Black Metal Farmhouse Imperial Stout - Jester King Craft Brewery

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

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

yamar68

Minnesota

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

Thanks antlerwrestler19! Poured from 750 to tulip glass:

Pours a dark, dark coffee black with little clarity. The medium brown head swells to fill more than half the glass. Great lacing.

Deep chocolate notes, various cocoa, some mocha bits, pretty damn smooth. Nothing to write home about but it definitely holds its own.

Dense dark chocolate character. Vanilla bean, hard water presence, some more bitter dark chocolate.

The feel is a bit aggressive. Everything seems in order but the sugar is slightly overpowering. Otherwise it's a home run.

Thanks Kyle!

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 04:54:26 | More by yamar68

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

P:  Huge mountain of dark brown frothy root beer head that crowns a vicious carbonated pitch black abyss.  Retention is outstanding and seems to stand still and retreat for no man. 

S:  A heavy offering of roasted malt, bitter cocoa, heavy cream, molasses,  syrup, spices, chocolate covered raisins, and slightly acidic. Also, aromas of leather, musky old furniture, sweet prunes, roasted barley and farmhouse funk.

T/M:  First thoughts is that it is harsh and unrefined. The body is thinner than expected, but still creamy, sticky and aggressively carbonated.  Mouthfeel gets somewhat chalky toward the end of the sip. 

 Flavors are similar to the nose but has more pronounced chocolate covered cherries and stevia like sweetener.  Alcohol is more prevalent but masked well given the ABV.  Heavy doses of barley and chocolate are the lead in this epic band.   Finish is semi dry with timid chalkiness followed by oak and roasted barley.  Coffee and peanut butter become involved once warmed. 

O:  This was an interesting RIS. Rough but definitely enjoyable.   When I first opened the bottle I got a whiff of some funky farmhouse yeast which is crazy weird but at the same time it works. I'm glad that they introduced so much barley it really changes the flavor up and makes things interesting. The sweet fruit was great and I really enjoyed every aspect of it. Too bad we can't get more Jester King brews in OK but I guess that gives a reason to visit Texas.   

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 23:15:25 | More by Hopswagger

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

ElCommodoro

Texas

1.93/5  rDev -51.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

This beer was more than I could handle. So much yeast, so much hops, and in a stout, too. Not sure why there was so much grassy, hoppiness in a stout. I know Russian Imperials can have that sometimes, but I can't imagine why anyone would like that. It was out-of-this-world thick with maltiness too. I knew I was probably purchasing the craziest beer I've ever had, but I was still not prepared for this. With four people partaking, we did not finish the bottle. Nobody wanted more than a few ounces of this beast of beer extremes. My throat just felt attacked from all directions. Guess I'll have to build up to this kind of beer more slowly. I'm usually really into strong dark beers like Boulevard's Dark Truth and Real Ale's Anniversary XV, but this was just a whole another level of intensity. One thing I noticed was that there was an oiliness in the mouthfeel that reminded me exactly of farmhouse ciders I used to drink in England. Must be the telltale sign of unfiltered, unpasteurized yeast.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 20:30:58 | More by ElCommodoro

RBassSFHOPit2ME

California

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

Pretty solid beer here, been a want of mine for near a year now. To my surprise, found it in CA for $11.99 and thought it was the original but low and behold, it's the Farmhouse...

A - Damn. Jet Black. Three finger mocha head that receeds to about a 1/2 inch and never goes away. lacing is BeaUtiful.

S - Dark Chocolate and roast. A wee bit of funk but you really have to look for it. Semi-agressive swirl brings out cafe-mocha notes, complimenting the dark chocolate and roastiness. As it warms, vanilla shows itself and yes, this is very roasty to boot.

T - Everything in the nose. Mocha - Chocolate - Roasty with a wee bit of funk and peppery in the finish.

M - Not your typical Imperial Stout. Starts creamy with bold stout flavors, then finishes BONE-DRY. Not bitter, but DRY. Just how I like I like my Saisons to finish. Peppery Farmhouse finish.

O - Pretty good. Glad I was able to finally knock this one down. Not sure I'll pay for it again with Speedway being a whole whopping $1 less, but a good beer experience none-the-less.

Suggested.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 02:00:56 | More by RBassSFHOPit2ME

dbossman

Nebraska

4.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Black with a dark, dark brown head--like espresso--with amazing lacing

S: Really roasty and boozy; so much roasty chocolate and coffee; dark fruits and something herbal and grassy and funky--the farmhouse yeast I presume

T: Really roasty and dry; some coffee; something funky; lots of dry, semi-sweet chocolate

F: Creamy and dry; this beer sticks with you--nice overall mouth feel

O: A really dry beer; it smells boozier than it is; fairly bitter with just a touch of funk--I like it

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 02:51:20 | More by dbossman

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle poured into a wine glass as Immortal blasts blast beats out of the speakers.

A big fluffy brown head is produced; no doubt a product of the refermentation. The body is none more black.

Lots of chocolate and roast when cooler and seems to subside as it warms allowing cherry notes to pop out along with some peppery spice.

Less chocolate on the taste than the aroma. Quite a bit of roast. Dark fruit and cherry along with a woodiness even though it isn't barrel aged.

Medium bodied with ample carbonation to move the beer along the palette easily.

Quite drinkable for such a roasty stout. The farmhouse yeast adds a great component to this beer. With a little refinement this could be as ridiculous as running through the woods of Bergen with a witch hat and cape.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 04:44:27 | More by MattSweatshirt

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

Bobheed

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a super dark, nearly black color, very little light coming through the edges. About a hand of a mocha head, largest head I've seen on a stout

S: Getting lots of dark chocolate, coffee, and a peanut butter kind of smell. A little smokey also

T: Follows the nose pretty well, but with the addition of some dark fruits. Dark cherries and dates, flowing into a smokey chocolate flavor

M: Medium-light body, very creamy, medium carbonation.

Overall this was quite nice. Definitely a bit different than most RISs, Has a real big taste and fairly high alcohol, but is really easy to drink

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 01:24:49 | More by Bobheed

redcap45

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

Pours obsidian black with a somewhat energetic dark tan head. There is a ton of yellow lace on the glass. Nose is chocolate, cocoa, some licorice, earth, and coffee with hints of toasty bitterness. There are hints of char and coffee bitterness as well. The flavor is deep and dark: roast, toast, char, chocolate, licorice, black coffee, earth, and bits of molasses. Liked a toned-down black Tuesday. Mouthfeel is thick and sultry, full of depth. Excellent imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 14:38:34 | More by redcap45

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

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

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

mwilbur

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter.
A: Pours a beautiful opaque, heavy black with generous 3-4 inch french silk head. Absolutely gorgeous. Excellent retention.
S: Roasted caramel and chocolate malts, bitter chocolately alcohol note, hint of farmhouse funk and some dark dried fruit. Dark cherry and coffee, especially with warming. Very pleasant.
T: Medium roast coffee, bittersweet chocolate, chicory, peppery spice, and a hint of cream. Farmhouse funk in the distant background. Charred wood and dark cherry emerge with warming. Wood smoke and citrus emerge in the finish.
M: Creamy feel. Medium body (lighter than expected, but consistent with the ABV). Mildly bitter and dry finish.
D: The ABV makes this one quite drinkable. I love the style mash-up of farmhouse imperial stout. Nice solidly complex brew...seek it out!

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 04:31:05 | More by mwilbur

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

Etan

Illinois

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

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a pint glass at Bradford's tasting.

A: Midnight black with a thick, spongy, tan head. Awesome lacing forms immediately.

S: Soapy, barnyard farmhouse yeast, followed by mild roastiness and chocolate notes.

T: Strong notes of chocolate, coffee roast, a bit of fruity Belgian esters (pineapple, cherry), nice dose of hop bitterness.

M: Not too carbonated for a bottle-conditioned brew, but nice silky body nonetheless.

O: This is pretty tasty. Not mind-blowing, but the yeast adds some interesting complexity.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 02:43:53 | More by Etan

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

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

broken22

California

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

So the cool label caught my eye. After reading the description I figured it sounded as if it wasn't all for show an this beer could actually be good.

Pours out nice and dark. Very much your typical Russian stout characteristic. An aggressive head mocha colored head formed with on initial pour. The head subsided fairly quick leaving just that little layer of cream patch to cover the surface. Visually this thing is dark like I said earlier. No light is penetrating this thing which is always a good sign. The beer does not have any noteworthy aromatic properties. I can smell a subtle alcohol note that is dominated by heavy malt. The flavor is very good. There is a nice smoke and a caramel like flavor. The beer comes in smooth without much hitting the senses. It is when you swallow that this beer comes alive leaving you with a nice lingering bitter. Mouthfeel is heavy with very little carbonation.

Overall this is a nice beer. I had my doubts with the over the top label. I'm glad it worked out that its an enjoyable beer that stays true to the Russian Imperial Stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 03:47:55 | More by broken22

Lawl3ss

Texas

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Lightly chilled 25.4 oz. bomber poured into a stemmed tulip. No visible bottling date. I reviewed the "English" version a few days back, and I see that the brewers have updated the preferred drinking vessel on the back of the label from a tulip glass to a drinking horn. Seems appropriate.

Look- Near black, seems slightly redder than I remember the traditional version being. Could be the light, though. Decent couple fingers of chocolate milk-colored head that falls quickly, but isn't as fizzy as I was expecting after the previous. A few traces of lace remain as the head falls to a thin film over the course of a minute or so.

Smell- Cocoa, patent malt, candied cherries and .... cinnamon? Interesting. Again, I'm comparing it to the version I had earlier this week, and it's definitely more intriguing, while retaining the basic essence. Swirling brings out stronger touches of cocoa, caramel, yeasty spice, and a hint of smoke.

Taste- Aggressive sour cherry bite up front- caught me a bit off guard. Milk chocolate follows, along with burnt graham cracker and black pepper. Aftertaste is of wood ash and espresso dregs. Lingering pucker - something like a cross between wild raspberries and under-ripe peaches. I don't quite know what to make of it, but it's growing on me halfway through the glass.

Mouthfeel- Medium-to-full body for the style, lightened by a generous share of carbonation. Not as smooth as I'd like. Astringent, dry finish, moderate warming on the back end.

Overall- Far from your typical stout and definitely more complex than the "English" version, but does that mean it's better? More aggressive, more offensive, more unusual, to be sure; but I don't think this offering would make my "go-to beer" list and I'm a little sad to see the other one go, even though I've only had it the one time. Definitely worth trying if you're adventurous.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 01:53:09 | More by Lawl3ss

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

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

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