Luscious - The Alchemist

skivtjerry

Vermont

4.83/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

My share of a bomber into a Duvel tulip:

A: Black, totally opaque when held up next to a 60W bulb. A very thick brown head lasts forever.

S: Roasty chocolate dominates with vanilla and sweet malt also demanding attention. A bit boozy but in a good way, blends perfectly with the vanilla.

T: This beer is a meal; tastebuds are totally overwhelmed with chocolate, vanilla, dark fruit and sweet malt. Hop bitterness is hard to find beneath the chocolate. A firm, smooth alcohol presence that advertises the barrel aging. Flavors linger forever, still smiling 15 minutes after the last sip.

M: Smooth,full, deceivingly gentle for a beer of this strength. Moderate carbonation. Balanced in every way.

O: Wow.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 01:17:07 | More by skivtjerry

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22 oz bottle into a couple of tulip glasses. Thanks go to funkel81 for these two Hell or High Water Alchemist beers in a recent trade.

Pours black as night in the glass, with ½ fingers worth of burnt looking chocolate colored head. This retains with a robust ring of froth, which flares up to nearly a ½ finger again when swirled, and throws up a rich cascade that descends down the sides of the glass into patchy swathes of lace and light gooey brown oils. The aroma is full and in control in the nose, with notes of cocoa, espresso, green citrus, and a touch of dark fruit. There is a bold spicy alcohol presence across the back here but it doesn’t get too warming in the nose. A bit more smokiness from the roast begins to emerge as this warms, adding just a smidge of acrid character to the proceedings. I just the love the power and balance of this in the nostrils. This is how an Imperial Stout should smell.

The taste is equally rich and strong feeling on the palate, with notes of bittersweet chocolate, dark burnt grains, flavorful green citrus, and like the nose, some light dark fruit character that comes out as this warms. The ABV has a big part in the profile as well, with a flush of fusel alcohol across the back that trails a warm spiciness into the finish, where it lingers with a mostly dry and charred feel. The mouthfeel is full bodied, with a thick feeling silky chewiness that fills the mouth with flavor. This lays just enough of crispness on the tongue to help draw out the hops and roast, but this really does have an overall smooth and luscious feel to it. As mentioned before, I just love the alcohol presence here, as it add so much to the flavor profile and yet is only mildly warming. That 11% ABV is just beautifully hid here.

This might be one of the best Imperial Stouts that I’ve had in some time. I mean, just everything worked here. The hops, roast, and chocolate flavors were all in tune with each other and were perfectly complimented by the dark fruitiness of that English yeast. And the imperializing of the style didn’t hurt this in the slightest, instead adding an extra flavorful layer of bold alcohol character that really took this to the next level for me. It was just a joy to sit down and split this with a good friend of mine. Luscious indeed. This beer was awesome and really speaks to the quality of the beers from the Alchemist.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 18:14:56 | More by Kegatron

StevenGlansburg

Connecticut

4.83/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a jet black color with a deep brown, thick and heavy looking head. Swirling the glass brings out rich milk chocolate and some roastyness. There is am underlying, slightly sweet element similiar to that of licorice. It tastes great, coffee and dark chocolate take the front seat along with cocoa. There are also very well intergrated hop flavors that work great with the other flavors. Mouthfeel is very rich, it coats the mouth wonderfully. Good, subtle hop bitterness and perfect carbonation.

Overall great beer. It's unfortunate I only got 2 bottles. Can't wait to see what some age does to this.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 03:10:08 | More by StevenGlansburg

srandycarter

California

4.73/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Black, such a viscous ooze, tan head, leaves to tan ring. Lots of cling.

S - Soy and cocoa out the gate, sweet malt is making my mouth water.

T - Fuck! Creamy loads of thick chocolate, small anise, small soy, lingering milk chocolate/hot chocolate/chocolate chip cookies. I am in love.

M - Heavy body, great carb, wonderful balance. So creamy.

D - Dangerous. So good I have to slow myself down. Oh, yeah, I am having the whole thing!

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 02:52:33 | More by srandycarter

stoutluvr420

Vermont

4.73/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very dark brown with a nice tan head. Good retention and some nice lacing on the way down. The nose carries a nice dose of bourbon and oak with a bit of vanilla-hops in the background. Touch of bittersweet chocolate and leather as well. Flavor is toasty and hoppy along with awesome dark chocolate and molasses notes and a good amount of booze to go alongside the barrel character. Body is medium-heavy with average carbonation. Pretty good, but I'd really like to see how this one ages.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 00:02:40 | More by stoutluvr420

SubpoenaDeuces

California

4.7/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: This beer has a slick deep angry pallor that pours BP thick. Deep black inkiness with mahogany coating on the glass. The head looks amazing with dark cocoa bubbles like frothed chocolate milk.

S: This is out of this world complex and amazing. I love the cocoa and chocolate notes up front, supported by some nicely acidic coffee at the back. The waft of subtle vanilla and toffee alcohol makes this all too inviting.

T: It packs all of the foregoing into a multilevel experience that I have to delve into like strata. The sweetness is swift and supported by a great coffee acidic dryness. The sweetness returns in an alcoholic waft that is like if chocolate rain, parabola, and GI Rare had a love child. It has the sweetness from one, the nice coffee notes from the other, and a prickly warmth from the latter.

M: Great coating without being overly expansive. The taste just lingers and you can truly sip on this judiciously. It gets even better when it warms up, just outrageous top to bottom. I just want to get my mouth all on it.

D: This is an incredible beer. Of course, it has to be one of the only 700 bottles saved from that jerk Irene. Thank god I obtained 2 bottles, this is something that I will savor later on in life, like when I pass the postal exam or break 200 in a game of bowling, you know. Monuments.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 19:00:55 | More by SubpoenaDeuces

ngeunit1

California

4.65/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a dark black color with a finger of tan-chocolate frothy head. The head fades down slowly leaving behind some good lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of dark roasted chocolate malts with a touch of burnt malt, sweetness, and a touch of caramel.

T - Starts off with some roasted chocolate malts with some sweet dark fruit, caramel, vanilla, and oak. Through the middle, some more oak and burnt flavor comes through with some more dark fruit and a touch of booze. The finish is a mix of roasted chocolate, oak, vanilla, caramel, and a bit of booze.

M - Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really nice balance with some nice sweetness from the dark fruit that goes well with the big body and other flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 04:39:38 | More by ngeunit1

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.6/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I am a big fan of the Alchemist Heady Topper, so I had to try this one! Poured from 750ml bottle into a tulip glass. Pours a dark black color with a finger of tan-chocolate frothy head. The head fades down slowly leaving behind some good lacing throughout. Aroma is a mix of dark roasted chocolate malts with a touch of burnt malt, sweetness, and a touch of caramel. The flavor starts off with some roasted chocolate malts with some sweet dark fruit, caramel, vanilla, and oak. Through the middle, some more oak and burnt flavor comes through with some more dark fruit and a touch of booze. The finish is a mix of roasted chocolate, oak, vanilla, caramel, and a bit of booze. Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a warming finish. Dangerously drinkable. Really nice balance with some nice sweetness from the dark fruit that goes well with the big and roasty malt body!

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 18:53:56 | More by CuriousMonk

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.58/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber into a Weyerbacher tulip. Shared at a tasting.

A: The body looks thick and is entirely black; above is an inch of dense, dark brown head that sticks around nicely and leaves plenty of thick lace. Perfectly gorgeous stout.

S: Huge! Brownie batter, dark chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and char. Terrific.

T: Sweet, rich, and truly luscious. Chocolate absolutely explodes, with gooey sweet goodness washing across my tongue. Some coffee and pure roast provide a bit of balance, as does a touch of wood. Booze does show up on the finish, but much less than one might expect in an 11%+ beer. Amazing.

M: Thick, rich, smooth, and well-carbonated.

O: This blew me away fresh, and I only expect it to get better with a year or two. I'm really glad I made the 8 hour round trip to support this terrific brewery. Every bit the equal of stouts with far more hype.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 03:20:36 | More by woosterbill

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

4.58/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Opened precisely at 11:11:11 on 11/11/11

A - Pours pitch black with two fingers of fine dark brown head. Excellent lacing. This is simply gorgeous.

S - Chocolate in droves, largely of the bittersweet variety, but with sweeter milk chocolate too. Nicely oaked, with dark cherry/generic dark fruit and roasted malts, with a clean grainy backing.

T - Chocolate with alcohol heat and a playful vanilla flavor. Oakey with a sweet dark fruit component, mostly cherry-like. I even get faint touches of licorice and some coffee bitterness. It really packs a lot in. Roasted malts take center stage in the tail end, but the alcohol is ever-present. As it warms it gets even BETTER, as if that is possible. The chocolate and cherry/DF get stronger and a bit sweeter.

M - Creamy and full bodied, with a bit more active carbonation than I'd prefer. Finishes sticky. Not the best part of the beer, but still quite good.

O - This beer is simply phenomenal. I remembering drinking Beelzebub at the Pub, when I made the trip for Heady Topper, and thinking "My god, even his Stouts are incredible!" -- turns out I didn't even realize the half of it. You'd be hard pressed to find a more balanced and complex stout. This is honestly one of the best I've ever had. I almost regret trading two of my three bottles away! I can't imagine how amazing this would be with 2 years on it. It's already spectacular now.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 04:26:20 | More by greenmonstah

cavedave

New York

4.58/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Has the perfect appearance for a RIS, almost black, thick like motor oil, three finger, light brown, lathery head, and eventually a panoply of leggy sheets of lace and a lasting cap.

Chocolate, caramel, toffee, coffee beans, toasted bread, molasses, hints of herbal bitter, and spicy alcohol in a medium strength aroma make for a delectable bouquet.

This beer has a well blended, medium/strong taste. It starts with alcohol spice holding hands with roasty grain, semi sweet chocolate, dark caramel, candi sweet, and finally some herbal bitter and deeper roastiness join in to dry it perfectly. Please don't think the alcohol of this makes it hot, it doesn't, or that it is cloyingly sweet, it isn't, or that it has a real roasty bitter, it doesn't. As it reaches room temp underflavors, most notably lightest hints of licorice, dance in on tip toe to highlight the simple complexity of this masterpiece. It is a rich and perfectly balanced blend of wonderful flavors that create an exceptionally delicious taste.

As usual with JK's beers the mouthfeel is perfect, here a creamy, low carb. easy on the palate, super clean, fantastic finish beer of extreme drinkability.

How folks can posit this beer will improve with time is hard to fathom, as it is about as good now as an RIS can hope to be. A touch more roast and a bit stronger aroma would have made this an all 5 beer. Unlikely you will run across this future whitest of whales, but if you do you are in for a staggeringly delicious treat. Highest recommendation.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 09:59:51 | More by cavedave

HopHead84

California

4.58/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

6/23/2012

Snifter.

A: Black as ink with an enormous mocha head that exhibits great retention and leaves much lacing on the glass as it recedes. Stunning appearance for the style.

S: Roasty with notes of molasses and licorice. Restrained dark fruit notes are redolent of plum, grape, and raisin. Smells like bittersweet dark chocolate fudge with accompanying oak and vanilla.

T: Rich bittersweet dark chocolate with light brown sugar, licorice, and a firm molasses presence. The beer is lightly oaky with a moderate earthy bitterness. The roasted malt presence is firm but doesn't dominate. Alcohol is very well hidden.

M: Full body with upper medium carbonation. The mouthfeel is full, sticky, silky, and chewy.

Overall: A great Imperial Stout. It reminds me of Abyss 2007 in its prime.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 04:18:38 | More by HopHead84

largadeer

Kentucky

4.55/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks, David.

Pitch black viscous body with a tall lasting head. Initially over-carbonated, but some vigorous swirling takes care of that.

Big dark chocolate aroma backed by a small note of char. Oak and vanilla follow, and dark fruit comes out more as it warms. Slightly vinous.

The palate is heavy on cocoa, roasted malt and dark fruit, with a gentle oak presence that lends a touch of vanilla. The mouthfeel is incredible - full and silky bordering on creamy, but without excessive sweetness. There's a note of char toward the finish and a touch of booze, but overall this is remarkably balanced and mellow. Truly excellent stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 20:07:52 | More by largadeer

claaark13

Indiana

4.53/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Jedwards hooks it up bigtime here. Poured into a Darkness snifter at a slightly chilled temperature.

A - Pours pretty black with a nice 1/4" head, light brown. Looks great. Sticks well to the glass, head retention is very good. This actually looks amazing.

S - Dark fruits, malts, and a little bit of cocoa coming through. Smells quite nice. The aroma gives a hint of the 11.5% ABV.

T - Dark fruits, malts, slightly sweet and very smooth finish. Balanced back 1/2 of the flavor, slightly dry finish that leaves a little bit of sweet cocoa/coffee flavor on the tongue. Cocoa comes out in the middle and stays around.

M - Medium to thick body, perfect carbonation, silky and creamy feel, great presentation of flavors. I could drink this all day. Quickly, slowly, it goes well for both.

O - This is one of the best non-BA RIS I've had. The flavors are balanced yet complex enough to really enjoy. The mouthfeel is great. It looks so tempting in the glass from start to finish. I was going to save this one for a while but I'm glad I've opened it. The only regret here is that I drank it with my wife instead of sharing it with many others. Oh well.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 23:55:11 | More by claaark13

baconsausage

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep dark pour with a nice tan wispy head that laces nicely down the edges of the glass. Nice sweet roasty aroma with some boozy alcohol and a little mineral aroma. Taste is smooth and sweet, with chocolate, vanilla, and cold pressed coffee, balanced by light oak tannins. Oak isnt over present. Mouthfeel is nice and smooth, creamy with a little alcohol on the finish. This is a great beer! Alchemist does it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 20:34:38 | More by baconsausage

GoGriz

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had last night at a tasting with friends. This was drank along side 09 BA Speedway, 07 Abyss and several other solid stouts and Luscious was the best of the evening. I'm still a little surprised by this actually.

Dark black pour with a light brown creamy cap for a head. Chocolate is the dominant smell and flavor in this beer although vanilla and a little roastiness show up too. Not a ton of barrel here which I think is a good thing. Creamy mouthfeel and wonderful lingering finish. Was not expecting to like this beer as much as I did. Came out of left field but wow!

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 13:16:02 | More by GoGriz

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a simply beautiful pitch black, very thick. A creamy frothy brownish/dark tan head majestically crowns the beer and refuses to dissipate. Smells of deep dark chocolate, overly roasted malts, and booze dominate a great nose. First sip is milkshake creamy rich to the amazing point of being chewy. Bitterness from the strong coffee and dark chocolate is amazing but just a tad chalky. Along with the heavily roasted coffee and malts there is a pleasant dark ripe fruit note that is coupled with a slight splash of vanilla adding to an amazing complexity. Luscious also has a great and unique story that exemplifies the VT brewing community after a natural disaster wiped out the brewery’s well established brewpub. Mouthfeel is world class. The beer is world class too. WoW!

http://www.alchemistbeer.com/from-disaster-comes-joy/

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 22:30:44 | More by ATLbeerDog

Hopstamon

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz. bottle poured into a nice snifter.
This is a fantastic rendition of a imperial stout. I'm happy that I got a hold of a bottle of this after the vicious flood.
Pours out a nice dark lovefest with a tan head. The juicy malt flavors abound and a hint of vanilla and oak-e-ness slide onto my tongue in an everlasting triumph of rightesness. I am sipping this snifter quicker than I thought, and am absorbing the boozy punch of this fine concoction as a sponge in a pool of water.
Me likey... If you can get a hold of this limited brew... do it.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 03:13:06 | More by Hopstamon

MasterSki

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from AshleyMiller. Served in a Russian River tulip.

A - Generous mocha foam settles to a thin cap, thick collar, and spotty lacework. Near-black body with ruby-brown glints at the edge of the glass.

S - A superb blend of oaky vanilla, anise, dark chocolate, roast, biscuit, caramel, and dark fruit. No discernible alcohol, and extremely well-integrated.

T - Again, it's a wonderful mix of dark chocolate, licorice, biscuit, roasted malts, vanilla, dark fruits, and oak. Perfect balance of sweetness, roast, and bitterness.

M - Smooth, chewy, melted chocolate texture, with a bit of roast and oaky dryness in the finish. No alcohol presence at all.

D - This is one of those beers where the descriptors seem similar to many other beers of the style, but someone the balance and integration of flavors takes things to a completely different level. It's as if John Kimmich knew exactly how much of each flavor I'd want in this beer and tailored things exactly to my specifications. I could easily drink 22oz of this on my own.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-02-2013 03:47:32 | More by MasterSki

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.48/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review adapted from notes taken 11/13/11

Appearance: Pours heavy and black, with a tan head - average lacing

Smell: Beautifully burnt, sweet, and roasty - chocolate and coffee everywhere - some burnt bitterness well-balanced with some malty sweetness - very, very nice

Taste: Somewhat ridiculous, in a very good way - tons of chocolate, coffee, burnt bitterness - stupidly balanced - so, so roasty - mocha - some slight alcohol - some sugar, some dark fruits - good, but a little rough, will likely become magical with age

Mouthfeel: Extremely smooth, full and heavy body, nice carbonation

Overall: So much potential

This beer is already great, and I am sure it is only going to get better. I feel very lucky that I was in Waterbury during this beer release. And I am happy that I have another bottle of this cellaring (probably for a few years).

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 06:59:40 | More by angrybabboon

Gushue3

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

11.11.11 is a perfect day to drink this beer.

A Pours completely opaque into my snifter and has a 1-2 finger chocolate colored head. The body is pitch black and the head has great retention that leaves behind lacing all the way down. Looks great.

S Lots of chocolate on the nose that has some roast and oak scents as well. Theres a slight bit of alcohol toward the end to round things out.

T Big chocolaty roast takes the fore front with some dark fruits and oak woody-ness. Lots going on with this one. The roast finishes just slightly bitter and has a light sweet lingering. real nice stuff.

M Big thick chewy mouthfeel with a small amount of carbonation. This is how stouts should feel

O This beer is a treat. Looks tastes and feels great. I'm gonna let the other one sit in my basement for a couple years and see how it ages. Thank you and

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 04:22:35 | More by Gushue3

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.47/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Was extremely happy to see this bottle show up in a trade with GoGriz a while back. Love their Heady Topper, so was stoked to see what this brewery could do with my favorite style. Thanks again for the trade man!

From a bomber into a snifter
Hell or High Water Series
Vintage: 2011

APPEARANCE: Thick, sludgy, motor oil pour yields a two finger, thick, tight, mocha colored head with great retention. Just a nasty black pour on this one. Pitch black body with medium carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a good cap and sticks to the sides of the glass. Splotchy wisp and a thick ring remain all the way and leave some dots of lacing down the glass. Looks killer.

SMELL: Big, impressive nose. Roasted and smoky malts with plenty of dark chocolate and cocoa powder. Some burnt malt aromas, but the cocoa and roasted chocolate isn’t to be outdone. A touch of citrusy hops try to push their way through, but this is all about the big roasted and chocolate aromas. Great stuff.

TASTE: Roasted and burnt malts with some smoky notes in there. Lots of cocoa and dark, butter chocolate and some booze near the finish. Sweet cream and a little vanilla through the middle leading into a big and persistent aftertaste of roasted and charred malts, cocoa powder, bitter chocolate and a touch of boozy port for good measure. Complex, bold, and very enjoyable. Lovely.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation on the palate. Very, very creamy smooth, silky and oily even, goes down smooth with a light scratch at the swallow and finishes rather mouth-coating. A touch of heat lingers, but not much.

OVERALL: Just awesome stuff. The feel needs just a touch more weight and the heat could mellow out just slightly, but otherwise, this is a top notch imperial stout. With lots of wonderful aromas and flavor, a menacing look and a super smooth, silky feel, this one will not disappoint even the most critical stout fan. I certainly couldn’t get enough of it. Thanks again for the trade on this GoGriz. I’d love to drink this again at some point. If you’re doing a tasting with this one involved, make sure she bats cleanup. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 11:25:38 | More by Jeffo

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Felt weird popping off a Rock Art cap for this.

Deep dark brown, almost black, viscous pour. Thick mocha head.

Roasty dark chocolate and mocha aroma. Lightly toasted oak. The nose hints at the sweetness in the flavor.

Bitter cocoa flavor with a velvety sweet texture. As it got warmer the dark chocolate opens up more and more, developing into dark fruit flavors. Moderately roasty/ashy on the back of the palate. Toasted oak in the background. Thickish mouthfeel. Luscious is a perfect word to describe this beer. I went in not expecting much but came out very surprised. Now I wish I bought more when I could. They should can this.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 14:23:27 | More by BearsOnAcid

Treebs

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz. bottle served a Deschutes snifter. Big thanks to Gushue3 (Mike) for this bottle.

A: Pours a very dark, viscous black color with a great solid brown, 2 finger head. Great retention throughout the whole drink and leaves great sticky lace.

S: Wonderful smells are wafting out of my glass. Dark fruits, boozy licorice, dark chocolate and a nice vanilla sweetness.

T: Coffee grounds, dark chocolate and subtle stone fruits all appear up front. As the beer warms the bready malts and subtle roast start to show their form and it becomes more creamy. There is a slight heat on the finish that blends with a sugary vanilla sweetness.

M: Heavy bodied and creamy. Great coating chocolate and creamy finish. Subtle carbonation.

O: This was a delicious beer. The malt bill really gave it a creamy and roasted feel that played really nicely with the sweet chocolate flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 16:27:38 | More by Treebs

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Split the bomber with angrybabboon.

Appearance: Pitch black. Some deep red hues at edges when held to direct light. Head is rich crema. Fluffy, creamy, and it lingers in a small ring throughout the drinking process. Very still, sits there and looks sexy. Minimal carbonation.

Smell: Cocoa, burnt malts, chocolate malts. Some char and tobacco. Lots of cocoa. Slight minerality lingers in the back. Some sweetness. Lots of burnt and roasted malts. Stale coffee and fresh espresso. Malts are off the chain. Loads of depth, but all in good measure. Balance is insane. Slight citrus hop notes flit through the back.

Taste: Cocoa. Burnt malts and bakers' chocolate. Minerality runs through the back.Nice dose of roasted malts. Some caramel sweetness. Some milk chocolate after the beer warms a bit. The malts blend well with the faint touch of rocks and earth. Citrus lingers somewhere in the back. Sweet, roasted, and rocky all in good measure.

Mouthfeel: Nice and full without crossing the line to syrupy. Just enough carbonation to hold things together and give it some lift. Clean on the finish. So smooth it's silly.

Overall: Easily one of the best English takes on the style. The hints of minerality really make this beer shine. Loads of malts and with a well-hidden ABV, it's scary drinkable. Very glad to have this in the collection.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 02:45:32 | More by Goblinmunkey7