LongShot Five Crown Imperial Stout - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

womencantsail

California

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

The pour is almost black in color with a thin layer of tan head. Nose is of dark chocolate, roasted malt, licorice, and earthy hops. There’s some molasses, a hint of coffee, and maybe a touch of fruit. The flavor is quite smooth. Rich chocolate and cocoa flavors with a lot of roast. Hints of burnt sugar and licorice with a slight molasses sweetness. Creamy on the tongue with a full body.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 04:56:49 | More by womencantsail

UCLABrewN84

California

4.08/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Best before 8/2012.

Pours an absolutely pitch black with a 2 inch foamy super dark khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Thick foamy rings of lace line the glass on the entire drink down. Definitely one of the best looking stouts I have seen in a long while. Smell is of dark roasted malt, chocolate chip cookie dough, and cocoa powder. Taste is of dark roasted malt, cocoa powder, coffee beans, and some slightly sour dark fruit flavors. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp but somewhat thin mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good stout with an incredible look and great smell. Unfortunately, the taste and mouthfeel just don't quite add up to what I was hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 03:03:13 | More by UCLABrewN84

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.33/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Part of the Longshot 2012 six-pack - $9.99 at Total Wine & More in Atlanta, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a black body with a growing, steady, dark tan head. Sporadic lacing on the drop.

Smell: Roasted malt, heavily toasted malt, Dutch cocoa, dried fig, oatmeal, light spice, even lighter alcohol, and a small sprinkling of Morton's salt.

Taste: Roast, toffee, with plenty of melted chocolate and coffee spiked with spirits. Moderately sweet. Fruitiness of dehydrated figs and black currants. Very low hop character, low bitterness. Faint but noticed salty-ish iodine twang underneath. Puckish pinch of alcohol. Drying, silken, roasty finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. The mouthfeel, it's quite smooth.

Overall: Almost really nice except for a slight salty, iodine quality. If I wanted salty, soy, I'd pop open an old bottle of Triple Bock.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 19:34:32 | More by ChainGangGuy

oberon

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours jet black with a fluffy deep mocha colored head atop that settles into a creamy mass.Alot of dark fruit and alcohol in the nose,a bit of nuttiness shows itslef but it's dominated by sweet alcohol and alcohol dipped fruit.Alot of stuff going on on the palate dark fruit,bitter chocolate,deep somewhat raw roast,roasted nut,it's complex and true to what it should be.This is a damn fine impy stout made by a homebrewer,hell yeah.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 19:48:22 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

I was in no position to remember this one the first time I tried it back after my buddy's wedding. Now, my eyes and mind are clear... This stuff pours a straight onyx topped by a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises roasted malts, light vanilla, dark chocolate, and a kiss of coffee. The taste brings in more of the same, with the elements coming together into a very pleasant cocoa-like brew with a distinct roasted barley character. The body is a lithe medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a smooth feel. Overall, a very nice impy stout, one I wish I could duplicate in my own homebrewing efforts.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 02:48:33 | More by TMoney2591

drabmuh

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Sam Adams perfect pint glass, even though the glass isn't perfect or a pint.

Beer is black with a nice soft off white head, lacing is there, moderate to low carbonation, small bubbles, decent retention, looks good.

Aroma is sweet with a back end roast.

Beer is medium body. Nice roast on the back end, mildly bitter, not ashy just clean and nice. Moderate sweetness up front, I'd have it again...maybe.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 17:32:11 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a very dark brown to black color with a brown head. The aroma is full of heavily roasted malt and sweet chocolate, as well as some oak and vanilla notes. The flavor has a lot of chocolate and roasted malt, as well as a hint of smoke. The mouthfeel and very thick and somewhat creamy and the carbonation is low to medium. A nice imperial stout, even if it is somewhat basic and doesn't really have any standout features.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 03:30:22 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a thick, viscous, jet black color with a small, light brown head of bubbly, foam.

S - It smelled of chocolate and some roasty notes.

T - Good roasted malt flavor with some dark chocolate and burnt molasses. A goo deal of sweetness with a touch of bitter bite for some balance.

M - It was smooth and full bodied. There was a slight alcohol warmth, too.

O - This is a pretty nice Imperial Stout. It has a great look and taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 17:20:44 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a short brown head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, dark fruit and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a hearty roasted malt character that is quickly followed by bitter-sweet flavors of dark chocolate and black coffee. There are some background flavors of dark fruit and licorice. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, it’s solid beer but there are a lot of other options in the style that I would pick first.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 04:00:06 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This poured out as a deep black oily like liquid. The head was brown in color and held up nicely over time. The aroma on this beer wasn't as strong as I was hoping for. There was a decent amount of burnt chocolate aromas in there with some hoppy notes too, but still not something that was overly impressive to me. The taste of the beer was sweet with a bitter finish. There is a bit of depth to this one but could use a little more I think. The mouthfeel was big and thick, very nice and easily the best part of the beer in my opinion. Overall It's a good brew, I enjoyed it and it was a good sipping beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 04:39:59 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with 3 fingers of mocha head. Good head retention & above average lacing

S: Dark fruit

T: Roasty malt, a bit of plum & raisin, plus oaky dryness, plus figgyness up front. There's a fruitty sweetness to this that almost reminds me of banana laffy taffy, weird. Some charred grain & figgyness as this warms, a touch of plummyness as well. Finishes dry with charred grain & much figgy sweetness& just a bit of booze heat

MF: Chewy enough, slight carbonation, fairly smooth

An alright Imp stout, just too sweet & strange for me to really enjoy

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 04:38:44 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cheers to Chicago homebrewer Joe Formanek, and congrats on the Longshot win.

Five Crown pours into a tulip glass with a billowing voluminous head of mocha foam, coating the glass with sheets of sticky lacing.

Milk chocolate, sweet melted dark chocolate, hint of fried plantains and banana. Slight hint of alcohol as it warms, that creeps up over time.

Super creamy and smooth, roasted malt, caffe latte, melted chocolate. Light dry bitterness in the aftertaste. Smooth like a melted chocolate milkshake, full bodied and viscous. Pretty damn nice.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 02:31:41 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

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

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours pitch black with a full dark brown head, this is like Chocolate Yeti territory. Lots of thick lace, great head retention.

S: Semi-sweet chocolate, not really dark. Some roasted malt.

T: Dark chocolate here, fairly one dimensional, but it does it well. Not as good as the regular SA Imperial Stout, but definitely solid here.

M: Full-bodied and thick, soft carbonation, smooth, creamy.

O: A very solid RIS, don't know why it's classified as an ADS. For a price under $3 a bomber if you can find it in singles, this may be the best deal in RIS today. Not a world changing beer, but a good example of this all too expensive style.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 05:35:03 | More by Halcyondays

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours pitch black in the body with a large bubbled mocha tan head forming thick, fine even lacing. Aroma has dark fruit, roasted malt forward quality going on, a bit of soy sauce in the distance but not bad...this is a traditional RIS. Warming alcohol booze soaked fruit mix well, dark chocolate syrup around the sides, super sweet and rich RIS. Mouthfeel is a bit cloying the alcohol warmth, and big chewy body are a lot to handle and some things fail to mix as well as I would hope. After a couple sips it starts to weigh heavy on the palate, slow carbonation just a bit cloying. Some excellent flavor overall, just a bit rough around the edges to land up there with my favorite imperial stouts, will try more of these Longshot offerings this just wasn't my favorite for the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 16:36:27 | More by WVbeergeek

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a snifter)
A- The inky jet black body supports a cocoa tan head of cream that takes on an espresso crema being thick and lasting.

S- The earthy slightly fruity dark chocolate malt aroma has some leather notes mixed in and gives is a good depth.

T- The big roasted coco notes has a natural tootsie roll malt flavor with a prune hint in the finish. There are some dark mellow roasted malt flavors that linger just a moment without any bitterness.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a spicy little carbonation but no real alcohol heat.

O- This beer has a well-blended depth of dark malt and some good yeast character making it a very nice beer to sip several in a row.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 16:48:06 | More by rhoadsrage

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A perfect way to get prepped for stoutfest tomorrow, with a Sam Adams Longshot winner, Imp Stout.

it pours a decent fluffy dark cocoa colored head that hits about 1/2 a finger before fading at a med pace, with some lacing. The beer is essentially pitch black, with no real light coming through.

Nose brings plenty of dark malts, starting with some chocolate, bakers and dark mostly, mixed with plenty of caramel, as well as some roasted malt. The roast brings a slight coffee and just a bit of over roasted briny aroma but barely. A creamy malt, like hint of oats, and light milk chocolate, add a nice balanced malt profile, and just a hint of hops.

Taste continues, starting though with more of the roast, a slight smoky like malt as well, with hint of campfire, which moves to the roasted barley, light briny roasty burnt taste typical with dark malts. Then hints of chocolate but not nearly what the nose brought, more baker's chocolate with bitterness and earthy flavors. A bit lush with some creamy oats, and just a hint of chocolate milk. bitterness kicks in more from the dark malts than the hops, but just a hint of earthy hops that slowly intensify to a light spicy hop flavor. A hint of caramel and molasses like sweet flavors finish it. The finish itself is a bit drier but still semi sweet and sticky, mouth coating dark malts, bit of caramel, very dark chocolate, some roasted malt, and even a bit of earthy spicy hops finish it for a long lingering taste.

Mouth is bigger bodied, a bit lush and creamy, decent carb, and just a hint of booze.

Overall not bad, a nice imperial stout that doesn't go so far that you can only drink it with your best friends on special occasions, or when you know you can't drink anything else as it will literally burn your tongue off. Drinkable with a nice malt profile, decent hops, booze hidden fairly well, but still tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 03:10:35 | More by jlindros

Jason

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz brown bottle with a freshness date.

LOOK: Massive brown head and barely dissipates. Liquid is as black is black can be.

SMELL: Molasses bread, chicory, cacao nibs, black currants, mild charcoal, burnt marshmallow, alcohol

TASTE: Creamy, smooth, full-ish body, warming, char, burnt toast, dark chocolate, currants, mild hopping, burnt semi-sweet finish

I was hoping for a bit more depth here, hits all the bells and whistles for the style but lands a bit flat from sip to sip.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 02:55:10 | More by Jason

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours a jet black in the glass, with 3 big fingers of rich dark mocha head. This eventually simmers down into a tight ¾ finger that just drenches the sides of the glass with robust lacing which hangs in sticky swathes. The aroma smells of ripe dark fruit, damp earth, green hops, cocoa, burnt smoky roast, a touch of anise, and an underlying wave of warm spiciness that picks up steam as this warms. This has some nice depth to it in the nose.

The taste is bittersweet chocolate and a touch of tangier caramel sweetness, earthy green citrus, dark fruit, licorice, and burnt feeling roast across the back. A sweet and spicy alcohol presence is scattered throughout the profile, carrying into in the finish where it lingers with leftover bitterness and dry roast. The mouthfeel is full bodied, with a sharper feel up front that then gets much creamier as the carbonation rides out along the back of the throat. The alcohol is handled very well here, staying strictly to the added flavors here and keeping any excess warmth out of the equation.
This is a nice steady sipper.

This was a really nice example of an English style Imperial Stout, with plenty of complex and well balanced flavor and quite the smooth and drinkable body for a close to 10% Stout. I’d like to see how one of these would age with time. This is probably one of the best that I’ve had from the Long Shot series. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 17:13:03 | More by Kegatron

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I stumbled across this during a recent visit to The Foodery (N. Liberties) and thought, "What the heck, I'm a bit of a long shot my dang self!" I have certainly bought beer for lesser reasons in the past.

From the bottle: "Joe Formanek"; "For the past 15 years, Joe has beer brewing his Russian Imperial Stout. This malt-forward ale has a rich complexity, with roasty and chocolate notes, yet enough hop bitterness to balance out the sweetness. This satisfying winter brew is full-bodied with an enjoyable velvety smoothness."

Wow, the pour looked like an oil spill as it entered the glass! This was not deep brown or any other color than Stygian black. It produced two dense fingers of deep brown head that sat there, glaring out at me, refusing to go away. "Be afraid, Woody, be VERY afraid," it cried out to me from the depths. The nose was much more hoppy than I expected and I began to relax a little. Mouthfeel was an iron fist encased in velvet, or perhaps it was Dan Clowes-like: a velvet fist encased in iron, or Velvet Underground ... At any rate, it started really friendly, wriggling around on my tongue like a sensuous lap dancer, but then, Wham!, the bouncer appeared out of nowhere and punched me, reminding me to keep my hands to myself. Jesus, Joe, do you always do this to your friends? It was really rich in terms of its chocolate character, but the minty hops gave it a peppermint quality that was quite refreshing. Finish was like having consumed a Peppermint Patty. Get the sensation!

Phew! Onward and upwards. What was I supposed to do today? Test drive the 2013 Ford Mustang? Nope. Operate an overhead crane? Nope. Vote? Oh, yeah, that's the ticket! I'm ready now!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 15:10:42 | More by woodychandler

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Solid beer, if a bit soft for the style. Pours black with a nice caramel colored head that sticks around for the duration. Some slight lacing. Smells sweet and malty with a bit of roastiness and a touch of dark chocolate and a pronounced ashiness on the finish. A bit light, though. The taste is a bit more layered with very nice bitter chocolate notes, a bit of sweetness, some creaminess, and some of that ash on the finish which helps to dry things out a bit. Very creamy, and a bit too light overall, but nice flavors make this one worthwhile.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 01:47:18 | More by Georgiabeer

mactrail

California

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep brown in the tall tulip, nearly black. Pleasant beige head. I can't get much aroma out of this. Barleywine sort of body.

This stuff is so sweet and fruity, it's like some kind of barley candy bar. Distinct flavor of licorice. More malty sweet than burnt and sour, but they must have charred a lot of barley to get it this dark. Hard to take too much of this, even sipping, but it keeps up the intrigue. Fairly bitter aftertaste.

Total dark flavor is actually quite remarkable. Interesting, and makes you wonder what they do to the malt to get this Midnight Oils taste. From the 12 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 05:01:35 | More by mactrail

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from drabmuh. Thanks Matt.

An outstanding appearance. The beer is black with an inch of dense beige head that leaves a fair amount of lacing on the glass.

The aroma brings chocolate, roast, molasses, anise, some sweet malt.

The flavor is sweet, focusing on molasses and anise. Roast and chocolate come in next, and a touch of booze finishes things off.

Medium bodied with a creamy feel.

Overall, pretty good. Some really nice things going on here, but overall, a little too sweet for my personal preference.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 02:40:12 | More by Huhzubendah

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Strong, smoky aroma has subtle molasses, roast coffee and horehound notes and a hint of burnt wood. It pours a rich sable a mere whisker above black with a thick, fine-bubbled, persistent tan head that leaves generous lacing. Mouth-filling flavor is a little sweet and has notes of roast quality coffee, molasses, caramel and licorice plus a hint of anchovies. The last part actually seems to add to the flavor instead of subtracting from it. Thick, smooth, oily texture has a decent amount of fizz. Attention Boston Beer Company: Hire Joe Formanek - he knows how to brew some a** kicking beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 01:18:39 | More by Cyberkedi

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

LOOK: Pours a midnight black with a tan silky froth that leaves plenty of lace on the snifter. No sediment, this bottle has been fridge aged for over a year now. Appears like an imperial stout.

SMELL: Big and roasty, with a woodsy aroma that is intriguing and expressive.

TASTE: Smooth and surprisingly mild flavors of roast, oats, coffee and some fruity notes. Has some earthy, dirty flavor to it as well as alluding to suggestions of wood, though I don't believe this is an oak aged brew. As it warms notes of chocolate dial in.

FEEL: Full bodied, very smooth, velvety feel.

OVERALL: A good American Double Stout, pleasing to sip on, and gets better as it warms slightly. This makes for a nice sipper on a rainy spring evening.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 00:00:37 | More by Stinkypuss

ZAP

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Very impressed with the body and texture on this....full bodied and velvety texture....aroma is ok but not a strong point...some roasty notes and licorice.

The taste begins roasty with some dark chocolate....a little black strap molasses as well and then a dry finish from the hops....the hops are not extremely bitter or biting but lend a dryness to the finish which is cool.

Overall this is solid....it has its strong points and its average points. Overall an above average Impy

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 04:37:22 | More by ZAP