Abduction - Pipeworks Brewing Company

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22oz, Batch 100, Bottled 3/21/13
Brandy snifter

A: Pours a nice dark brown color. Looks slightly oily. Initially a thin layer of tan head. Forms a collar of tan. Some spotty lacing is left on the glass.

S: Some creamy milk chocolate. Lactose maybe. Some light roast. Really isn't as aggressive as I thought it would be. Liked it.

T: Some hop bitterness up front. Piney. Then it's some milk chocolate and lactose like flavors. Slight roast. Dry finish. Lingering milk chocolate creaminess. I really quite enjoy this one.

M: Big medium leading to full bodied. Not a full as I was expected.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 13:25:25 | More by inlimbo77

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a Nonic)
Batch 100
A- This beer pours an obsidian black body with a rigors pour only producing an oily sheen that pushes to a sticky thin sheet of tan cream.

S- The aroma of new sneakers turns to a black roasted malt aroma with some berry esters in the back ground.

T- The chocolate malt tastes blends with a chalk taste and it is full and rich with some lactose flavors coming through and a fruity berry ester note in the finish. The slightly dry inky finish has some dark cola malt notes to it.

M- The medium-full mouthfeel has a soft alcohol heat and a thick texture in the finish.

O- This is a big stout with an intense inky black chocolate flavor with a nice bit of sweetness to it and a good lactose character to add some depth. I could see this as a nice canvas to add other flavors to in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 14:49:09 | More by rhoadsrage

WolfsbaneBloom

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch #100

Appearance: Pours a pitch black with a scant one finger of tan foam.

Smell: Strong initial hit of bright, fresh oak with notes of pear, bourbon and vanilla.

Taste: Pine, coffee, roasted malt, and like the nose, a little bourbon and vanilla creep in on the finish as the beer warms.

Mouthfeel: Super creamy and velvety smooth. Low carbonation with a medium to heavy body.

Overall, this was a nice imperial stout. Its not super complex and flavorful but it makes up for that with its insanely creamy mouthfeel and smooth finish. It's hard to believe that this is 10.5%. Drinks very easy. A tasty stout that would probably be great after some barrel aging.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 20:54:52 | More by WolfsbaneBloom

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.09/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

22oz bottle from chanokokoro (awesome extra!). Batch 41, bottled sometime in 2012. Served in a Sweetwater snifter.

Pours deep dark chocolate brown with a half finger of mocha head. Head fades to a thin layer that sits on top and leaves ocassional small patches of lace.

Smells of roasted cocoa beans, licorice, cherries and burnt coffee. Very different and I like it.

Flavors hit with a big dose of roasted malts and huge bitter earthy hops up front- almost black ale territory but cranked up to 13! Bitter dark chocolate, licorice, burnt espresso, cherry skins, smokey tree bark, earth, a little caramel towards the end and a noticeable through line of alcohol bite. It's a great mix.

Creamy, medium heavy, thick feel with moderate carbonation. Long lasting, bitter roasty finish.

What an interesting stout. Very hoppy but with enough roasty, cocoa, coffee and dark fruit notes to keep it "stouty". If I ever see this available in my travels I plan to grab a couple to sit on because I think this would be a very different and still great imperial stout after a year or two.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 04:21:02 | More by ThickNStout

KFBR392

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: a very dark brown color coming out of the bottle over a pitch black color. Razor thin head with a light carbonation presence. A touch of lacing on the edge of the glass as I drank this brew.

Smell: Really had to dip to get much out of this. A sugary front makes me think of black licorice. Smokey malt with some very dark hops are present. Coffee and a touch of tobacco sit on the backend.

Taste: Very surprised here after the lack of aroma. Dark malt and hops hit right away. Sugary licorice comes toward the body and waves of rich hops continue to flow. Coffee, dark chocolate, exotic spices, leafy greens, and molasses linger around all night after taking a drink. Really delicious, so many layers of depth that make the taste of this brew outstanding.

Mouthfeel: Hits the palette hard but seems to lack some body that really makes a brew stick around. A flavor punch is what is left over a more traditional stout heaviness.

Overall: Another elite brew from Pipeworks. Tremendous depth and quality. Pipeworks continues to assert its case as one of the best breweries in Illinois.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 02:25:58 | More by KFBR392

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.96/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pitch black body with shades of brown around the edges. Little head that dissipates quickly.

Smells of coffee, wet leaves, earthy hops, and wood stain.

Sting flavor of coffee with a heavy earthy hop bite. Dark berries then a finish that's musty.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with adequate carbonation for the style.

Overall, a really good stout. The coffee version blows it away and I think it covers up the musty aftertaste in the regular version, but still good and I'll definitely buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 00:36:18 | More by Vonerichs

rlee1390

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Black in the glass, two finger tan head, clear when pouring

S-Good deal of roasted coffee and roasted malt, tad burnt, dark chocolate.

T-Nice balance of roasted malt, coffee with tad bit of burnt notes, slight chocolate as well. Semi sweet.

M-Medium to heavy in body and nicely carbonated.

O-Huge thanks for the extra. Glad I was able to try it. Will be stopping at Pipeworks next time I am in Chicago.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 23:41:36 | More by rlee1390

barnzy78

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber shared with a friend, pours opaque black with a tall, creamy, tan colored head that holds excellent retention and leaves some lace at the top of the glass on its way down. Aromas are sweet stout-like with cream, chocolate, slight roastiness, very sweet though. Tastes are sweeeet! Milk chocolate, rich, decandent, dark fruits, slight smokiness, some roast; really nice chocolatey flavors. Full bodied and very smooth, creamy, ample carbonation; alcohol is warming. Overall, very solid American Imperial Stout but the sweetness gets to be rather cloying at times.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 03:00:06 | More by barnzy78

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.06/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a black color, with a mocha colored near finger of head. Some lace. The aroma has a touch of alcohol, roast, slight anise, cocoa, light coffee beans, hint of vanilla. Slightly bitter piny hops on the taste, cocoa powder, coffee, roast vanilla bean
, anise and a root beer note. Full body, creamy, slick and coating.

Fine Imperial stout, flavorful and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 03:32:27 | More by EgadBananas

homebrew311

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pitch black with loose brown head. The head fizzles out quickly. The beer is opaque and looks to be viscous. The nose is intensely roasty with heavy chocolate, char, coffee, and an assertive green hop profile to follow. The taste is incredibly roasty up front with chocolate and more chocolate. This is countered nicely by an earthy hop profile that takes this imperial stout into a decidedly "hoppy stout" realm. The mouthfeel is big and heavy with mellow carbonation. I am impressed with Pipework's execution of both this and the coffee break variant. Both are worthy big time stouts.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 06:14:31 | More by homebrew311

AleWatcher

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25

Grabbed a bomber at Binnys Orland last weekend... I now find myself in need of something to sip while reading A Memory of Light, and this guy fit the bill.

Batch 60. Served in founders snifter.

Very dark body. Deep tan head of roughly the thickness of an orange peel.
Wow is this thick. Oily and viscous. Big hoppy oily residue on the finish with a bit of a gritty feel on my teeth. This is thick like cough syrup.

Smells roasty-- dark bitter cocoa, heavily roasted malts, little sweetness, big bitterness.

Overall-- this isn't blowing me away. It is certainly improving as it warms up, but it isn't near the benchmark of the style. Not entirely unpleasant, but not exceptionally enjoyable either. I actually find the body to be too hefty... It is actually rather distracting.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 02:57:21 | More by AleWatcher

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22 oz bomber, batch number 60 with red wax, poured into a snifter.

A- Pours black with an inch of khaki head, recedes to a wispy layer, leaves spotty lacing.

S- Very fruity and sweet, lots of figs, dates, and a bit of anise, which is thankfully not too strong. Some roast and chocolate in the background along with a mild hint of booze.

T- Has a much more significant roast character than in the aroma, lots of charred grain, dark chocolate and fruit. The fruitiness is sweet with fig/date flavors, again the anise isn't that noticeable, which again is a good thing IMO. Has some lingering cocoa sweetness.

M- Full-bodied, has a smooth feel, a bit dry, some alcohol warmth on the end.

O- A very tasty beer, Pipeworks has been rocking the IPAs and pale ales so far, but this is my favorite stout that they've brewed to date, has a nice balance of char and fruity/chocolate sweetness, definitely pick up a bottle or two of this if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 08:35:06 | More by WillCarrera

MasterSki

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle purchased at West Lakeview Liquors. Batch #41, served in a Hair of the Dog tulip.

A - A finger of tan foam settles to a collar, wispy near-completely cap, and spotty lacing. Near-black body that only reveals a hint of brown when held to the light.

S - Lots of anise, a mixture of dark and red fruits, some roasted malts and a touch of dark chocolate. There's something evocative of candi sugar, but I don't think that's an ingredient here. Some definite alcohol presence that suggest a beer closer to 12 or 13%.

T - The taste is quite similar, with roasted malts, anise, dark fruits, berries, and some charry notes in the finish. Again, it's got that European-esque mixture of fruitiness followed by char and burnt malts, and lacks the intense sweetness of the more popular American offerings. The comparison to Black Albert isn't that far off the mark, although this has more of a fruity English yeast character rather than a phenolic Belgian one.

M - Medium-full body, moderate and active carbonation, very dry texture on the palate before giving way to some lingering stickiness. Some definite alcohol warmth.

D - 22oz is a tough serving for this sort of beer; I'd gladly have a snifter, or if motivated drink a 33cl bottle (like Black Albert), but I found this a bit boozy and fatiguing due to the bitterness. Might mellow with time. Oddly enough, this drinks like a bigger version of Spiteful's G.F.Y Stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 06:45:57 | More by MasterSki

yamar68

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to blastbeats for this one!

Lively dark brown coffee body with a fizzing finger of khaki head... tons of wispy lacing, some legs.

Smells pretty tame... brown ale type mineral characteristics, milk chocolate, some dessert sugars, plenty of balance... not as sharp as you'd expect.

Bitter dark chocolate, coffee grounds, some thin vanilla notes, brown sugar, minty booze, dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 01:28:59 | More by yamar68

Florida9

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Black. Fully opaque black. Forms a creamy swirly bi-colored light tan/mocha colored head. I've never seen a beer do that before. Pretty cool. Eventually reduces down to a thin surface coating and a thick ring around the edge. Very light lacing.

S: Hoppy, malty, and alcoholic. Heavily roasted malts, coffee, and chocolate. Then the hops: mostly citrus. Grapefruit. Maybe a touch of pine. A bit of alcohol in the mix.

T: Similar to the aroma, but the malts dominate. Heavily roasted malts and chocolate are the main players. Then cocoa, molasses, grapefruit, and some light pine resin. Finish is dry and chalky.

M: Heavy bodied. Viscous, but not syrupy. Moderate bitterness. Lower carbonation. Dry. Chalky on the finish.

O: Well, I'll admit, I am a fan of the hoppy stout and this one doesn't disappoint in that regards. Dark, chewy, and packing both malts and hops, this is a fine beer to sip on a cold Xmas Eve.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 03:58:27 | More by Florida9

jsulko

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a snifter glass

Pours a very dark black with a slightly brown off white head

Smell is sweet roasted malts with a hint of a chocolate note.

Taste is slightly sweet with some of the slightly bitter chocolate on the finish.

A more than solid stout from a local brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 04:31:06 | More by jsulko

kevanb

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a Lost Abbey Teku glass. Batch 44.

The beer pours an intensely deep black color, hues of brown at the rim of the glass where the light hits. This beer has a massive tan colored head, very tightly packed bubbles that lasts for a good few minutes before turning into a thin layer atop the beer that never goes away and is easily resummoned with a quick flick of the glass. Spotted lacing sticks to the glass during the session. The aroma is of nice dark barley, mild chocolate and light roasted coffee and a touch of alcohol. The flavors are just as the nose lead on, lots of dark barley, light smooth and sweet chocolate, a touch of coffee and a touch of something I can't quite put my finger on, but it gives a touch of tang and a touch of spice, perhaps the hops are showing their colors here, very bizarre but really enjoyable. The body is perfect, really big and rich, just enough carbonation to prop up the flavors, super smooth finish that coats the mouth really well.

Verdict: Very pleasant imperial stout from Pipeworks, nothing too special or provocative, but just a really well made beer that satisfies on all levels.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 01:38:41 | More by kevanb

Detlef90

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a damn good beer. One of the better stouts I've had from the Chicago area. A perfect example of the black IPA/ American stout style. If you like a strong hop presence in your stout than this beer will make you happy.

Drink it up and support your local Chicago brewery!

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 20:16:28 | More by Detlef90

Jaycase

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch 41

a: black. slight khaki colored head.

s: chocolate most prominent. some roasted malts.

t: Like drinking dry chocolate powder. The mention of powder is not meant to be complimentary. It's a bit off putting.

m: medium body, slightly oily. finishes slightly dry.

o: Disappointing. Imperial stout is a highly competitive style and this didn't fare well against the competition. Perhaps it was an off bottle. Big supporter of Pipeworks....absolutely love NvU. This one just didn't deliver.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 03:48:33 | More by Jaycase

vic21234

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber poured into a snifter. Bottle lists it as Batch 44. This will be my first beer by Pipeworks.

A- Pours a dark black but with some reddish hue towards the bottom of the glass, unlike most imperial stouts. A half finger of a caramel colored head fades to a thin film along the top.

S- Real nice smelling stout. First thing that comes to the aroma is hops. Not kick-in-the-face DIPA type hop smell, but its definitely prevalent. The other dominating aroma to the beer is of a chocolate/ coffee maltiness. Some roasty malts are in there too before you get the sting in your nose from the alcohol. Overall quite a bit going on in the smell.

T- Taste continues on much like the smell. A hop bittering comes through before leading to the roasty malts. Chocolate and coffee are big on the back end of the taste. The alcohol burn/ warming feeling is there and becomes more prevalent as the beer warms toward room temperature.

M- Medium bodied, on the lighter side for an Imperial Stout. Very hoppy for the beer style. This one drinks nice and tastes better as it warms in my opinion. The alcohol is there and noticeable.

A good intro to Pipeworks Brewery for me, I really enjoyed this one. I have one more in the basement to sit for awhile. I'm very interested to see how the hops mellow with some age. Nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 01:55:13 | More by vic21234

Jagen

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a snifter...national stout day!

A - pours with a very nice looking tan 2 finger head. black with an ever-so-slight ruby hue. Can't really see through it at all, but you can still see a slight reddish hue around the edges. I think the head is retracting much slower than other imperial stouts I have drank. it is leaving the smallest amount of lacing on the glass

S - yum! nice and chocolately. roasted malts for sure. has a sweet smell in the background that beckons you to sip. Hints of coffee all around

T - a surprise....the aftertaste is very reminiscent of the scent.vanilla and dark chocolate right at the front accomonied by a mild hot alcohol burn. Is that a piney aftertaste? Is this a stout with hops (almost) boldly coming out? I think so! Very interesting mix to have the sweetness of a stout accomponied by an alcohol burn AND a slight hop character. I think I like it. I'm going to buy another and see what happens when you give it some time to mellow out. I think the hops work well to keep it not too sweet

M A bit of a lighter feel than other stouts. Still nice and slick. Good amount of carbonation but I would like even less...think I will change my mind when it warms up a little more...kept it in the fridge 15-20 min too long, I think.

O Pipeworks makes some great beers. This is no exception! I look forward to trying more from this brewery. I like the character of hops here but I think it is almost too much (and I love my hops)...I think this will go from being a good-great beer to being an amazing beer after some aging

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 04:12:05 | More by Jagen

AgentZero

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Found out today is National Stout Day. Had this in the fridge, popped it open.

A - Really nice looking beer. Black, opaque, with two fingers of tan head. Decent retention

S - Dark chocolate, bit of booze, touch of fusel alcohol, some bitter coffee. Nothing stands out here.

T - First thing I noticed was that this beer is exceptionally bitter. Hop bitterness, unsweetened cocoa, dry roast. Bitterness was a bit overwhelming at first, but flavor got sweeter as the beer warmed up. Chocolate, coffee, roasted malts. Decent flavor profile, very full flavor as well.

M - Full bodied, lower carbonation. Pretty creamy.

O - Not a bad beer, very big. Slight touch of booze, may mellow a bit with age and get better. Fans of bitter stouts may appreciate this one a bit. Solid.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 03:50:43 | More by AgentZero

kawilliams81

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bottle with red wax, into a 8 oz snifter.

A- pours black with a 1 finger dark tan head. Leaches nice trails of lacing criss crossing the glass.

S- dark chocolate, roast, dark fruits, and pine.

T- semi-sweet chocolate, dark fruits, bitter coffee and big pine bitterness at the finish.

m- Medium body and carbonation. Nice smooth, semi-dry feel.

O- nice hoppy imperial stout. Has all the elements of a good RIS along with a nice bitter pine punch!

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 02:50:21 | More by kawilliams81

emerge077

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Jet black viscous pour into the glass, huge billowing head of dark tan foam. The head is slow to settle, leaving a ton of lace stickage in drippy sheet patterns. Second pour generates a more compact layer, but long lasting all the same.

Big blackened malt aromas, light essence of green hops, hints of coffee chocolate covered dried fruit sweetness.

Rich roasty black malt, light coffee and dry bitter chocolate and a light to moderate hop bitterness. Huge burly malt with an ample bit of resinous green hop flavor bleeding through adding some nice complexity. Creamy and viscous with a lower carb level that suits it well. Traces of coffee, chocolate, and more hop bitterness in the aftertaste. A great imperial stout that i'd seek out again and again. Pipeworks doin' thangs.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 01:46:14 | More by emerge077

AJacob81

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Red-waxed bomber, Batch 41, served in a stemless red wine glass.

A - Pitch black, impenetrable, crowned w a finger of sand-colored foam. Decent legs with spotty lacing.

S - Dark chocolate, figs, and espresso and a hint of earthy, grassy hops. As w other Pipeworks offerings, the nose hits all the right notes, but isn't as strong overall as i feel is possible.

T - Opens up identical to the nose, but as the drink continues, the flavor profile becomes more complex, w dried berries and cherries emerging, along w more bittersweet cocoa, blackstrap molasses, and just enough citrus and piney hops to provide a bit of needed balance. Everything is held in balance as the brew warms, and the finish is long, roasty, and a bit sweet without being cloying.

M - Thick, oily, and sticky. Everything i look for in the style, in other words.

I really hope to get my hands on another bottle or two for cellaring purposes. I can only imagine this improving w time, and it's already a monster. Don't sleep on this one if you're in the Chi.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 02:12:55 | More by AJacob81