Samuel Adams Thirteenth Hour Stout (Barrel Room Collection) - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

rangerred

Tennessee

3.14/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Poured into a tulip out of a 750ml bottle.

Pours an extremely dark brown, nearly pitch black, with a decent one finger dark tan head. Pretty good head retention and lacing taking the abv into consideration.

The aroma threw me off a little bit. Instead of a chocolatey, roasty, stout aroma I get hit with some perfumy, funky, Belgian notes. Almost reminds me of a Flanders red or something. Quite floral with a little bit of dark fruit. Not bad but just a little odd.

This carries over into the flavor. Lots of fig and cherries along with just the slightest bit of funk. About halfway through and towards the finish, a little bit of light chocolate tries to come through but it is very faint. There are also some banana and bubblegum yeasty esters. Mouthfeel is on the thin side but also quite sticky.

Overall, I really was expecting more stout characteristics with this beer. This screams Flanders red or Oud Brun more than Belgian ale. It is all just a bit rough around the edges and a bit weak.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 02:55:08 | More by rangerred

sirtomtom

California

4.16/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25

I have to say, I really love these goofy looking barrel bottles. Anyway...

A: Very dark color. Up to light, lets out a faint red light. Poured a thin 1 finger head, which dissipated almost immediately.

S: Chocolate, caramel, fig, and a bit of booze

T: A bit of caramel and fig up front, melting into a warm booziness, finishing of with a mild effervescence, chocolate, oak and a light boozey finish. However there was no booze induced burn. Very smooth with a mild sweetness.

M: Expected a bit more. Rather thin, not watery, just thin.

O: A very nice beer. Smooth, a touch of sweetness, and chocolate make this beer very drinkable. Barrel aging could have been extended to help mellow out the booze. I would definitely buy this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 03:30:29 | More by sirtomtom

BeerManDan

California

4.45/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

When poured the color was a very, very dark brown with medium tight tan foam with very little if any lace on the side of the glass. The smell of roasted malts, caramel, candy spice with a hint of chocolate and coffee. The flavor that came across the palate was of spice, bitter/sweet chocolate and a hint of raisin. On the palate there was a sweet/bitterness of all the flavor component in this complex stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 23:27:33 | More by BeerManDan

DavoleBomb

Ohio

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

Poured into a snifter.

3.5 A: Black or nearly so color. Two and a half fingers of frothy beige head. Retention is initially poor with the last half finger sticking around a good while. A short ring of lacing is left.

4.0 S: Starts out with something like a ginger bread cookie - Christmas spices, brown sugar, caramel, sugar, and a bread/dough mix. Roast is next followed by sugar plums, dates, currants, and dark karo syrup. Booze is very well hidden. It's definitely closer to a BSDA than a stout. It's pretty much an American BSDA. Pretty good whatever it is.

3.5 T: Like the nose, but a little less depth of flavor. Spices, caramel, brown sugar, and bread. Dark sweet fruits - raisin, candied plums, currants, and sticky dates. Again booze is well hidden. Not bad.

3.5 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation with a light spritziness. Reasonably creamy. Good here.

3.5 D: Overall good effort. It was a little pricey though, so I doubt I'd buy it again. No faults and solid all around.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 02:45:53 | More by DavoleBomb

daledeee

Iowa

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 750 bottle that has been in my frig for at least 2 months.

Pours a very dark color with nice frothy head and good lacing.

Nose spicy and dark fruit.

Taste: The label said stout. I have had a lot of stouts lately so I really didn't need another one. Reading a little closer and it is more of a Belgian ale. The taste backs this up. This is a rather sweet beer with roasted malt and dark fruits such as prunes. Some spiciness and licorice.

I found this beer pretty enjoyable. Good mouth feel with not a strong alcohol undertone. A pretty good offering overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 23:23:45 | More by daledeee

lxCheshireCatxl

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer I found by chance and hopped on it, being winter holiday season.

After eating dinner, I decided to pop the bottle. As part of the Barrel Room Collection, the Thirteenth Hour is a corked beer. When pouring, it was smooth and slowly developed a well defined head that faded quickly. I was careful to leave left over yeast in the bottle. The original smell was sour at first which quickly faded to chocolate and coffee with a slightly nutty and fruity scent. The first sip was careful to see what I was getting into. It was sweet, simple, and gentle with fruits yet strong and complex with coffee and chocolate. I wonderful meld of flavors for balance. You know you are in for a good beer when even after a rest after a somewhat heavy dinner and the first taste is all of these flavors yet you know you will only have this one beer and no more. As I drank it, I drank it faster and faster. Not due to the fact that these stronger beers change with temperature (which this one did since it slowly released the fruity and nutty flavors as it warmed), but it was because after every sip I craved it more and more. It paired great with some chocolate truffles and turtles that I enjoyed with it but I believe it would also pair great with not only a chocolate cake but a sweetly marinated steak dinner.
I will have to find this again to get another taste but also age it to develop the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 07:49:33 | More by lxCheshireCatxl

Vancoubeer

Washington

4.45/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Don't let the low reviews of this beer deter you. This is a very very good beer. The Appearance of the beer is quite impressive. Its dark like root beer with similar dark red tones in the black substance. It is quite carbonated but unlike many Belgians, the head fades away quick, much like a sour...the KMF, their yeast strand really has carbonated this beer in a dry direction. A very thin layer has stuck around. Alcohol legs on the glass and nice lacing, despite the dryness. I can hear the bubbles pop while the head disappears. This looks quite attractive.

The smell of this is just as interesting. At first whiff you get that sour funk, but its subtle. Its there so if you are a fan of sours you can totally tell its there. Once you cut through that there are a ton of items found. I get apple peal, chocolate, licorice, cherry liquor (must have been brandy from the barrels), oak and malt sweetness. Not too much coffee but I bet it will when it warms up a bit more.

The taste is where this made me do a double take. You first get the sourness it then quickly fades into sweet chocolate and at the end of the drink you get that apple/pear like peel you get in a good Belgian blonde. There is the roastyness from a stout there. Its barely there and you have to let it warm up a bit. Its not coffee but its like the roast you get in a stout. This is very good. Sam Adams has done an amazing job here in quality control with the flavor. The KMF totally is the major player in the flavor. You can tell that it totally is the variable that made the blend of the stout and belgian possible and by making that sour note not too strong and having the flavor from the booze and barrel blend is unreal.

The mouthfeel is what I expected. Its dry. Its carbonated. Just what you would expect from a beer with wild yeast. The fact that the head is not thick and creamy is proof of how dry this is. It cleans off all aspects of your mouth totally making you want more to look for more flavors.

This is a phenomenal beer. People dissing on it either were unaware of what they were getting or had their heart set on one beer over another. Sam Adams claims that there are not to many Belgian stouts...well that is true but they do exist but none of them are like this. Most have that fruity like flavor but not this dry. Not this sour. I have has sour stouts and this is the best. New Belgiums for example was good but not sour enough. Fort George out of Astoria, Oregon was too sour. Other brewers in the USA interested in Belgian stouts have made very good versions, but this is on a totally different level. Could this improve? Yes. They could find a way to get the stout like flavors to be a bit more forward. Maybe not so dry but in its age at the moment, there is not bottling date provided (they need to start doing this), this is superb. Get this if you see it. Drink it fresh or age it...will I get this again. Yup and I will be pushing all my friends to give it a go.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 06:17:47 | More by Vancoubeer

nickfl

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours with one finger of light tan foam on top of a dark brown body with some clear, amber highlights showing through. The head fades at a moderate pace and leaves decent lace.

S - A subtle aroma of dark chocolate, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon, caramel, and pepper.

T - Dark sugar, caramel, and coriander up front. Some molasses and chocolate in the middle, it finishes with more sweet malt and thick cooked sugar.

M - A moderately thick body, average carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - Sweet and fruity, but relatively well balanced. It has just enough dark chocolate and spice to balance and make a very drinkable example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 04:57:55 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: single finger head with little/poor retention on a very dark bottle with red tints.

S: very interesting aroma. toffee, belgian yeast, floral notes, light tropical fruit

T: this beer is very strange. not much in the way of stout flavors. lots of belgian character, belgian yeast, tropical fruits, toffee and brown sugar. dark chocolate and raspberry are the dominant flavors thoug.

M: medium and oily body and moderate to high carbonation.

Overall: very belgian, not very stout-y. Not a bad beer. This is much more like a belgian dark strong as listed.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 04:53:32 | More by kylehay2004

macrosmatic

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Poured from funny-shaped bomber into a Peg's snifter glass.

A: Dark brown, nearly black, and fairly opaque. A one and a half finger off-white head, and good visible carbonation.

S: Fruit, fruity esters, oak, vinous.

T: Follows the nose. Fruity esters, heavy on apple and grapes/wine. Some sweet malts. Near the end, mixed with the oaky tannins, there is a bit of an astringent, metal flavor that is off-putting. This does fade some as warms.

M: Medium body, lots of carbonation sensation. The ABV is very well-hidden.

O: Not a thrilling offering from Sam Adams, but perfectly drinkable. Does improve as it warms during the drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 01:26:19 | More by macrosmatic

oberon

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours into a tulip glass a deep chocolate brown with ruby highlights,a creamy one finger light tan colored head atop.Aromas were a little light with some roast, molasses and fruity yeast esters.A little sharper than expected in the mouth,a lighter feel for the style.Not as roasted on the palate as the nose suggests,black licorice is big along with dark fruit and more yeasty fruitiness.Not bad but not worth the price tag in my opinion,still it's nice to see the Barrel Room Collection here in NC now.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 22:10:51 | More by oberon

doppelmeup

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I really wanted to like this beer, but ended up being quite disappointed. It wasn't terrible, but really wasn't what I was was expecting. Here's the review:

A: Loved the caged/cork, and it let out a loud POP when I opened it. Poured a deep murky black, but I noticed a thinness to the beer even as it poured. Nice foamy head and decent lacing.

S: Lots of booze and stewed prunes, Belgian yeast, but not much coffee or chocolate.

T: Very sweet and no doubt a Belgian ale. But I was wanting much more of a "stout" flavor after reading the label, but instead really just got a strong dark Belgian-esque ale. Not much chocolate or coffee. Lots of fruit and yeastiness going on, and a definite boozy quality. As the beer warmed, it got oppressively sweeter and sweeter until I couldn' t finish the last few ounces.

M: Drank like a typical Belgian ale, but too thin for a stout.

O: Rather disappointed in this one. I wouldn't get it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 20:01:59 | More by doppelmeup

artdob

California

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

Couldn't pass up this bottle as it just simply proclaimed, "Buy me" as I caught a glance whe perusing the beer aisles at Toyal Wine.

Frnstarters, the bottle is sealed with a cork and a champagne like cork cage. The fun begins with the popping off the cork followed immediately with a light smoke rising out of the bottle.

This beer pours a dark black and a tan head that is modest but acceptable for the style.

The nose offers a spiciness, stewed plums, espresso, brown sugar, and chocolate notes.

Initial taste is somewhat light. First notes offer roastiness, followed by coffee and raisin characteristics. Mild oakiness too and a wild mushroom base offers additional complexity.

Mouthfeel has moderate carbonation - initially crisp and quickly presenting nice warmth.

Sweetness, fruitiness, cocoa and roasty tones take hold as the beer evolves.

A nice belgian-style stout. Doesn't knock my favorites off the mantle, but a decent excursion on the Stout journey.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 04:36:01 | More by artdob

Samuel906

California

3.03/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance:

Thin, not the epic, pitch black you expect from a heavy duty stout. Minimal white head diminishes to minor lacing.

Aroma:

Dark fruits, raisins, etc., take center stage with very minor hints of chocolate. Doesn't really smell like a stout to me, but more along the lines of a Belgian: very yeasty

Palate:

Light mouthfeel, medium-high carbonation, a little sticky from the sugar

Taste:

If you like the smell you'll like the taste. One of the better continuities between aroma and flavor I've had in a beer. Only problem for me is, I ain't into it. I wanted a dark, deep, heavy stout, and I got a Belgian that happens to be slightly dark. Lots of dark fruit and fermented Belgian yeast.

Overall:

This is NOT your normal stout. This beer tries to combine some of the qualities of a Belgian and a Stout, but in my opinion falls a little short. Not a bad beer by any stretch, but I expect a bit more out o special runs from Samuel Adams.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 09:31:57 | More by Samuel906

KKB

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A – Oak and ruby body with a wheat toast head that has solid retention, though limited lacing. Looks pretty good.

S – Toasted malt that gives it a slight milk-chocolate scent, cherries and dark fruit, a slight wine-esque background, black pepper and clove, vanilla and oak.

T – Not terrible. Honestly though the first sip I took tasted like cherry flavored cough syrup. Gets better as you keep going. Has a cherry-cola like flavor to it that is smoothed over with all the malt, definitely has a dried fruit taste to it, somewhat raisiny, peppery spice element. Towards the end it tastes like dates and figs, with a slight cocoa element to it. I’d go so far as to say it’s good. Not great mind you, but downright good.

M – This is probably the best part of the beer. It has a silky, velvety, mouthfeel to it that keep the flavor on the palate for a lengthy amount of time. It’s very nice.

O – I would not recommend this beer. If it was offered to me I might drink it, but I definitely wouldn’t buy it again. It has some positive elements to it, but the flavors clash more than they build upon one another.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 02:23:20 | More by KKB

UCLABrewN84

California

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle pour at the BevMo Holiday Beerfest held at Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours a clear dark brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, dark fruits, and some cocoa aromas. Taste is much the same with a slight tartness in the flavor. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer but I think it tastes better than it smells.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 05:57:21 | More by UCLABrewN84

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.55/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

With a simplified palate and cleaner (more yeast neutral) taste, Samuel Adams' Thirteenth Hour puts on a full out display of Belgain dark ale flavor. But with a series that celebrates wood aging, where's the wood character?

Pouring a dense dark brown color with garnet highlights, the beer seems to carry a bit more visual weight and darkness than is usual in the style. A semi-turbulent pour only amounts to a medium statured sandy tan head that's less demonstrative than Belgian comparables. Low lacing, fizzy recession, and medium-short retention keeps the beer a little lackluster.

Dark fruit, candied malts, and vine ripened grapes give a substantial malt scent with a wine-like backdrop. Fruit and spice mingle in an orgy of grapes, black pepper, blackberry, cumin, cherry, clove, currant and corriander that balance the nose with little evidence of hops. Mild wood notes carry a hearty oak note that blends in well with caramel malts and fruit and come to life as the beer warms.

Dry fruit taste is coupled with peppery spice that carries the balance of the beer from start to finish. This symbiotic relationship plays out on a substrate of syrups and candy coated malty taste. Developments of cola, coffee, light cocoa nibs, and dates rise at mid palate and carry over to a simply sweet and candied finish.

Sweet textures fill the mouth with a film of sugar that never dissolves. The tack of sugar invites early creaminess that fades quickly, leaving an extended middle palate of residual malt sweetness and cola-like coat. Finishing spicy, malty-dry, and lightly acidic; the beer refuses to conclude quietly.

The Thirteenth Hour is a fairly typical Belgian-style strong dark ale that's made by a U.S. brewery with U.S. ingredients and techniques. These usually result in a sticky sweet taste with simple fruit and simple spice with little of the rustic intangibles that make authentic versions so great. A higher wood aged presence would have given a much needed complexity to make me forget about the one-dimensional sweet taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 06:38:14 | More by BEERchitect

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Black body with maroon hues when held up to the light. Fizzy tan head.

Aroma: Dark malts and some yeast presence.

Taste: Some light chocolate flavor with a good dark malt character. Some plum and other dark fruit flavors that you usually get with this style. The 9% ABV is masked pretty well. Smooth finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light in body with slightly above average carbonation. Almost creamy at times. Good drinkability.

Final Thoughts: A good beer from a hit and miss brewery. Would I drink it again? I wouldn't turn it down but I wouldn't seek it out. I will be looking for other bombers in this series from Samuel Adams.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 01:14:07 | More by JamesMN

BigBarley

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a deep deep brown, almost pitch black, except for the highlights that are revealed in the light. Very deep brown. Almost impossible to see any light except through the edges. Head came to about a finger of a tan-brown froam that recedes over time to a thick ring of foam.

S - Dark, sweet coffee, very faint vanilla, with a nice, sharp, barrel-aged aroma of something like wood and spices, very thick smell, light black fruit presence, lots of raisin underneath, hint of cinammon, more vanilla, more wood. A great beer for smelling, very full of subtleties and variety.

T - Smoked malt, burnt plum notes, very mild hints of chocolate and vanilla battle it out, very charred wooden taste, spices come through on the swallow, left with a nice yeasty, dark flavor. Nothing like a stout or dark ale I've had before, lots of things happening here that I can't describe. Wild yeasty flavor, biscuit tastes, black, sweet burnt caramel. There's just so much going on here, it's a great experience sifting through all these flavors.

M - Pretty thick, but not unbelievably so. The carbonation is pretty active for the style, and creamy. All around thick but smooth.

O - An interesting beer to say the least. Samuel Adams hit-and-miss tendencies made me less than exuberant about putting down 12 dollars for a bottle, but I like to think I made a good choice. Very tasteful, very well-made, very rich. This beer is intense and warming. Great winter time early morning taster (but only if you've got the day to yourself, lots of alcohol here)

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 11:39:44 | More by BigBarley

jjanega08

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No freshness dating known.

A= Pours a deep brown color not quite a black "stout" color in my opinion with a finger of head on it that rises and is active with it's falling but it falls much slower than it would appear. Great lacing on the glass.

S= The nose is very spicy. A nice dark fruity punky aroma to it that is pretty unexpected. There is a sort of dark cherry dark plum kind of aroma.

T= The taste is much less "tart" smelling but there is stil a big sort of funky cherry flavor. There is a decent amount of roast to it and a bit of a woody character. There isn't much chocolate or coffee in the taste or the nose. The barrel is light in flavor but the funk is definitally there.

M= A bright highly carbonated beer.

O= This is a unique beer. I went into it thinking imperial stout with a belgian twist but that's far from what it actually is. This is a funky belgian dark. Not bad but this is a decent beer and worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 04:42:01 | More by jjanega08

tectactoe

Michigan

3.91/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Pours a deep brown, dark ruby color with a tan head that fades pretty quickly and doesn't really leave any noticeable lacing. Nose hits very heavy with a cornucopia of fruity and earthy esters, the heaviest and most apparent being apples and grapes. Very, very sweet and malty aroma. The taste comes up and follows right along with the nose - fruity and actually slightly tart on the tongue, full of apple skins, grapes, and raisins. Sweet toffee and slight caramel shine through near the tail end of the beer. It finishes with a slight oak/woodgrain flavor and a touch of alcohol warmth. Bitterness is low and I really didn't notice any kind of florals or hops in this one at all. Medium-thick body, slightly sticky, low carbonation.

Pretty impressive outing from Sam Adams. This beer may look intimidating, but it was actually quite sweet on the tongue and the alcohol was hidden aside from the typical warming sensation it provided.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 14:00:20 | More by tectactoe

FanofHefe

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Corked and caged bomber poured into a Duvel tulip. Deep, dark, body that is mostly black with no light getting through. Larger than expected tan head, nearly three fingers, that has good retention and leaves a bit of creamy lacing down the glass.

The aroma is very much as expected from a BSDA: fruity esters with dark fruit dominating. Some light, sweet maltiness comes through as well, and some notes that are reminiscent of a nice cabernet.

The flavor is, again, what I expected from a BSDA with strong raisin and grape flavors accompanied by a bit of roasted malt. A very light note of hops and some light yeast notes that are complex - both sour and sweet at times. Got to love Belgian yeast.

Since the bottle noted it was a "stout," I was expecting a thicker texture and this one is on the thin side overall. But, this is definitely a complex and tasty brew that I would gladly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 01:37:30 | More by FanofHefe

SeamusDoyle

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brown pour but black in the glass. Small tan head, no lace. Sour cherries, Belgian yeast, hint of coffee grounds, and faint roast in the aroma. Just a bit of oak comes off as it warms. The flavor has sweet, tart cherries and yeast, with a bit of toasty malts.Alcohol and the slightest bit of oak on the finish. Medium body at best, with light carbonation

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 18:43:40 | More by SeamusDoyle

Quackershnoc

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: really dark, deep purple color, barely any light getting through this guy; khaki colored head that thins out but still sticks around awhile
Aroma: banana and other fruit notes; coffee; chocolate; malt; a hint of spice
Taste: wow, this is big and complex; it starts with some malty sweetness; moves into some banana but the other fruit notes are huge, almost a wine kind of taste, grapes/raisins and other dark fruits; it gets a bit spicy in there too, very nice; finishes dry, maybe a little alcohol warmth, with fruit aftertaste; this is really good
Mouthfeel: it's creamy...maybe velvety?; it is not very carbonated, but I think that works out really well
Overall Impression: this is a very good beer; it's smooth, big, and drinkable; I have never even heard of anything like this...a spicy stout is just crazy, but in a good way; there are layers of flavor throughout and they get a bit more pronounced as it warms up; may favorite part is the balance of the malty and spicy flavors...it's a spicy stout! that's just nuts!

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 05:03:37 | More by Quackershnoc

ESPNman

California

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served into a tulip glass.

A - Pours a thin, deep purple. Almost black, but not quite. Kind of like a really deep Cabernet red. Very little head, and even less lacing... although what head is generated does have a surprising retention to it.

S - Lots of rich fruit flavors, as well as a bit of roasty malt and oak. Not much alcohol present on the nose, despite the 9% ABV here.

T - Woah, it's like there's a party in my mouth and everyone's invited. There's a lot going on in this big complex beer, and it works for the most part. Belgian-yeast fruit esters, deep roasted caramel malts, sweet fruit, peppery spice, and a bit of imperial stout-esque chocolate. Very little hop bitterness. It could have used a bit more barrel aging to tame the Belgian yeast fruit.

M - A little overcarbonated for my tastes. A little dry on the finish. Solid, but unspectacular and with some flaws.

O - This was an ambitious beer that hit most of the right notes. I'd definitely drink it again if I get the opportunity, but it's not something that I'm going to be seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 05:52:47 | More by ESPNman