Sierra Blanca Imperial Stout - Sierra Blanca Brewing Company (Rio Grande)

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap at the Holiday Inn bar on I-25, nice little tap selection there. Pours near black with a short cap of tan head, very nice lace all the way through the glass.

Nose is loaded with dark chocolate and roasty malts. Pretty clean and is low on the fruit and yeast. Little bit of sweetness as it warms along with a touch of mocha.

Roast dominates the taste with a light sweetness. Less chocolaty than it smelled and the yeast shows up here with a little bit of strawberries and dark bread. Mouthfeel is a little thin and the beer could use a bump in creaminess. Not a bad brew overall, but in a loaded style category this one falls right around average.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2012 23:56:17 | More by twiggamortis420

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.51/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours mahogany with a fast fading mocha colored head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Coffee, dark fruit,

T: Mocha, carob, coffee & roastyness up front, some vanilla. Dryness, woody hops & figs as this warms, more coffee & a bit more vanilla. Finishes with mocha, roastyness & coffee

MF: Kind of thin, some what prickly carbonation, become thicker & warmer towards the end

Cool label

Had this years ago on draft, thought it was better then, although I don't remember any coffee in it. Not bad, but not as good as Santa Fe's Coffee tilted offering

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2013 04:34:30 | More by russpowell

abex44

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

05-08-2013 04:40:31 | More by abex44

mactrail

California

3.51/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Quite lovely very black brew with a foamy cap. Decent carbonation on the tongue. Light mouthfeel for anything called a RIS, but it seems appropriate for this brew.

Moderately malty, lightly hopped, but pleasantly flavored. A little chocolate and chalky taste. Slightly sweet, but very pleasant. Hints of chestnuts and fruit cocktail. A tart touch. Faint bitterness in the aftertaste. A light-weight stout but it has it's modest charms.

From the 12 oz bottle bought at Jubilation Fine Wines in Albuquerque. Definitely one of Siera Blanca's better beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 05:36:00 | More by mactrail

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.68/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Skinny swing top 750mL bottle.

Pours a nice dark, black colour, with a tan head of a good finger, leaving spongy lacing. The aroma is quite roasted, with a cocoa powder note, and a nice roasted coffee aroma. Slightly nutty taste, roast, mild bitterness, some light coffee, and a bit of chocolate covered fig-fruitiness. The body of the beer is medium, could be thicker for sure. It's creamy, carbonation is soft. Overall pleasant.

There's no booziness, which would be expected at 8.2%, making it somewhat weak for a RIS. I'd call this tasty, though definitely more of a beginners RIS with it's mild and approachable nature. A nice offering though from Sierra Blanca, all things considered.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 23:05:10 | More by EgadBananas

jbarra101

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%

12-26-2012 22:40:39 | More by jbarra101

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.95/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Medium light brown head settles into a nice lacing above a clear really dark reddish brown colored beer.

Light aroma of dark fruits and roasted grain malts with hints of coffee coming through.

Dark roasted malts with chocolate and a hint of coffee coming through, the darker fruits are trying to make an appearance but it's not working out in there favor.

A dryish aftertaste with some dark roasted malts and light chocolate hanging around.

A decent tasting stout with a nice lasting aftertaste, that I seem to enjoy on this chilly day.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 22:14:48 | More by LXIXME

ldawg87801

New Mexico

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%

05-26-2012 23:37:39 | More by ldawg87801

SeanChouffe

New Mexico

3.83/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep dark brown with a light tan head. Retention and carbonation are low and the lacing is sticky. Aroma is malty roasty with coffee notes and some very light aroma hop. Flavor is sweet at the start with a dry finish and a lingering rasted taste. Taste appears more complex as you delve into the beer. Lots of roastiness and caramel rolling around with some lingering roasty hoppiness. Palate is medium bodied with low effervescence and that lingering roasted finish. IMHO: not intensely complex, but one of the more full bodied/high gravity beers coming out of New Mexico. It’s a good start and a nice change. Go for it Sierra Blanca.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2004 03:22:33 | More by SeanChouffe