Hellfighter - Karbach Brewing Co.

Premo88

Texas

4.14/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bomber 22 oz. bottle poured into pub glass

L: black with chocolate brown highlights only at the very edges of the glass when held up to the light; massive fluffy tan to dark tan head about 2 inches with almost normal pour; the head really explodes, laces, sticks ... just an awesome show

S: super malt; full sweet biscuit, toasted chocolate, sweet coffee. it's all malt but without crossing into the darker/raisins/licorice zone. so sweet.

T: woooah, alcohol! taste follows the smell closely with the very notable exception of the alcohol ... it's there, and while the good taste notes try real hard to cover it up, it's still there. very dark, burnt barley that may also have some hops pushing it into a nice bitter bite that gets smoothed out by all of the sweet malt. an interesting collection of tastes for sure.

F: solid silky, full ... at first it seems a bit too, how do I say? it has just a bit of that lumpy pudding feel some milk stouts/imperial stouts get, but only for a moment, then it starts feeling like simple good beer, plenty of carbonation despite the massive head it creates (I could drink this in my nonic glass with the CO2 nucleation point with a light pour and be good)

O: it's a hell of a beer in many ways ... it puts on a show in the pour and the nose. i need an air freshener made out of this stuff! the 9.5% ABV is not as well disguised as I'd like, but that might just be me.

bottom line: it had me coming back for more. considering i'm still not much of a stout/porter drinker, it's saying something that I wanted a second (and now a third!) bomber of this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 06:40:04 | More by Premo88

goochpunch

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Black body and khaki head. Smells of burnt malt, fruity yeast (makes me think "English"), subtle warm spices, and chocolate. I really enjoy the malts in this one. Not overwhelmed by coffee flavors. Nice fruitiness. Strong bitterness and alcohol warmth in the finish. Mouthfeel is solid. Could be a little thicker to match the rich flavor. Overall, this is a winner from Karbach.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 03:08:09 | More by goochpunch

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.76/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

22 oz bottle pours a rich black color with a billowing brown head, even with a gentle pour. Retention is awesome and lacing even better. Not even a sheet of lace...more like a wall. Amazing looking beer.

Nose is surprisingly fruity, like strawberries covered in melted Charleston Chew. Malts are chocolaty and smooth. Keeps the roast and caramel to a minimum. Smells decent, but a far cry from the barrel-aged Hellfighter.

Taste maintains the fruity profile in the flavor along with a big alcohol wash. The malts are understated, but nicely flavored...I just wish they were a bit bolder. Hops are there in a leafy-background kind of way, but I cant help but think a different varietal might have worked better. Mouthfeel is great, nice and creamy, plenty full for a porter. The alcohol is a little rough right now, hoping that smooths out at some point. It is pretty tasty, but unfortunately I have had the bourbon barrel aged Hellfighter a few times before finally trying this and it aint even close!

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 23:24:47 | More by twiggamortis420

brewtus

Ohio

4.11/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours black with a bubbly beige head that fades soon
S- vanilla, cinnamon, Bourbon, dark fruit, licorice
T/M- light texure, slightly bitter, like the nose, vanilla, common, bourbon, earthy Boozy
O- not bad, great bourbon flavor but the underlying beer leaves something to be desired. Good, very good just not great.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:34:29 | More by brewtus

Ford

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Karbach Brewery

My favorite beer from Karbach.. and they have some great beers... (I like the BB version even more)

This is a great Porter.. which is my favorite style.. big flavor... would love maybe a bit more coffee flavor.. but this isn't a coffee porter...

Plenty of chocolate and malt.. good, good stuff.. can't wait for this to be canned someday. It will be my go to local porter.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2013 17:27:51 | More by Ford

Mora2000

Texas

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

On tap at Anvil.

The beer pours a dark brown to black color with a large brown head. The aroma has some big chocolate notes, as well as some roasted malt. The flavor is also very bold. I get a ton of chocolate and roasted malt, as well as a hint of coffee. The beer is fairly sweet overall and very enjoyable. The alcohol is noticeable but not overpowering. Thick, creamy mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2012 02:29:15 | More by Mora2000

biochembrewer

Texas

3/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into a ~12oz snifter on-tap at the Flying Saucer-Houston. As with most beers at the Saucer, poured much too cold for the style, so I let it warm up to about 50 before evaluating.

A: approximately a 1" khaki to light mocha colored head that dissipates within 1.5 to 2 minutes. The beer is very dark, almost an opaque brown, but not quite full-on black. An SRM probably around 55 or so? Lets minimal light through, except on edges. Minimal to no lacing.

S: As it warms, you get a slight alcohol nose. The largest or most detectable malt aromas are dark roast and coffee notes. Slight biscuity notes as well. Slight notes of hops under the malt backbone in the aroma.

T: Hops up front and immediately noticeable. After, the malty flavors and a minute bit of residual sweetness present. Very pleasant deluge of dark and roasty, even some chocolate notes. Hops are also somewhat present in the finish and have a slight unpleasant lingering that coats the back of the tongue after tasting.

M: Very round, creamy, and medium mouthfeel. Pleasant. Slightly chewy.

O: Overall, a good "imperial porter" with a very pleasant taste for a 9.5% ABV beer. A bit too hoppy for the style (not only IMO, but also per BJCP guidelines) even considering the high alcohol from a big grain bill. Also, the unpleasant lingering bitterness from the hops detracted from the overall experience. If this gets bottled any time soon, grab some and cellar them for a year and I think the taste will GREATLY improve as the bitterness quiets down a bit. Looking forward to seeing some tweaking with this recipe as Karbach gets their feet.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 21:11:08 | More by biochembrewer

champ103

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at BRC in Houston, TX

A: Pours an opaque black color. No light gets through at all. A two finger tan head rises with good retention. The foam gently recedes to leave some light lace behind.
S: Very subtle at first. Though as this warms lots of nuances come out. Roasted malt, toasted bread/biscuit aromas. Chocolate, and some vanilla sweetness.
T: This is excellent. Some roasted coffee. Slightly bitter/sweet milk chocolate. A nice roasted malt flavor along with some toasted bread/biscuits. A light lingering vanilla sweetness. I love it.
M/D: A medium to full body. Low on the carbonation, but not under carbonated at all. So smooth and velvety. This is incredibly easy and enjoyable to drink. The alcohol is not noticeable in the least.

This is an excellent "Imperial Porter." I love it, and another great beer from Karbach. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2011 01:55:25 | More by champ103