Black Sun Stout - Three Floyds Brewing Co. & Brewpub

cvm4

Mississippi

3.7/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Looks like a non-RIS stout, with a tan two finger head. Doesn't seem thick at all. Not much lacing to speak of.

S - Just regular roasted malts. Not much else.

T - Smokey malts along with chocolate. For some reason I'm picking up Irish whiskey as well.

M - Good body & carbonation.

O - It's a nice drinking stout that has enough flavors to keep things interesting.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 22:05:44 | More by cvm4

ChadQuest

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -27%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A year old bottle. I try to let the hops fade in stouts at least a little bit.

light looking body with a head that is about a finger or more, loose and dissipates.
Nose is roast forward with strong hops batting second, hint of coffee in the roast.
Flavors are roasty and dry chocolate for most. hops brighten this up somewhat in a citrus sort of manor.
Mouthfeel is thinner and more carbonated then i prefer for the style.

Decent beer, but out of my price range for what it is, but maybe there just isn't enough going on besides the hops. When i age other hoppy beers like Expo or Yeti they turn out great, this one, not so much.

3/c = Average

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 04:27:12 | More by ChadQuest

CooperEllis

New York

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz split two ways.

Deep brown/near black. Thin tan head fades away quickly leaving webbed lacing and faint line of tan bubbles.

Rich, roasted malt aroma.

Roasted malt, a bit of hoppy bitterness which may also be reflected in the lighter viscosity of the mouthfeel. A bit of wood, light cocoa, faint citrus notes at the very end.

Mouthfeel is evenly weighed with spot-on carbonation, a near crips ending with lingering bitter notes.

Easy to drink. Nothing else needs be said.

(196th)

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 22:18:52 | More by CooperEllis

jsanford

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Black with a pillowy khaki head that settles to a 1-inch cap. Aromas of chocolate and coffee with a touch of caramel and roasted nuts. Taste is similar to the nose, nice and "roasty", very drinkable, with a mild, balanced bitterness. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth, with a medium-full body and good carbonation. Overall a solidly drinkable Stout. No complaints.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 22:14:03 | More by jsanford

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours out a black color with three fingers of craggy tan head that lasts for several minutes and leaves behind some pretty loops and swirls of lacing with each sip. Body and carbonation levels are both on the lighter side of medium, smooth and creamy texture.

Smells of deep roasted coffee, dark chocolate-coated raspberries with a hint of plums, medium levels of pine resin and lighter amounts of charcoal aroma. In the flavor, the dry charred malts are predominant over the coffee and the pine resin is more of a restrained back-up to the bittering from the roasted / char malts themselves. Raspberry / plum appears lightly in the flavor about midsip but quickly ducks out of the way of the finish, which is as bitter and dry as it should be and gradually tapers away from the tongue with each sip.

The most remarkable aspect that stuck in my mind about this brew is the way it manages to have pine resin, dark fruits, and charred malt in a combination in which the pine resin is content to stay in the background rather than overtaking the other elements, yet still be identifiable. This careful juggling act was set within a really top-rate presentation / appearance / texture context, which helps the beer to produce an impression of something really special, greater than merely the sum of it's individual parts.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 21:58:22 | More by WastingFreetime

libbey

British Indian Ocean Territory

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a NB globe. Thanks for the tasty treat YaKnowBrady.

A: The beer pours pitch black with a large fluffy coco tan head that has great retention leaving a nice trail of sticky lacing.

S: The nose has a nice balance of roasted malts with hints of chocolate and coffee and there is a good deal of piney hops at play.

T: The taste is a nice mix of chocolate, smoke, and coffee. There is a nice hop bite on the finish.

M: The carbonation is spot on and it carries this medium bodied stout well. The finish is super dry.

O: Overall this is nice stout from Three Floyd's and one I would certainly have again if the opportunity presented itself.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 01:17:05 | More by libbey

inlimbo77

Delaware

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle. No dating information, but it's Winter 2012
Poured into a Stone IRS glass

A: Pours pretty much pitch black. Tons of carbonation. I got about a finger of light tan head initially, then with swirl I get almost three. Not a lot of lacing or ABV feet but it is a low alcohol stout.

S: I get roasted malt. Piney hops. Chocolate. Some coffee.

T: Up front, piney hops. Roasted malts. Dark chocolate. Some coffee. No alcohol. Really light and easy drinking.

M: Medium bodied. Thin. Porter like.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 14:05:40 | More by inlimbo77

elgiacomo

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle, unknown date. Served at around 45F.

Pours dark brown to black with a three finger light brown head that retains exceptionally well and leaves some sheets and spots of lacing behind.

Aroma is roasted malts, some chocolate and coffee, dark fruit, caramel, also a good deal of hops, particularly pine, also this candy-like note I can’t quite put my finger on.

Flavor is caramel, toffee, roasted malt, some chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, some citrus and pine hops, mild sweetness, decent bitterness for the style, minimal alcohol.

Mouthfeel is light/medium bodied, creamy, a bit sticky, good carbonation.

Pretty rich and robust for a Dry Stout. Nice one. Dunno if it is worth $10/bomber for something in this style, but good none-the-less.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 03:48:54 | More by elgiacomo

Dope

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Probably about 18 months old.

A: Pours black with a large and very dense chocolate milk colored head. Fades slowly, leaving a nice spiderweb of lacing behind.

S: Loads of coffee, cherry, anise and pine.

T: Up front there is again a dark fruitiness. Settles down into some coffee and a little char. Turns dry in the finish with a bit of pine and a hint of caramel.

M: Medium bodied, not watery like most irish dry stouts. Nice departure.

O: Definitely the fruitier side of irish dry stouts, could stand a hint more roasted malt character. Might be the age of the bottle though. Quite good regardless; one of the best of the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 02:24:35 | More by Dope

adamette

Ohio

4.78/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Live review. Poured from the 22 oz. bomber that I bought months ago at Save-On Tobacco & Beverage in Mentor for $8.99 into a clean, clear glass.

A Very black body but when held up in front of direct light the edges feature a dark mahogany color. 2 inch head takes its time receeding to a ½ inch layer with good lacing on the inside of the glass. Fine look. 3.5

S Dark roast malt but also a great dark chocolate smell as well. Really intriguing smell which inspires me. 4.5

T World class taste of dark roast malt, chocolate notes which rival some of my favorite stouts. I cannot imagine improving it. These people at Three Floyds really know what they are doing! 5.0

M There is a smoothness that is not common in Stouts. Really the mouthfeel is exceptional and makes the beer. Bravo! 4.5

D/O Drinkability is great with the welcomed smoothness, interesting tastes. Overall this is a world class Stout. 5.0

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 04:17:48 | More by adamette

phiberoptik

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I dont see a date anywhere but I know I bought this bottle about a year ago so its been sitting in the basement since. No fresh hops here...

Pours a resiny, used oil black/brown with a small mocha head.

Smells of dark cacao, fig, sweet raisins, and wet pipe tobacco.

Tastes rich, thick, sweet malty syrup, tobacco, charred sugar, and a mildly bitter burnt finish.

Full bodied, resiny, viscous, with little carbonation.

Quite enjoyable and not what I was expecting. Easy sipper here. A must try.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 03:40:50 | More by phiberoptik

cosmicevan

New York

4.35/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

enjoyed from a DL inteligensia snifter. mad props to TheBeerologist.

a - brew poured a watery black with a finger of frothy creamy head (lots of head for such a little glass). the head hung out and left classic sticky irish dry stout lacing. head hung out for a while...looking nice.

s - surprisingly fruity smell. good spicing. big hop presence crossed with stouty malt gives almost a cleaning fluid type of smell. interesting and different, but sort of fruity. citric even.

t - taste is just like the nose. lots of hops crossed with stouty roasted malts make for a fruity almost cleaning fluid flavor. really different and unique. can't tell if i love it or am grossed out, but i can't stop sipping it, so i must love it.

m - body is medium, beer is bitter from the hops. carbonation is nice, perhaps a bit prickly for the style.

o - overall, rather interesting...but i like it...A LOT! the hopped outness of this beer is awesome. i really dig an irish dry stout (who doesn't), and this isn't really classic by any means, but leave it to FFF to throw a curve ball and hit it out of the park in the same breath. loved it.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 01:38:29 | More by cosmicevan

JohnnyMc

Ohio

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

This pours a deep black with a mocha looking head.

The aroma is mostly coffee, followed by piney, earthy hops.

Coffee is the first to hit the palate, then that fades to the hops and the aftertaste is mainly roasted malt. It is light bodied and has a clean, bitter aftertaste.

Only my second from Three Floyds, but it was great. Highly recommended to pick this one up.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 21:29:19 | More by JohnnyMc

haddon

Kentucky

4.23/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours into a tulip with a dark brown color & a creamy tan head.

A bit of hops on the nose. pine and grapefruit. nice roasted malt aroma and perhaps some dark fruits.

The grapefruit flavor is bountiful and the pine provides a light bitterness. Toffee and roasted malts give this beer some feeling of a stout. However, the flavor seems a bit watered down.

Medium to full body with moderate carbonation.

Not quite what I was expecting from an Irish stout but was pleasantly surprised. Quite hoppy, which was nice, but kept the rich & creamy tast of a stronger stout. Again, lots going on here for a 6.5% Irish Stout. would gladly drink again.

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 14:51:01 | More by haddon

biglite351

Pennsylvania

2.23/5  rDev -44.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Pitch black with a rootbeer like head

S - Old shoe leather, malt and rotting fruit

T - Roasted malts, dark fruit, slight sour hint and leather

M - to the thinner side. Slight tingle on sides of tongue and back of throat

O - better than any "big box' beer but a pass other wise.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 22:41:57 | More by biglite351

uwmgdman

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter this stout is jet black with a thick clingy tan head, very nice looking beer. The aroma is moderately roasty, bittersweet chocolate, and piney hops, solid. The flavor is a burst of piney hop flavor, followed by smooth bittersweet, roasty malts with moderate hop bitterness. The beer finishes slightly dry with a long lingering pine hop flavor. A delicious balance of hops and dark malts. The mouthfeel is medium-full and rather silky with medium carbonation. Overall a delicious beer, pick one up!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 01:22:20 | More by uwmgdman

mz3frs

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A: Opaque black, with a thick tanish head. No light gets though the pint glass

N: Roasty malt with dark chocolate aroma. Some resious hop scent. Alcohol as it warms

T: Lots of dark chocolate, roasty, even some hop flavor. Surprisingly dry and bitter. The bitterness really sets off the dark chocolate flavors.

M: Very light for a beer this big. The dryness helps bring the dark chocolate forward, but it seems a bit thin and watery.

O: A very good beer. Great bittersweet/dark chocolate flavor. Mouthfeel needs some work.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 02:28:55 | More by mz3frs

DCon

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared a 22oz - 650ml bottle of this w/ BigDoug @ the Royale in St. Louis, MO. Poured from the Black Labeled bottle w/ a Blue Sun & awesome artwork (like all FFF beers have) into a Shaker Glass. Has no bottled date but is from 2011, brewery released.

Aroma- Has a huge mixture of hops, malts, and roastiness. Very pleasant and not too overpowering.

Appearance- Pours a 1 finger head that dies quickly. Has a deep black (darkest brown possibly?) body with no clarity available. Leaves a good amount of suds behind.

Flavor- Very rich with malts and hops but doesn't ever meet the "norm" for FFF beers. Light-Medium Bitterness. Semi-Dry finish.

Mouthfeel- Medium-thin Bodied, Light Carbonation, Easy going on the palate and finishes malty.

Overall Impression- While this is without a doubt my favorite brewery of all time, I never was very enthused about this beer... Very thin bodied and lacked some of the big time, up in your face character I'm used to from these guys. Wouldn't dis this beer but won't be going back to very soon.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 19:56:27 | More by DCon

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was another brew send to me from Billakowski, thanks again man! This brew poured out as a deep looking black color with a brown colored head on top. The smell of the beer is hopped and has some coffee and roasted malt aromas on the nose. The taste of the beer is bitter with the chocolate, coffee and hops all working together to make a fairly nice complex brew. The mouthfeel of the beer was smooth with a lighter body than I expected it to have. Overall it's a another good brew from a great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 04:48:56 | More by Knapp85

Labeerfinder

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

Aroma of dark chocolate and roasted malt. Also in the background is a hint of dark fruit. The color is a rich deep black with a short lasting tan head and good lacing. The flavor is at first of dark chocolate, followed by a coffee like roastedness and a dark fruit finish on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 17:34:20 | More by Labeerfinder

jsulko

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours a dark black with a chocolate head that lingers.

Smell is of chocolate and roast malt.

Taste is slightly chocolate with the hops making themselves known on the finish. Slight taste of pine in the finish as well.

One of the few Irish Dry stouts I have had. A decent beer, not something I feel I will want to have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 03:48:36 | More by jsulko

grover37

District of Columbia

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into an Allaglass. 2010 vintage (didn't realize it was less than 7% and hoppy).

Appearance (4.5): Black with brown edges. A finger of light cream head reduces to a medium thick ring.

Aroma (4): Chocolate, espresso, roast, oats, pine. Maybe some chalk or cardboard from the really old hops.

Taste (4.5): Follows the nose and is complex. Milk chocolate up front and cocoa powder in the middle. A lingering roastiness that is pleasant. A touch of sweetness towards the end and some caramel notes.

Mouthfeel (3.5): Medium bodied and medium to high carbonation for the style. A bit fizzy but coating on the tongue.

Overall (4.5): A great stout which is an interesting take on the style - perhaps because it's bigger than most versions. A bit sweet for the style and a bit more carbonated than I'd expect. Worth trying at least once.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 04:48:25 | More by grover37

Adam5150

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Black pour with nearly zero head. Forms a wisp of a khaki ring of tight weak bubbles. Aroma is a sucker punch of hops, dark chocolate and smoky malts, and blackberries. The beer is surprisingly smooth and well-balanced. Reasonably thick stout with ideal carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 17:02:31 | More by Adam5150

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into snifter. Special thanks to Robbiemoy13 for this.

A- Jet black pour with not a speck of light shining through. Three finger super soapy beige head that hangs on for quite a while before deflating to a half inch cap. Lacing is super sticky, chunky and soapy.

S- Getting a lot of coffee and chocolate. There is a touch of vanilla but is shoved out of the way by pine and citrus hops. None of the aromas over power any others, they all just seem to work perfectly. It's as close to a Cascadian Dark Ale as you would like to get without crossing that line.

T- Coffee and bakers chocolate up front. There is a touch of vanilla and brown sugar. The hops are much more subdued and it really works. There is enough hop presence to keep you satisfied but not enough to kill your tastebuds and make the beer flavorless.

M- Medium bodied, slightly creamy with a slight juicy aftertaste from the hops.

O- This really is a treat. I've been wanting to get my hands on this for quite a while and it did not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 00:13:58 | More by korguy123

n2185

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: pours dark brown with a finger of tan head that fades into a thin layer with a little lacing.

S: lots of dry roasted malt notes with aromas of smoke and peat. The finish is a little salty and chocolaty.

T: again, roasted malts at first with smoke and peat flavors. The finish is dry with some bitter cocoa notes.

M: medium-thick body with medium carbonation, this beer is slightly watery.

O: a good stout overall. Manages to be fairly light and drinkable for a stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 22:18:46 | More by n2185