looking tan cap, bubbles and light lacing

S: Roasted malt, dark chocolate and a little bit of booze

T: Immediately felt it was a bit thin, dry and hot with some bitter chocolate and coffee there for support. Not impressed by the lack of "farmhouse" funk here and really not impressed by the metallic notes I received

M: Very dry, thin, a little warm, perhaps a tad bit overcarbonated

O: Pretty average. Was looking for a little more farmhouse here

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 21:07:49 | More by barleywinefiend

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a SMBDC Stout tasting thanks to Amy and Michael, but don't remember who brought this one. Also thanks to redredwino for my own bottle of this.

Pours a huge dark creamy head with decent lacing, pitch black colored beer.

Nose has a Belgian stout yeast, light chocolate, milk chocolate, creamy, light black patent malt, light barrel woody esters, light dark fruit and hint of dark caramel.

Taste has bitter oatmeal dark chocolate, bitter charred malt, bitter earthy hops as well, roast, light soy, a bit astringent and briny tannic flavors, chewy and creamy chocolate, Belgian yeast esters and woody flavors, light herbal. Finishes a bit sweet and chewy, briny, tannins, astringent hops, char, chocolate, etc.

Mouth is bigger bodied, good carb, just a hint of booze.

Overall not bad, decent malts, booze is mostly hidden well, good hops for the most part, dark malts, but gets a bit too briny and astringent, burnt roasted malt flavors a bit too much.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 23:53:19 | More by jlindros

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Frank (fbc24) for bringing this to the Nov. '12 Philly burbs bottle share.

Love the bottle art, first off. Black as a heathen Nordic soul, with a moderate tan head that sank to a ringlet, leaving spotty lacing on the glass. Aroma of dark malts, roast, unsweetened chocolate, ash from a burnt church. Taste reflected the nose, dark roasty malts with a touch of char, chocolate, slightly bitter, a subtle Belgian yeast character that never really came through significantly. Mouthfeel was a bit on the thin side for a stout, but maybe not for a "farmhouse stout," about medium-bodied. Decent, but not as great as the label had me believe.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 09:42:25 | More by Rifugium

gford217

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle.

Pours pitch black with a huge dark mocha head that recedes extremely slowly and leaves great lacing.

Lots of heavily roasted malts, bakers chocolate and hints of coffee, much like he original version. But where it differs is in the spicy yeast and faint dark fruit presence. Still has a stronger impy stout character than Belgian.

Taste has a tad more of the Belgian character than the aroma with sugary dark fruits and light spices up front. But the underlying roasted black malts and dark chocolate still dominate, especially in the finish, which is really roasty.

The mouthfeel is highly carbonated and much drier than the original version.

A really nice Belgian version of an already good beer. Not sure if it's better than the original but I do like it better than most Belgian style stouts I have tried recently.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 03:10:50 | More by gford217

champ103

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On cask at Hey Merchant in Houston, TX.

A: Pours a near opaque black color. At first a bubbly tan head rises, but recedes to a ring in seconds. No lace is left.
S: Up front is bitter chocolate. That fades in a second to nothing. Then out of nowhere, the sourness kicks in. Sour peaches linger for a minute.
T: Follows the nose with a big milk chocolate flavor up front at first. That vanishes in a second, leaving the lingering sour fruity flavors. Mostly peaches.
M/D: A Medium to full body with light carbonation. To thin and watery for my liking. Not hard to sip on, but one is enough.

Interesting, but most sour/stout combinations just don't mesh right for me. This is no different, and fairly simplistic. Just chocolate that fades, then sourness that fades. Not something I am going to seek out again.

Serving type: cask

02-18-2012 22:02:12 | More by champ103

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.64/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Best of the bunch here so and by far! Served with a llight brown head that lingered to the bottom and was superbly balanced. Color is an opaque black brown with a light brown head that subsided at the same rate as the glass emptied. Aroma is a pleasant roast, malt, slight fruit. Flavor's like malt, nothing out of sorts. Body and carbonation are perfect. Finish is like flavor, of a shorter length, and incredibly drinkable for, not only a beer of its class, but relative to all and just a work of art. All hail!

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 02:35:51 | More by drpimento

Durge

Connecticut

4.16/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Another magnificent brew found on tap at The Draught House Pub in Austin, this stout shows a pitch black color with a modest tan ring on top and no signs of lace. The aroma brings intense malt with pleasant grass charcoal. Clearly a quality brew is evidenced. The flavor delivers deep raisin and heavy charcoal malt with lemony edges. Beautifully blended, yet intense in its sensory reward! It's pretty much full bodied with an easy, velvety feel. It offers a very subtle carbonation but it's more than adequate for this style. A great imperial stout!

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2013 18:06:23 | More by Durge

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a rich dark black color with just a touch of brown creeping in around the edges and a thick frothy finger of chocolate colored head. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some nice lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of burnt chocolate and coffee, with some rich sweet dark fruits, black licorice, earthiness, and a bit of booze.

T - Starts off with some deep roasted and burnt chocolate malts with a touch of milky sweetness and some earthy flavors. Through the middle, strong coffee notes come through with some sweet dark fruits including raisins and cherries. The finish is a mix of chocolate and coffee beans with some earthy and lightly smoky flavors, burnt malts, and some booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry, sweet, and warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really nice big Imperial Stout. I like the strength of the burnt and chocolate flavors and the beer as a whole feels nicely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 03:20:37 | More by ngeunit1

ehammond1

California

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for opening this with me, Nathan!

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

Lots of roast and chocolate elements in the aroma, along with a hint of smoke. I don't pick up any particularly "farmhouse-like" elements.

The flavor too is bold and flavorful: roast, dark and bittersweet chocolate, and a bit of smoke.

Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Slightly chewy.

I like this quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 16:08:48 | More by ehammond1

mdaschaf

Washington

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Lee for this one!

A: Pours a dark black with a massive brown head, pretty typical of most Jester King beers. Great retention, slowly reducing to a thin cap on top. Minimal lacing.

S: Some chocolate right away with some caramel and a little toffee. Underneath there is a slight floral component and light peppery spice.

T: Plenty of roasted malt, a little bit of dark fruit, some more chocolate, and a very faint flowery/hop flavor.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Rather dry finish. Slightly smoky.

O: Pretty good, was hoping for a bit more farmhouse presence out of this one. Couldn't pick out a ton of differences from the base beer which I had less than 24 hours previous.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 01:40:32 | More by mdaschaf

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by Jason, 750ml into a tulip.

Black with a massive brown head - persistent retention and OK lacing. Nose of dark chocolate, farmhousey yeast, metallic, brown sugar and caramel. Taste of dark chocolate, heavy roast, coffee grains, light sourness and a hint metallic again. Some tar. Mouthfeel is too light for my liking in the style, and carbonation is almost fizzy. Interesting roast character but just a weird concoction overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 03:47:46 | More by liamt07

Sean9689

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased at WLV Liquors.

A - Pours black, tan head, bubbles on top, thin collar.

S - Chocolate, fudge, cream, roast. Pretty straight forward here, yet good. I can't really pick out any of the farmhouse notes, but who cares, I think it smells good.

T - Pretty much the same as the nose with more roast and some vanilla notes. Lots of chocolate here. Finish is creamy dark chocolate and roast.

M - Lighter side of medium, light carbonation, creamy finish.

O - I think I like this version better then the regular Black Metal, although I'm not exactly sure why. I can't exactly say what sets them apart, but I think there's more roast in this version.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 02:09:44 | More by Sean9689

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Solid black with a creamy tan head.

S - Bittersweet chocolate, milk chocolate, roasted malt, tart cherries, tobacco, caramel and yeasty esters.

T - Sour cherry, milk chocolate, woody tannins, burnt toast, lingering astringent coffee into aftertaste.

M - Somewhat thin for an Imperial Stout with a lingering astringency.

D - Strange, based on ingredients listed on bottle not sure where the sour cherry or belgian like esters are coming from (dry english ale yeast listed). Interesting beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 02:26:18 | More by brewcrew76

Gobzilla

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: poured a dark as night black in color with a thin brown head that left a little lacing sticking to the glass.

S: some chocolate notes were noticeable on the first whiff alongside coffee roastiness, a tad of oaky barrel, smoke, and slight booze.

T: the roasty smokiness was more apparent on the palate alongside chocolate oaky barrel accents a touch of berries and a mild booze flavor.

M: the brew was medium in body with a fair amount of carbonation which had a sweet, smokey, roasty, slight oaky, and mild dry finish.

O: it was a decent stout with some strange qualities but was pretty interesting and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 06:14:22 | More by Gobzilla

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.23/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this from jbeatty in a trade a while back. The orginal version of this beer was terrible, so I'm hoping the farmhouse element has done something positive. We put this against Jolly Pumkin Dark Dawn Stout in the Saison Stout Showdown!

From a 750ml into a snifter

APPEARANCE: A black pour yields a two finger, medium looking, foamy tan head with good retention, eventually fading to a thick foam cap. Black body with higher levels of carbonation, though it calms relativel quickly. A foam cap remains with some falling dots of lacing down the glass. Good looking beer.

SMELL: Saison yeast, and some farmhouse and barnyard aromas. Cocoa powder and some light coffee notes as well. Pretty nice really, as the stout chocolate and coffee qualities are more than enough for the saison stuff.

TASTE: Some roasted malts with cocoa powder and vanilla, as well as some barnyard funk and hay in there too. Interesting blance between stout and saison. Bolder and lingering finish of cocoa, bitter chocolate, coffee and vanilla. A light funkiness lingers as well. This is definitely more stout than saison, though the farmhouse element makes this quite interesting as well.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Creamy smooth on the palate, goes down smooth and finishes slightly dry. Creamy and sliky on the palate. Good stuff.

OVERALL: Holly shit this is way better than the original version. Either these guys have totally revamped the base beer, or the farmhouse yeast is a Godsend. This is a beer I'd gladly drink again. Lots of good flavor and a feel that supports the show. Try this one if you get the chance. Thanks again jbeatty. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 22:19:07 | More by Jeffo

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into snifter.

Dark brown body with a tan fizzy head of 2.5 fingers. Nice retention. Small chunky lacing.
Smells of; black licorice, black cherries, smokey earth, charred oak, dried tobacco...

The flavor has all the notes from the nose-- and it works. I like it, I like it much more than the regular version. Very dry, smokey, charred finish with a light tart touch.
The dry tobacco and chocolate notes are really coming through as this warms.

Body is a little thin and very carbonated-- I'd actually be concerned about this turning into a bottle bomb if anyone aged it.

Overall-- this is much better than the regular... Not bad Jester King!

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 01:03:30 | More by AleWatcher

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black and diesel-oil consistency, big brown head and sparse lace.

Nice aroma, burnt and darkly roasty, coffee and dark chocolate, a little bit of dark fruit.

Flavor is wonderful, roasty and burnt flavors are up front, then comes just a touch of dark fruitiness, then chocolate and coffee.

There's a bit of a Belgian note to it, presumably from the yeast, which actually seems to lighten the body just a touch. Although full bodied, I find it surprisingly drinkable.

Definitely a tasty one, RIS and farmhouse ale lovers alike might enjoy this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 19:41:13 | More by AlCaponeJunior

elNopalero

Texas

4.72/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This pours black as night with some foam atop it. There’s big aromas of roast coffee, some smoke and fruit—not citrus or tropical fruits, rather dark fruits, stone fruits. I get roasty coffee and thick toffee flavors, some espresso and dark cherries, bitter chocolates, and a boozy finish. Flavors are sharp and focused, with a crisp, hoppy bitterness for any sort of imperial stout. A big boy and bad to the bone. I like it.

A farmhouse imperial stout? I’m not sure my palate is astute enough to detect the differences between this and their (um, regular?) imperial stout. More investigation is needed, as they say in research journals!

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2012 04:08:43 | More by elNopalero

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black Metal pours black into the glass with a medium sized, fizzy, dark brown head on top. The foam disappears quickly leaving only a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is rich with notes of chocolate, coffee and roast malt. Alcohol notes are present throughout.

Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is slick, a little oily, smooth with mild carbonation. The rich flavor is a nice blend of chocolate, coffee, an earthy nuttiness and a little dark fruit. I'm not getting any farmhouse tartness like I thought I would. It finishes with a mild grassy bitterness. Once gone the chocolate and roast malt linger.

This is a very tasty beer that's easy to drink. You can smell the alcohol, but not taste it. I wasn't sure what to expect for a 'Farmhouse' stout. I didn't get any typical farmhouse flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 22:29:25 | More by WanderingFool

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml split between 3 of us.

A - Pours a heavy metal black, with 2 fingers of espresso frappa head. Rounded patterns of vertical lacing.

S - Rich and roasted black malts, dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, berry fruit, allspice, nutmeg, unknown spice.

T - Dense and creamy chocolate, almost astringent, heavy roast, acidic coffee, raspberries, star anise, charred vanilla, spicy hops. The Belgian yeast is present but mellow.

M - Moderate carbonation cuts through the density lifting the body creating a super creamy feel and light/medium body

Black metal is a good name for this brew. The Belgian yeast takes a back seat to the full on stout components. Lots of chocolate and roast. Light feel for such a big brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 03:23:48 | More by StaveHooks

Gosox8787

New Hampshire

3.73/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: Bomber bottle split with a friend. Served just below cellar temperature over the course of about half an hour. Poured into a Sierra Nevada tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours alomst all head on the first couple pours. Dark brown, but creamy lacing, with strong retention. When it finally settles, there is a nice full head and a midnight black body.

Aroma: Lots of smoky ash, char, and really dark chocolate. The roasted components are definitely in full force. After settling for a bit, a touch of cherry is noticable.

Taste: First impression is definitely strong char without much sweetness. As it warm, some dark chocolate becomes more prevelant and the yeast notes start to take over. Cherry sweetness and tartness mixed with the strong char and chocolate. Interesting and drinkable at this point.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and very creamy.

Overall, a really interesting stout with a really strong char note upfront. Once the char settles, the yeast provides some nice notes as well. The stout qualities are far greater than the farmhouse notes. Probably not going to go out of my way to try again.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 11:41:41 | More by Gosox8787