Fantastic Voyage - Perennial Artisan Ales

MasterSki

Illinois

4.14/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Picked this up at West Lakeview Liquors a while back. Served in a Hill Farmstead tulip at Jason's place.

A - Tan foam settles to a thick collar, wisps, and minimal lacing. Near-black, opaque body.

S - The taste is a nice mix of shaved, roasted coconut, chocolate, roasted malts, and light caramel. There's a yeasty, dark bread flavor supporting the sweeter flavors, and this is very much on the 'sweet' stout side of things.

T - Taste is similar, with toasted coconut, semi-sweet chocolate, caramel, and some nebulous dark fruit and nutty characters in the periphery.

M - Smooth texture that is lightly tannic in the finish. Medium body with pleasant carbonation, and a dry finish. No alcohol presence.

D - A nice beer, particularly if you like coconut. Perhaps a tad too expensive, but I'd happily drink a glass if I saw it on-tap somewhere. Perennial makes some great stouts, and this is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 21:30:33 | More by MasterSki

DevilStl

Missouri

4.66/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

This was my favorite beer at a cask event i went to hosted by @
2nd shift brewery. I normally dont care for beers on the sweet side. It is a very dark. Kinda gritty. But overall the taste is unbelievable. I am patiently waiting for its release this month.

Serving type: cask

04-06-2013 22:48:30 | More by DevilStl

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pour a dark chocolate brown, not a huge head but a thin layer of dark creamy coffee foam sticks around until the beer's done.

Smell is sweet, milk chocolate maybe, vanilla, a bit nutty, only mild roast.

Taste is very good, big on sweet vanilla and milk chocolate but not syrupy or cloying, definitely a nutty character but I probably wouldn't have identified coconut (granted this bottle is not exactly fresh). I like this a lot.

Mouthfeel is amazing, extremely soft and creamy, not super carbonated but doesn't need to be. Very easy to drink, gentle, belies the fact that it has alcohol. Wonderful.

Great beer, would love to try a bottle fresh.

8.3/10

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 21:16:37 | More by AlexFields

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.75/5  rDev -33.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Beer pours pitch black with a very thin dark mocha head with poor retention. Lacing is stringy, spotty and sparse with little cling. Thin legs. Average.

Sharing during a cellar stout clean out by my friend.

Pours black with a small off-white head. Decent lacing.

Nose contains lots of coconut and milk chocolate with some roasted malts. Can definitely smell the lactose in this.

Flavor starts with more milk chocolate (chocolate and lactose). Coconut then comes on pretty strong (too strong in my opinion). There is a touch of roasted malt, but not enough to balance out the sweetness. Lots of coconut on the aftertaste.

Lighter bodied for a stout. Finishes sweet and got a little cloying by the bottom of the glass. A little overcarbed.

This one failed for me as a beer. Did not like the coconut interplay and did not contain enough roast to rein in the lactose. It succeeded for me as a way to integrate my 90's rap playlist into the night's events so slight bonus for that.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 20:52:45 | More by jmarsh123

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.7/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

750ml bottle into a Cigar City snifter. Shared with schen9303.

Beer pours pitch black with a very thin dark mocha head with poor retention. Lacing is stringy, spotty and sparse with little cling. Thin legs. Average.

Nose is toasted almond and coconut, chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, and lactose. Robust, aromatic, and deep with nice complexity.

Opens lactose, cocoa, toasted coconut and chocolate. Some roasted malt bitterness and tartness in the middle. Espresso too. More lactose sweetness and toasted almond in the end with a milky, sweet chocolate finish and a bittersweet chocolate and coconut aftertaste. I really like the coconut and lactose presence in this one but it could be a touch sweeter.

Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Oily, slick and silky in the mouth and smooth going down. Finishes messy with a lingering and sticky aftertaste. Solid.

Overall, a decent milk stout but for the price point, not one worth revisiting. A touch over-carbonated with a complex flavor profile that just seems to have something missing. Definitely worth trying but there are better beers in the style besides this.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 03:24:07 | More by SpeedwayJim

stephens101

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Starts off with a quickly diminishing dark tan head that is broken with a few big bubbles. Pure black in color with a minimal dotty lacing. Smells of sweet milk chocolate, coconut, a background of vinegar and sweet fruits. A near perfect fusion of milk chocolate and coconut greets the taste buds. A little roasted nuttiness is introduced for fair measure. Has a dry middle with a smooth shock of alcohol heat and a subtle dark fruitiness at the pinnacle.

Simple but right on the mark.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 21:09:43 | More by stephens101

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

reviewed from notes taken 12/6/12.

poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: black body beer with 1 finger of medium brown head. spotty lace.

Smell: chocolate and mild roast.

Taste: mild coffee roastiness and milk chocolates. Just a hint of coconut milk. All the flavors are really well balanced, but they could be a little bolder.

Mouthfeel: low end of medium body beer with moderate carbonation. Its smooth, easy drinking and creamy mouthfeel is very well done with just the right amount of carbonation.

Overall: Its a nice session porter! The coconut is definately apparent in this milk stout so Perrenial did exactly what they set out to do when brewing this beer! Just wish the flavors were bigger!

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 21:03:25 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Black with some ruby highlights and a small mocha colored head that quickly changes to a small ring of foam.

S - Milk chocolate, lactose sweetness, very light coconut and some roasted, almost burnt, malt.

T - Milk chocolate, heavily roasted malt, lactose sweetness, very light coconut in the finish and aftertaste.

M - Smooth and creamy. Medium body.

D - Could maybe use a little more coconut but the base beer is very solid.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 00:43:33 | More by brewcrew76

JustinMatthew

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Girlfriend picked this one up out in St. Louis, enjoyed back in PA during the lovely power outage provided by Hurricane Sandy.

Poured just about black to Russian River stemmed ware, thin tan colored head sits atop. The nose is kind of faint, roasted dark malts & bittersweet chocolate. Taste: again with the rich dark malts and bittersweet chocolate, toasted grains, some lactose with very faint notes of coconut and vanilla. This honestly seemed a little hot to me, some age would bring out the coconut better. Coating mouthfeel: rich and decadent.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 05:28:10 | More by JustinMatthew

Greywulfken

New York

4.4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: oil black body of beer; dark tan head 2 fingers thick

S: three words sprung to mind: espresso, coconut, latte

T: wet bittersweet melted chocolate and sweet chewy coconut milk; sweet milk sugars mixed with rich dairy cream; espresso with milk and sugar and coconut... a true treat of a beer.

M: smooth bliss on the tongue; lighter in feel than many other stouts - refreshing, like drinking coconut milk; perfectly carbonated and relatively brisk (for a stout) - excellent craftsmanship and feel

O: this was like a coconut, chocolate latte beer - I was really impressed with the flavors and feel of this beer, as well as by how perfectly the nose leads you to the taste, which is closed by a silky smooth feel and finish. The beer did not get too sweet, and was incredibly smooth and easy to drink - nourishing like milk with a delicate coconut overtone to the dark and chocolately malts. Grab one if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 13:14:05 | More by Greywulfken

zeff80

Missouri

4.23/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Sycamore, Columbia, MO.

A - Poured an opaque, jet-black color with a one finger, light brown head of bubbly foam. It left sticky sheets of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of sweet roasty malt with strong chocolate notes.

T - Delicious. Sweet chocolate notes with some bitter bite. Almost a bourbon like potency.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium to full bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This is a really good beer. One of the best Milk Stouts I've ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 04:53:44 | More by zeff80

GbVDave

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml bottle into two tulip glasses. Thanks to HeatherAnn for the assist!

Bottled 7/2012

A: Pours an evil deep black color with a creamy layer of dark khaki foam on top. Retention was quite good and lots of ropey lace was left behind.

S: Awesome nose full of deeply roasted malt, fudge, cherries, cocoa, and a touch of coconut for good measure.

T: Exactly as above. Exactly.

M: Supremely smooth and creamy with nary a trace of booziness. Very stick and coating with a killer long lasting finish.

O: We were slightly let down by the amount of coconut in this. We were expecting more and we have our finger crossed that future batches will contain more.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 00:12:49 | More by GbVDave

wagenvolks

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle into a snifter.

I came along for the ride on Fantastic Voyage. Pour is as dark as George Clinton's dreadlocks, but a whole lot more attractive. Dark mocha foam slowly settles but never fully fades. The aroma is where this milk stout really shines, bringing natural coconut aromas into the mix alongside fudge-rich dark chocolate and coffee notes. Truly smells like an Almond Joy, and improves as it warms.

The flavor matches the aroma well. Creamy lactose body is full and rich with silky milk chocolate and a hint of coffee. The coconut lingers in the background as a minor accompaniment to accentuate the flavors. Mouthfeel is velvety smooth and nicely carbonated with a sharp, stouty twang on the finish. This is a great milk stout that doesn't try to blast its way across the palate with overwhelming flavors. Instead, it's nicely balanced and delicate with all the flavors where they should be. Perennial has a winner with this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 00:57:23 | More by wagenvolks

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some faint dark brown highlights near the edges of the glass when held up to the light. The beer has a half finger tall creamy tan head that reduces to a medium sized patch of thin film and a very thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of milk chocolate, coffee, dark malts, and lactose. Very light hints of toasted coconut as the beer warms.

T: Starts with flavors of dark malts with significant amounts of milk chocolate and lactose. Light subtle amounts of toasted coconut flavors in the finish that only become apparent as the beer warms up.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Creamy and smooth.

O: Enjoyed while listening to the Coolio song of the same name (from the early 1990s). Very enjoyable and easy to drink, easy to see why this is a top 10 beer in this style. My only critique is that I wish the coconut was even more present in the smell and taste than it was.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 17:14:13 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

4.05/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a thin dark tan head that slowly died down, leaving a large patch of bubbles on the surface and a thick collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Aromas of lactose are present in the nose, which also has some hints of coconuts.
T: Like the smell, the taste has lots of lactose flavors. The coconuts start to become noticeable as the beer warms up and taste slightly roasted.
M: It feels a bit shy of medium-bodied, creamy and a rather smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is rather easy to drink because it hides its alcohol relatively well.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 02:11:29 | More by metter98

redblacks75

Iowa

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle poured to a Perennial snifter.

Appearance: A foamy, quickly dissipating mocha head, that leaves no lacing.

Smell: Alcohol, coconut, chocolate, vanilla, and caramel.

Taste: A medium sweetness.

Mouthfeel: The body is light for the style. Fizzy carbonation, a thin, slick texture, with creamy notes on the finish which is long. The mouthfeel is perhaps the most complex element of this beer.

Overall: This is my third time trying this, and have decided to review it finally. Being that it is my third time having it, obviously I would recommend it. I believe it's a well done interesting take on a milk stout, introducing the coconut to it. Surprised I have not had coconut in more stouts. Another well done beer from Perennial.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 01:30:24 | More by redblacks75

Duff27

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Half inch mocha head on a dark brown body. Above average head retention, nice collar left.

Chocolatey aromas, sweetness perceived.

Chocolate and roast on the forefront, coconut sweetness on the backend. Would guess the ABV around 6.5%.

So smooth. Medium carbonation. Lovin the overall mouthfeel.

Super easy drinking. Enjoyed it a lot. Coconut was kind of muted but integrated well with lactose sweetness. Well done Perennial.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 21:34:35 | More by Duff27

brystmar

New York

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottled 7/2012. Thanks Denise!

Deep brown pour, strong coconut aroma develops as it warns. Roasty dark malts meet coconut much like Richard Gere meets Julia Roberts, or so I'm told. Sappy love story ensues.

Coconut shines through just enough to make this stout interesting. Roasty and full of lactose. Love the coconut accents; wish more breweries would experiment with these flavors. Body is quite viscous, which contributes significantly to its enjoyment.

Wasn't expecting too much from this and was thoroughly impressed. Proof that you can indeed date a call girl.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 02:14:44 | More by brystmar

codsmith

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 07/2012

A: Pours deep black with a tight light tan head that stays around throughout the entire beer. Nice viscosity.

S: Light milk chocolate and coconut aroma. Nothing over powering and is an all around very pleasant mixture of aromas.

T: Starts off with a nice coconut taste, but turns into an odd astringent and slightly bitter flavor that overrides the initial flavor that rides out to the end with no aftertaste. I was really hoping the taste and smell were identical, but sadly not.

M: Velvety smooth and medium-to-heavy mouthfeel.

O: It has a lot of potential from the appearance, smell and mouthfeel, but the taste is just not there.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 05:14:27 | More by codsmith

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass from a 750ml bottle.

Pours a nice dark black color with some dark brown edges. Seems very thick and oily. There is a nice tan head that is about 1 inch tall and is very dense. The head recedes slowly down to a nice thin film.

Aroma of chocolate come up quick. Nice fresh milk chocolate cocoa powder. Very delicious. Nice lactose sweetness with some mild coconut notes also in the background. Very true to style. There is some slight burnt malt roast in the nose with some nice caramel notes as well.

Flavor is pretty incredible. Nice coca powder notes with some milk chocolate sweetens. Nice chocolate cake flavor. Slight carmel notes are present and then some nice coconut sweetness pops up. There is some nice malty roast and slight coffee note but the cocoa, coconut and lactose sweetness dominates. It is still not very overwhelming. The blend of flavors is nearly perfect. Sweetness, roast blend so well with the chocolate. Body is nice and medium. Carbonation is a bit high for my liking but nothing too bad. A very solid Milk Stout.

Perennial nailed it with this one just like they did well with Abraxas. Very good true to style Milk Stout with interesting coconut notes. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 00:31:13 | More by JoEBoBpr

rodkin

Missouri

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Perennial.

Pours a dark, dark black, some visible carbonation. 1/2 finger head, really, really dark tan. Pretty good lacing.

Smell is excellent. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bit of vanilla, hint of coffee roast, some coconut, maybe a hint of spice. Like a mounds bar, only good. Really good.

Taste is pretty much like the smell, though a bit less sweet and a bit more roast. Still, you get a lot of really interesting flavors that mix together really well, creating a delicious chocolate experience.

Mouthfeel is easily the best part of this beer. Wonderfully rich and smooth, it's very creamy and full-bodied. Coats the mouth really well. It's described as being like silk, and honestly that's about right.

Perennial shows once again that they're making the best beer in St. Louis, hands down. If you find yourself at the brewery, make sure to get a pour of this. If you've got a bottle, don't drink it: send it my way.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2012 03:27:54 | More by rodkin

emerge077

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Black tulip with an ample head of tan mocha tinged foam on top.
Fades to a ring at the edges, glassy obsidian surface in the center.

Toasty sweet aroma, mild amount of char to it. Big chocolate and cafe con leche notes. Similar flavors, roasty mild coffee, sweet milk chocolate, super smooth and creamy. Moderate roast, not overly bitter, sweetness is mild and not cloying. Not getting much coconut but it stands on it's own merit as a solid milk stout. Would hope the next batch has more toasted coconut flavor to it...

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2012 02:37:13 | More by emerge077

RedSpecial1

Florida

4.93/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Poured a dark, creamy brown with just a touch of tan head lingering around the edge of the glass.

S: The main note is a dark chocolate sweetness, but interwoven with that are notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of coconut.

T: The flavors echoed the aroma with a big dark chocolate sweetness, and notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut. The flavors were all woven together wonderfully so you didn't get any one of them at once, but all of them together the whole time.

M: A nice full mouthfeel, and despite between rather sweet in flavor it didn't leave that characteristic stickiness on your palate.

O: On a recent trip to St. Louis this was definitely the stand out beer that I had all weekend. Truly a world class beer with flavors reminding me of some rather nice chocolate I have eaten before, Republic de Cacao. Definitely one of the best sweet stouts I have ever had.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 15:39:12 | More by RedSpecial1

libbey

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml poured into a NB globe.

A: The beer pours a jet black with a small coco cap of head that dissipates quickly leaving a thin trail of spotty lacing.

S: Nose has a nice layer of roast that mingles with a layer of milk chocolate. No hop presence and I'm not getting much in the way of coconut. Still smells quite tasty. Nice.

T: Big milk chocolate profile. ABV is well masked. Slightet hint of coconut but quite minimal. Still very tasty.

M: The beer is perfectly carbonated and carries this medium bodied stout well. Finish is dry but the roast lingers on the pallet. Nice mouthfeel.

O: Overall this was an enjoyable stout from Perenial. I wish the coconut had been a bit more prevalent but I would certainly have this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 01:20:16 | More by libbey

homebrew311

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sered on tap at Bangers and Lace. Appearance is jet black with minimal head and spotty lacing. Nose feature delicate coconut, cream, sugar, vanilla, and chocolate. Nose is delectable. The taste is smooth and creamy, and matches the nose nicely. Starts chocolatey and it is followed up by coconut and vanilla. Finish is a bit sweet. Mouthfeel is smooth and heavy bodied. Excellent beer!

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2012 05:22:51 | More by homebrew311