Goliat - To Øl

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

375 ml bottle at Ølbutikken, poured into a snifter.

A- Pours black with a finger of creamy brown head, nice retention and lacing.

S- Fruity aroma, lots of dark fruit, bread, caramel, also some chocolate, roast and a bit of coffee.

T- Less sweet than the aroma, nice flavors of chocolate, caramel, coffee, roast, has a lightly hoppy, bitter finish. Tasty and nicely balanced.

M- Full-bodied, smooth, creamy feel, booze is invisible.

O- A very nice stout, well-rounded and drinkable, I'll definitely have this again next time I see it.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 06:30:10 | More by WillCarrera

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown-black with a finger of frothy chocolate colored head. Fades fairly slowly.

S - Roasted dark chocolate and caramel malts, roasted coffee, black licorice, molasses, cocoa, touch of dark fruit, vanilla, and booze.

T - Roasted dark chocolate and caramel malts, roasted coffee, cocoa, molasses, black licorice, earthy hops, bit of dark fruits, vanilla, and booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a roasted, sweet, warming finish.

D - Nice coffee imperial stout. Good balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 03:55:33 | More by ngeunit1

suspect

New York

4.4/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 375ml bottle into a Dogfish Head Snifter.

A: As black a beer as I've seen. Zero light peeks through even on the edges. Aggressive pour leads to a thick, 2 finger espresso foam head that fades ever so slowly coating almost every inch of the glass in thick lacing. Beautiful beer.

S: Esspresso-like coffee nose with roasted barley malts being the foremost aromas. Some dark cocoa nib smells as well as a touch of licorice or star anise.

T: Malts lead the way in the flavor with some char and some smokiness to it but neither of those two are overpowering and blend nicely together. Coffee flavor is blended in nicely...tastes much like a dark roast - a nice dark roast. Slight bitterness but the sweet malt helps smooth that out.

M: Well carbonated, if anything it's a touch undercarbonated but it doesn't affect it - I'm really just being nitpicky. Certainly thick and smooth. ABV seems to be a complete afterthought.

O: A top tier Imperial Stout. Danish stouts are quickly climbing high up on my list to not turn down ever.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 00:58:31 | More by suspect

Dope

Massachusetts

4.09/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Black as night with a big, tall dark brown head. Head drops away slowly, with heavy heavy walls of lacing left behind.

S: Roasted coffee with lots of char. Kind of a sweeter, more earthy coffee and not just coffee beans. Quite smoky too with some acrid bitterness.

T: Whoa. Strong and very sweet chocolate. Loads of acrid smoke and bitter coffee mixes in in the middle. Sweetness fades, leaving a bitter chocolate, coffee and acrid smoke flavor. Lingering smoke and char in the aftertaste.

M: Heavy, thick and viscous.

O: Interesting. Coffee isn't as strong as you'd think for this "imperial stout brewed with coffee". It is however, very ashy and borderline smoky. Char flavors everywhere. It would be too much but there is a big sweet chocolate bomb in there balancing everything out. Coffee is sorta just in the middle. Big, sweet and heavy. Lots of roasted malt flavors. Tasty overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 03:15:43 | More by Dope

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.39/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A very nice Imperial Stout, and I don't know if it's just me or if it characterizes the style, but I've often picked up heavier than usual licorice notes in Scandinavian Imperial Stouts. This one is no exception- very nice deep licorice notes in both the nose, and especially the taste. When I say licorice, I don't mean the overly sweet whips or jelly beans of this country, but the much dryer, almost chalky variety with a zingy. spicy note found in Scandinavia, Spain, and Australia. That's what this evokes. Pours inky black, but without much head. Aside from the licorice, the nose has notes of treacle, tar, and bitter chocolate, as well as a touch of molasses. The taste is deep and quite integrated with lovely licorice notes, including a touch of spice, a nice roasty coffee note from that addition, quite dark, and a touch of cream and dark chocolate. Very Smooth, but deep and with a bit of bite- from the flavors, not the alcohol, which is well hidden. A very pleasant beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 23:36:18 | More by Georgiabeer

Liquoric3

Germany

4.33/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Goliats appearance is black, black, black no light coming through with an nice creamy, mocca brown two finger head, which lasts quite a long time for such a big stout.
Nice lacing on the glass

Smell is big time coffee, chocolate, roasted malt and a little bit of hops.
I also get some earthiness.

Sweet start when the beer hits your tongue, closely followed by the bitter creamy coffee and it finishes with just the right amount of hop bitterness to balance the beer. So smooth to drink, almost no trace of alcohol. You also get the earthiness in the taste. Mouthfeel is definetly full.
I haven't had such a good imperial coffee stout in a while. Buy it if you can get it!

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 21:18:26 | More by Liquoric3

Strix

Wisconsin

4.49/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pitch black, frothy tan head with nice thick lacing.

Big coffee cocoa aroma.

Coffee, cocoa, toffee, chocolate, vanilla, malt, toasted malt, and a burnt note. No trace of alcohol.

Very smooth mouthfeel, good coating, light carbonation.

Really impressed with this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 02:01:40 | More by Strix

sweemzander

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a snifter. Another thank you to Kevan for sharing!

(A)- Pours near pitch black color. Minimal froth and lace.

(S)- Huge aromas of crushed coffee beans. Easily one of the biggest coffee aromas in memory. Its not acrid or overly bitter, but just a fantastic aroma if you like coffee.

(T)- Again, a huge showing of massive coffee grounds with ever so subtle bits of raisin and coca, but otherwise the perfect coffee forward beer.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. Such a superb showing of what coffee can do in a beer. Like the smell, this is not acrid or overly bitter like some strong coffees can be like, but has an underlying richness that makes this very easily drinkable too. The bitterness does slightly increase as it warms, but still an afterthought.

(O)- Perhaps one of the best coffee forward beers I have ever had. Rich and ever so inviting. Coffee lovers out there, this is your beer to seek!

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 17:53:30 | More by sweemzander

ThickNStout

Georgia

4/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12.7oz bottle from the Beer Baron (Detroit, MI). 8.99. Can't quite decipher ther date code. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Pours black with a thick two and a half fingers of capuccino head. A good bit of dark clumpy lacing.

Smells of strong coffee, cocoa and roasty malts.

Tastes of sweetened and creamed dark coffee, dark cocoa, cherry pits, brown sugar, molasses, roast malts and burnt caramel. There is a subtle alcohol presence but it drinks very smooth for a 10+% brew.

Medium full feel with faint but present carbonation. Long sweet coffee aftertaste.

A mighty fine coffee imperial stout. Certainly worth a try for any fan of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 02:21:39 | More by ThickNStout

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pitch black, one finger khaki head, spotty lacing.

S - Coffee grounds, brown sugar, slight burnt/roasted malts, cocoa, hint of tobacco.

T - Milk chocolate, coffee, burnt sugar, slight bitterness, sharp coffee bean finish.

M - Smooth, full-medium body, low-moderate carbonation.

O - Excellent brew, can't wait to try more from To Øl.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 22:04:55 | More by Rickythejeweler

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pitch black and completely opaque with a one finger mocha colored head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Streaks of soapy lacing left behind.

Slightly smokey, roasted dark malt aroma with lots of robust coffee bean and sweet lactic sugars. Some burnt sugars along with dark chocolate, toffee, fudge, oatmeal and gourmet coffee bean. Strong lactic cream presence makes this smell more like a dessert than an espresso drink.

On the fuller end of medium bodied with a robust, deeply roasted dark malt flavor that tastes more like a coffee drink than the aroma suggests. Slight bitterness but not overly dry or acrid at all. There's a delicious roasted coffee flavor but it's countered by the lactic sugars and a sweet fudge-y chocolate cake character. Hints of coffee bean, toffee, oatmeal and burnt toast followed by sweet lactic cream, cocoa, caramel and toffee. Still dessert like but tastes more like a coffee beer than I anticipated. The high ABV is almost invisible making it dangerously drinkable. I would have never guessed that this beer was 10%.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 07:54:07 | More by corby112

sweetLew

California

3.5/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Goliat is a reasonably enjoyable Imperial Stout, that nearly drinks more like a brandy than a beer. It pours pitch black, with some dark brown coffee colors when held to the light. A thin mocha head fades quickly, leaving some faint lacing as the glass empties. The aroma is of a moderate intensity, with a warm alcohol scent of brandy dominating, followed by less intense notes of dark malt character. The taste is assertive; a strong surge of alcohol reaffirms the brandy aroma, followed by the array of dark malt flavors of coffee and dark chocolate. Splendid little hints of vanilla, licorice, brown sugar, and raspberry jump from the smooth, viscous mouthfeel as the beer warms. The beer is balanced with an easy carbonation that eases the rich flavors on to the palate. The finish lingers with a nice toasty alcohol presence.

Would be tough to drink more than one Goliat, but with a plate of raspberries and blackberries, it was a pleasant little Viking wrestle; the booziness overpowered the fruit, and the Scandanavian kick overpowered me. I'd do it all over again given the chance.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 05:42:42 | More by sweetLew

MasterSki

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from West Lakeview Liquors. Served in a Hill Farmstead tulip.

A - Mocha-tinged foam settles to a partial cap, thick collar, and splotchy lacework. Very dark brown body.

S - Coffee, dark chocolate, dark breads, roasted malts, char, and a hint of anise. Alcohol is pretty well hidden here, as I would have guessed this was closer to 8%.

T - The taste is sweeter than I expected from the aroma, with a nice milk chocolate and coffee with sugar vibe going on. Lactose sugar? Definitely a double-double coffee in any case.

M - Creamy, medium-full body, with lower carbonation, and minimal alcohol presence.

D - Nothing mind-blowing, but well-crafted and easy to drink for 10.1%. Probably not worth the import price with all the great coffee beers available locally, but would be a solid choice if I lived in Europe. Chris and I finished this one easily.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 18:13:12 | More by MasterSki

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.43/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a two finger khaki head that fades slowly leaving some lace. Midnight black color, no highlights, some yeast left in bottle. Light-medium carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Roasted coffee nose and flavor is the same, slightly sweet roasted coffee, no burnt coffee finish. Higher ABV is hidden. Pricey at $8.99 for a 375ml bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 21:51:42 | More by jdhilt

dorianmarley

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is rich black with a light brown head that fades with pretty good lacing.

Nose is primarily coffee and malt, with some almond biscotti.

Taste has a lot of alcohol, and a lot of smoke. It has plenty of coffee, with sweet cream. It can be cloying.

Overall, it is a big, sweet beer that mellows out after a few sips. It can be fun to drink, but not especially rewarding.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 19:52:36 | More by dorianmarley

cvm4

Mississippi

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours black, not motoroil black, but black. One finger brown head that stays around for a while.

S - Huge coffee notes along with roasted malts and dark chocolate.

T - Sweet dark chocolate leading way to vanilla and a finish of bitter coffee and roasted malt. The coffee just lingers in your mouth.

M - Full bodied with light carbonation. Not syrupy at all.

O - Wow! What a great beer! This is one you sit back and enjoy because you want to remember it.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 21:35:05 | More by cvm4

ehammond1

California

4.48/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On Tap

Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA

Dark black, thick body, with a small dark brown head that leaves the glass just absolutely messed with stick: sheets, webs, and lines. A simply, gorgeous, perfectly attractive imperial stout.

Very nice, expressive, bold aroma of roasted coffee, cream, and bittersweet chocolate. Simple but bold and very nice. Complete.

The flavor is just as good as the aroma, with bittersweet chocolates, roasted coffee, mild dark fruit, and a moderate level of bitterness combining for one deliciously, decadent, coffee imperial stout.

Full in body with low to moderate carbonation. Only a mild alchohol hint. Easy drinking, but rich and decadent, all at once.

Flawless.

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2012 19:31:31 | More by ehammond1

wagenvolks

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

350ml bottle into a Brooklyn tulip.

A gorgeous pour unleashes a thick, pitch black body into the glass. The head is tall and well-retained--dusty tan in color--and leaves some sticky lacing behind on the glass. Aroma is rife with roasted espresso beans, caramel, and dark chocolate. A bit of earthy hops and dark fruit add balance.

The alcohol comes through on the flavor, but doesn't overwhelm the senses, adding a vinous sweetness to the layers of rich chocolate and coffee roast. Fig and plum with a bit of chalky earth in the finish. Mouthfeel is thick and chewy, smooth and nicely carbonated. Overall, a delicious imperial stout and one of the better coffee stout's out there. Goliat is the real deal...

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 02:40:42 | More by wagenvolks

beergoot

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

An opaque black body comes with a thick, creamy light brown head. Nice lacing on the glass.Rich, roasted grains dominate the smell. Coffee and mocha with hints of bitter chocolate in the nose. Mouthfeel is heavy with a sugary overtone. Rich and wet.
Taste comes across complex and heavy in possibilities. Malt sweetness collides with coffee notes and then mashes together with a slightly hidden bitterness. Alcohol warmth rides below the surface.

Wow! This is a wonderful, monstrous imperial stout. There is no hiding from the exquisite complexities that bob and weave throughout this beer. Excellent stuff!!

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 19:52:24 | More by beergoot

UCLABrewN84

California

4.5/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Congregation Ale House in Long Beach, CA.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, roasted coffee beans, coffee grounds, and some slight cocoa aromas. Taste is much the same along with some chocolate syrup flavors. There is a medium amount of roasty coffee bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp, smooth, and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is an extremely good beer that is very tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

07-07-2012 02:21:45 | More by UCLABrewN84

brystmar

Texas

4.15/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to blatantdream for sharing!

An absolutely gorgeous stout: tons of tan head, stubborn lace, and more oily than your neighborhood seagull.

Huge coffee aroma; more sweet than bitter. Caramel, roasty, toffee. Reminds me of Beer Greek Brunch, and it's really good.

Plenty of coffee to support the roasty backbone. Coffee is more bitter here than in the nose. Balance of flavors is excellent. Bitter coffee lingers as the booze warms my throat.

Body is oily but lacks creaminess. I want my imperial stouts viscous, and this comes up short.

This makes the short list of Scandinavian beers I really enjoy. Goliat is quite good.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 07:23:20 | More by brystmar

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from West Lakeview Liquors, 375ml into a tulip.

Really viscous black body, brown head with good retention but not a lot of lacing. Substantial coffee notes in the nose, a bit of sweetness (like adding a bit of creme to your coffee), a bit of smoke, caramel and mocha. Coffee continues on the palate, espresso, caramel, dark chocolate. Quite bitter but there's a good balancing malt sweetness in there too. Dense body, alcohol is hidden and this is fantastically smooth. A really tasty coffee beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 01:33:55 | More by liamt07

metter98

New York

4.35/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beer Street, Brooklyn, NY

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a thin mocha-colored head that died down and left some lacing on the surface and a thick collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are strong aromas of roasted malts in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste has complex flavors of roasted malts and coffee beans along with a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels full-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation with some warming from the alcohol in the finish.
O: This beer is very well balanced. Although the alcohol isn't that noticeable in the taste, the beer definitely tastes strong and is one that needs to be slowly sipped.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2012 00:22:53 | More by metter98

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Beer Street Brooklyn in New York, NY

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some light hints of visible carbonation at the edges of the surface of the beer. The beer has a finger tall dark mocha head that slowly reduces to a very thick film and thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Strong aromas of dark roasted malts, coffee, cocoa powder, and some lighter amounts of vanilla.

T: Like the smell, the taste of this beer is very enticing... Strong flavors of dark roasted malts along with some moderate notes of cocoa, anise, and vanilla. There is a moderate amount of coffee bitterness that lingers for quite a while.

M: Full bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: I really enjoyed this beer and could easily sip on a beer like this one all evening long - I really enjoy the style and feel like this is a good example. There is a good complexity to the flavor and the alcohol is well hidden.

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2012 01:14:00 | More by dbrauneis

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A coffee based based stout, and a really good one at that. Good roast aroma. Very brown coloured body with wisp of a head. Some chocolate sweetening it. Understated carbonation. Very drinkable and tasty.Brought back from Lakeview Liquors, and thanks for sharing Liam.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 20:16:45 | More by northyorksammy