Black Bear XX Stout - Alameda Brewhouse

PDXHops

South Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bomber, poured into a snifter.

A thick ass 2-finger light brown head sits on top of a body almost pure black, with some reddish brown highlights. Retention is excellent and lacing is plentiful.

Big black roasted malt leads the way in the nose, with dark fruitiness, vanilla, caramel and dark chocolate strong contributors as well.

This beer is a mouthful. Loads of sharp black malt is balanced with sweet chocolate, cherry pie and a hint of vanilla. Significant earthy hop bitterness. Great blend of flavors.

Nice mouthfeel. Very full bodied, and . A final sting of bitterness at the swallow is followed by a long lingering black malt/espresso finish.

Overall impression: Excellent stout. Easy to see why it won gold at the GABF a few years back.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2009 22:32:42 | More by PDXHops

HiroProtagonist

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tasted at the Alameda brewpub, on nitro and on cask....the difference in enjoyment was pretty dramatic, and not as expected.

Appearance: Cask was black in color, with a weak, short-lived brown head. Nitro was also black in color, but the fine and creamy head was brown with a lovely reddish tinge, and was everlasting.

Nose: Cask sample had a sharp, powdery cocoa nose...like a dry chocolate cake mix, and thats it. Nitro nose was rich, sharp, and chocolately, but this time like a chocolate cake, complete with dark chocolate frosting. These notes were well-developed and yielded some intricate complexities.

Taste: Nitro sample yielded a rich and sharp raisiny-chocolate velvet malt base that opened up with complex bitter dark chocolate notes and subtle cherry esters in the transition to a sharp, roasty, lightly astringent dark bittered chocolate finish with strong lingering cocoa mass flavors.
Cask sample yielded similar but significantly attenuated flavors.

Mouthfeel: Cask sample was way too thin, almost watery! Carbonation was also a bit lacking, even for cask.
Nitro sample was wonderfully full and silky...working extremely well with the flavors and character of the beer. What a difference!

Conclusion:
Wow, the nitro sample was drastically better than the cask version in almost every way. The nitro stout was very enjoyable, complexly rich, and masterfully balanced with a nice sharpness that love in dark beers. Scores are based solely on the nitro version.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-22-2004 04:55:11 | More by HiroProtagonist

PEIhop

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - jet diesel back with ruby highlights around the outside of the one-finger foamy head
S - roasted malts and a nice dark-bitter chocolate
T - great taste here. Chocolate dominates the taste profile, but in a good way because it lets other players: subtle hops and coffee enter periodically into the taste. Well done!
M - I was expecting the body to be thinner, but it was quite full for the style.
D - one of the most unexpectedly delicious pints I have had in awhile. At 7% it is just out sessionability, but I could myself having a pint whenever I see it on tap.
Great beer!

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2011 20:29:27 | More by PEIhop

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap into a shaker glass

A- Poured black with frothy mocha head that left some splashy lace

S- Dark fruit, bittersweet chocolate, roasted malt. Very balanced and pleasant aroma for a stout

T- Big bittersweet and chocolate chip flavors, blackberry and dark fruits, roasted coffee, light vanilla, and light vinegar notes. Incredibly complex stout with all the flavors I love in a stout, very balanced flavor profile

M- Very creamy and smooth, dry, medium body. Really nice silky mouthfeel and incredibly easy to drink

O- One of the best stouts I have had in the past year. Reminds me a lot of favorite, Lion Stout. I love the blackberry/dark fruit flavors I am getting out of this that compliment the chocolate and roasted notes.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2013 03:33:30 | More by Hoptometrist

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Written from notes. Sampled on-tap at Redbones during lunch on 11/15.

Thick and dense in appearance. Very black. Thick brown, creamy head that was glorious. Even more impressive layered, coating lace all around the glass.

Aroma was very subtle but deep and dark. Kind of like a low basson you cannot quite hear but you know is there and you find a pleasant feel from the low note vibrations.

Not a lot of anything but there was a little of a lot of things. Some slightly toasted malts with chocolate, vanilla and licorice. Kind of a dark bread flavor going on too. Slight hop bitters come through at the finish.

Very full body. It tried to be milky but was more creamy. Easy and smooth drinking. Not so much a cloying finish but more of a thorough finish. Very nice afternoon working my way through my pint.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2005 22:32:22 | More by MuddyFeet

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Black with a tan head, good retention and lace.

Aroma of cafe mocha, brown sugar, black licorice, quite bready.

Pumpernickel rye bread, black strap molasses, piny resin, coffee, tobacco, salty black licorice, burnt caramel, solid (tar-like) bitterness, alcohol is subtle.

Body is rich and creamy, perhaps a little too full, but it is more of a protein shake than residual sweetness.

Certainly has a bit of domestic and PNW flavour (that you don't find in many export stouts), but it's one hell of a brew!

I'm glad they decided to export this to the foreign land of Canada!

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 00:39:28 | More by Derek

Bfarr

Washington

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark viscous brown and thin brown head with good retention. Coffee, herbs, and chocolate aromas with a hint of orange peel. Flavor follows with a light roasted linger that deepens gradually with traces of cocoa. Creamy medium-bodied feel.

A complex and flavorful stout, this is not one to have several of but to sit back, sip, and enjoy. Its feel is smooth enough to compliment the taste and the roasted bittering is not overpowering. A well-done beer to have from time to time.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 22:17:33 | More by Bfarr

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours a deep dark black with very little head that settles into a thin tan ring.

S-Chocolate malts with a nice grainy background and maybe a bit of hops.

T-Very nice. A bit of caramel malt on the front with some very nice grainy sourness in the middle and the finish. Surprising, but in a good way.

M-Nicely rich for the style and ABV with light to medium carbonation.

D-Big fan of this beer. I only brought one back from Portland but I would certainly enjoy more than one. Excellent.

HV

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2008 02:05:55 | More by sholland119

Elemental

Oregon

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Oh man, I can tell why this got the gold medal at GABF in 2003.
Apperance - gorgeous! It has a nice thick brown nitro head and is a very deep black color
Smell - a good smell with some hop aroma, very malty smelling, and very inticing
Taste - Very good, big and malty with hints of chocolate and slightly nutty.
Overall - an excellent beer that once I had one I had to have another even though I wanted to try some of the othere from this establishment

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-01-2004 15:16:00 | More by Elemental

SRossman

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Deep dark brown, almost opaque black, with a frothy tan head that dissipates quickly. I hate to be vague but this looks like stout.

S: Roasted malt, mild hop bitterness, a faint chocolate nuance rounds it out.

T: Pleasant dark chocolate, roasted malt, sweet espresso. Rich flavors across the board.

MF/D: I love the mouth feel of this stout. The texture and carbonation are spot on. The body has a rich fullness to it and feels slick on the tongue. Moderate carbonation makes it very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2009 10:14:27 | More by SRossman

IntriqKen

California

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to weefishheads for this opportunity.
Pours black with a solid tan head that melts to a thick ring of lacing lasting the entire glass.
Aromas are bitter coffee, bittersweet dark chocolate, molassis.
Mouthfeel is not too thick...not too thin...just right.
Taste follows aroma....espresso coffee, bittersweet dark chocolate, molassis sugars, then...surprise, citrus hops to finish and clean the pallette.
Aftertaste reminds me of a mocha coffee with only a touch of sugar sweetener.
This is a solid stout made for the purist.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2007 05:04:12 | More by IntriqKen

RedBiddy

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pilsner beer glass. Nice three finger head that slowly slid down the side after each sip. The smell was of unsweetened chocolate and the taste was as smooth as Micheal Jordan's head with Brylcream. The mouthfeel was so pleasant I didn't want to swallow. Perfect carbonation. I would pass up many stores to obtain another.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2010 01:37:34 | More by RedBiddy

RoyalT

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance – This beer is black as night and has a beautiful nitro head. It comes up like Mt. St. Helens on a bad day and is very dark.

Smell – This has a humongous nose. The dark, roasted malts are evenly mixed with some strong coffee grounds that are burnt to a crisp. I can catch some whiffs of dark chocolate as well and maybe some light brown sugar.

Taste – The nose finds its way nicely into the taste. The malt flavors in particular are very rich and creamy. The chocolate came out strong on the tongue making this a very complex stout.

Mouthfeel – This is medium-bodied and creamy with some good, strong bitterness. The nitro mouthfeel is glorious, of course, and combined with the bitter nature of the stout gives this one a terrific feel in between the cheeks.

Drinkability – A high quality session stout? Yes, this does fit the bill. Its low ABV and smooth delivery can keep you going all night.

Comments – I would have had to pretend to like it anyway since skyhand was sitting next to me and wouldn’t shut up about how great it is, so it was a real bonus that I liked it so much.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-27-2004 17:46:54 | More by RoyalT

mjl21

California

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Purchased at Belmont Station in Portland. 22 ounce bottle poured into a Moonlight Brewing glass. Comes in at 7%. No bottling info is given.

A-Based on the lighting in the room, it pours black. It has a one finger sandy head that dissolves to a nice foamy ring that surrounds a sandy cover. Has some nice lacing.

S-It has a nice dark malt nose that is nicely balanced. There is some roast malt, molasses sweetness, and mocha like qualities. It is a little nutty. As it warms citrus hops jump out and give it a nice uniqueness.

T-It starts off with lots of chocolate, coffee, and sweetness which reminds me of a freshly brewed mocha. Citrus hops are quite evident in the middle. It finishes with some chalky roast flavor. In between sips there is some lingering sweetness.

M-Thick and creamy. It is nicely carbonated.

D-A nice drinking stout.

This was recommended to me from one of the Belmont Station employees and I was impressed. Worthy of the awards it has won.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2009 17:03:02 | More by mjl21

morebeergood

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bomber back in the summer of 2008, and have been aging it in my cellar ever since. Tonight, my wife and I drank it for a special occasion, along with a dessert of chocolate cake. Poured into Brooklyn Brewery goblets. Dark brown color with a thin but thick beige head. Some lacing on the glass - not a lot. Smell had a nice roasted barley smell to it, with just a hint of pine tingling my nose. The taste was excellent. It really had an enjoyable flavor of burnt espresso, but with a hint of bittersweet chocolate. Mouthfeel was moderate but not overly thick; it was on the smooth side. An easy stout to drink, and very tasty at the same time. A nice accompaniment to a rich dessert.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2010 05:00:26 | More by morebeergood

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks you theskinny.

A - Great pour as black as they come with a deep brown head an inch tall and having some solid stamina.

S - Deep dark chocolate and smooth rich coffee.

T - Long roasted malts with a nice burnt taste. There's no real cocoa presence but there is a bit of coffee. It fits the style very well.

M - Abrasive in the ending and finish. It has a nice creaminess and it goes down easy... probably too easy.

~ This is a very good beer. I recommend anyone with an avenue to the Pacific Northwest find this stout and enjoy it. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 02:46:20 | More by cdkrenz

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A solid very black stout with huge tan head and a nice roasty nose. This is a drinking stout that has all the chocolate and roasted malt flavours but no sharp edges. Not the biggest stout on the block but very well put together and oh so drinkable. Worth buying

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2008 22:49:24 | More by canucklehead

Docer

Washington

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Just had at their Brewhouse.. following their wonderful IPA.

- Nice and dark... black with only an espresson brown at the edges... flowed nicely from Nitro to a sitting beer with a thick head about 1".. light brown and chocolate..

- Smell was mild.. little bit of coffee.. chocolate.. roasted maly and bitter finish.

- Creamy good flavor, chocolate, roasted malt... light bitter hopping... and just very good.

- Not dry at all... leaves a good stout flavor behind.. bit sour.. makes me want to slam more down...

- Super-good drinkability.. tastes so light and sessionable... but yet hides any strength it may posses. A good regular staple stout for anyone who loves a winner.

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-13-2009 21:14:13 | More by Docer

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Split a bomber with friends. Nothing surprising about the appearance, big and black with a tan head. I really enjoyed this stout because it wasn't the usual thick, chewy stout. Instead it was a touch lighter, like an export stout should be, with two dominant characteristics: dry roasted black malts and sweet cocoa chocolate. Heck of a beer, checkthis out.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2010 19:58:00 | More by tempest

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

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

Poured cold into a standard pint glass

A - Black w/ a thick tan head

S - Rich, malty, sweet & nutty w/ caramel scents and a very smooth aroma.

M - Full, Rich, deep roasted, dark malt feel with a sweet finish.

T - A really rich stout. Smooth & deep roasted w/ a rich full bodied flavor. Nutty, coffee and cream tastes w/ a honeyish sweet finish. A hint of alcohol w/ sweet strong stout flavors. Bitter hops acccent the full malt profile and make their presence known in the finish.

D - A very big and smooth tasting stout. Ultra tasty and refined, but perhaps a strong one for multiple tastings, a winner and worthy of tasty again.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2007 04:54:38 | More by Slatetank

josiahschlender

Oregon

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

This was on tap at the Green Dragon here in Portland.

Our server apologized for the head on the beer when he brought it out, saying it's too foamy being on nitro. It took up nearly 1/2 of the glass, being very creamy and tan colored. It slowly settled into the black body of the drink with time, but it remained one of the most persistent heads on a beer I've ever seen. Ridiculous lacing on the sides of the glass. Not convenient, but kinda cool.

I liked the smell. Very dark roasted malts. Almost charred. I also noticed quite a bit of earthy (almost dirty mushrooms) hops. It made me even wonder if this is dry-hopped for more aroma.

Malts and hops are abundant in flavors, as well. Again, it's very roasted tasting, with lots of earth and bitterness coming from the hops. Kind of unique.

The eternal, insistent head influenced the mouthfeel for a very creamy, full body that complimented the flavors well and finished dry. ABV of 6.8% was surprising to me, they hid it well in this brew.

Well done! This is a unique stout worth a try.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-16-2008 21:16:11 | More by josiahschlender

MisterClean

California

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

On tap at Henry's Tavern, PDX.

A - Pours black wth 1 finger of mocha head. Doesn't dissipate and leaves nice lacing.

S - Chocolate, light roast coffee, light flowers and citrus, and bittering hops.

T - Heavier notes of malt dominate the taste as chocolate and light roast coffee appear wth a moderate amount of bittering hops.

M - Full-bodied, malt dominated, creamy and sweet.

D - Good overall. Very enjoyable for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2009 17:50:41 | More by MisterClean

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

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

A pint at Henry's Tavern in downtown Portland.

This beer appears a solid, non-forgiving black void, no highlights, no-how, albeit allowing two fingers of tight foamy milk chocolate head, which renders a vista of three-dimensional mountain profile lace around the glass as it fades away. It smells of lightly roasted malt, sour ash, medium baker's chocolate, and earthy, leafy hops. The taste is chocolate malt, cream, a tiny bit of lactic acid, oatmeal grain, and soft earthy hops. The carbonation is very low (natch), the body silky smooth, and dead creamy. It finishes in kind, the soft, smooth malt persisting.

From beginning to end, this slides down like butter, but tastes waaay better...

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2011 18:52:25 | More by biboergosum

snaotheus

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a large goblet

Pours dark, basically black, with surprisingly little head. Almost looks flat. Smell is cherries, dates, overripe plums, a little hint of coffee. Maybe some black licorice.

Taste is ripe with coffee, very nice bitterness. The fruitiness from the smell comes out just as a balancing sweetness, much nicer than it smells.

Mouthfeel is chalky and thick, dry. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2010 03:54:17 | More by snaotheus

bradleyp

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a pint at Alameda Brewery

A: Black with a dark creamy foam head about 1 inch thick. No carbonation.

S: Smells like chocolate and caramel, with a hint of coffee taboot.

T: This stout was very fantastic. Tasted like a chocolate milk shake, with coffee overtones added. Not very hoppy, but at 50 IBU's it did taste a smidge bitter.

M: Very smooth, just like how a Nitro stout should be. Went down very easy.

D: I would prefer drinking the Nitro tap over the non-nitro. I would def. drink this beer again. It went very well with the Nachos I was eating.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-04-2011 07:01:31 | More by bradleyp