Total Eclipse Black Ale - Hoppy Brewing Co.

Jredner

Florida

2.7/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Bomber from Hi-Time Wine Cellars.

Pours dark brown and settles a very deep brown. The body holds a two finger thick mocha head that is lasting, but bubbly and frothy. Aroma is fairly hoppy for the style and features a decent roast profile, mild coffee and hints at cocoa and chocolate.

Thinnish fore has tongue cutting carbonation, mild cola notes, coffee, roast and a fairly bitter profile overall. Has some plusses, but the overalll feel is thinnish and not very satisfying. Admittedly I prefer my Porters closer to stouts in feel and flavor, so considering that this just wasn’t enough beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2007 14:03:15 | More by Jredner

Lynn

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +21.4%

05-24-2013 21:15:56 | More by Lynn

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle just in from Lueken Liquors. Is this how the brewer intended it? Maybe something more hoppy. As a dry stout, pretty decent, more of a light shwartzbier, with a muted hop. Very good drinkability. Light black coloured body, almost no head. Medium mouthfeel. Mollasses and light roast smell.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 02:34:21 | More by northyorksammy

jp312

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

04-20-2013 02:36:23 | More by jp312

EFR94

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev 0%

04-13-2013 17:13:07 | More by EFR94

Kuongming

California

2.75/5  rDev -21.4%

02-09-2013 06:04:41 | More by Kuongming

JAHMUR

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -14.3%

01-23-2013 02:28:23 | More by JAHMUR

Nage37

California

4.5/5  rDev +28.6%

01-19-2013 04:09:37 | More by Nage37

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev 0%

01-06-2013 07:35:22 | More by DrunkinYogi

MarioM

California

3.5/5  rDev 0%

12-03-2012 01:03:11 | More by MarioM

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an almost opaque dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is off dark roasted malt, cocoa, and some herbal hop aromas. Taste is much the same with a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is drinkable but nothing all that special for the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 05:16:17 | More by UCLABrewN84

dudecandle

New York

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

11-18-2012 23:08:52 | More by dudecandle

TheBigBoy

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -28.6%

11-12-2012 02:57:57 | More by TheBigBoy

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +14.3%

10-14-2012 15:29:14 | More by t0rin0

TheSixthRing

California

3.3/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours near jet black with cola brown edging. Head is light tan in color and sits 2 fingers high. Retention is decent. Resulting lace is thin, but consistent and with nice stick.

Smell - Big notes of semi-sweet chocolate and fair hints of alcohol.

Taste - Roasted malts with bitter chocolate character and finishes with quite a bit of metallic astringency. Aftertaste rings with same sharp bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body. Decent carbonation.

Overall - A bit "light in the pants" and a fairly simplistic flavor, but it's a decent brew nonetheless. Probably wouldn't buy again though.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 03:41:19 | More by TheSixthRing

Calculat0r

Japan

4/5  rDev +14.3%

09-04-2012 15:08:49 | More by Calculat0r

dmorgan310

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

07-31-2012 05:58:04 | More by dmorgan310

PorterLambic

Florida

3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours nearly black, as expected. Good sized tan head. Good retention but not much lacing.
Smell is malt, vanilla, semisweet chocolate and light peat notes.
Taste is malt, smoke, peat and some baking chocolate. Well balanced.
On the lighter side of medium with a solid effervescence. Drying finish leaves an unsweetened chocolate and peat aftertaste. Pretty good brew but I would like a bit more body.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 22:26:57 | More by PorterLambic

durwood64

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +21.4%

05-31-2012 01:14:37 | More by durwood64

orangesol

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -7.1%

05-17-2012 05:24:41 | More by orangesol

creez

California

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

03-20-2012 22:59:51 | More by creez

RandyBoBandy

Florida

3/5  rDev -14.3%

02-13-2012 03:56:48 | More by RandyBoBandy

MuscleConfusion

Ohio

2/5  rDev -42.9%

01-17-2012 13:15:12 | More by MuscleConfusion

mattcrill

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma: Mild chocolate, cocoa nibs, and slight roasty dark grain notes up front. More milk chocolate sweetness as the beer warms. No hop aroma. No fruity esters.

Appearance: Dark brown with ruby highlights. Moussy thick tan head that retains well.

Flavor: Firm chocolate and roasty malt profile up front. The roasty grains provide a bittering counterpoint to the chocolate sweetness. Background earthy bitterness that is muted by the chocolate and roasty overtones. Balance is firmly roasty and bitter. Finish is crisp and clean with a lingering roasty aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium carbonation. Slight astringency due to the roasted grains.

Overall impression: A roasty chocolate highlighted black ale. I'm missing the hop presence (aroma and/or flavor) that would designate this as an "American Stout" but overall an enjoyable beer. Worth a try once but there are so many other examples out there that I'm not sure I'll re-visit.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 20:07:02 | More by mattcrill

jbphoto88

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This brew starts out with an aggressive head that is thick and very much double the size of what pours from the bottle. The coffee colored foam looks like a scoop of lattte whipped cream ontop of a dark ruby colored brew.

The nose is a light malty blast of roasted grains and mild bakers chocolate. I've smelt bolder stouts but considering this one is only a simple 5.6% and NOT imperial then the simple scent is quite impressive.

The flavor ranges from roasted malts to light coffee and chocolate. Mild but flavorful which is again impressive for the size of this beer. This stout is solid in all the right places.

If there are any flaws they appear in the mouthfeel. The beer doesn't have the viscous solid feel that you would expect from a stout. Instead is a lightly carbonated, almost watered down brew. However lack luster the mouthfeel is this is still a fantastic stout. Great nose and flavors more then make up for the feel. This beer is a must try for anyone who enjoys the dark.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 05:04:03 | More by jbphoto88