Jahva (Imperial Coffee Stout) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

mscudder

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Duvel snifter.

A - Pitch black with a thin mocha head. Little lacing is left behind.

S - Soft and warm notes of java, some cocoa adds some sweetness and there are some subtle dark fruits as well.

T - Big coffee taste upfront, perhaps a bit too bitter for my liking. A very warm stout that does not show a large amount of ABV on the palette, yet the heat makes its existence evident.

M - A bold and smooth stout which while having a big medium body, is somewhat thin. Carbonation is low, which helps this beer out quite a bit.

O - A good coffee stout, but I have had much better. Not worth the $17 price tag for a full growler. Will not buy again.

Serving type: growler

05-11-2012 03:50:32 | More by mscudder

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

bomber served in an oversized wineglass.

pours a rich, dark brown/black with a tan head that dissipates quickly, leaving some lacing.

nose leads with roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate and is flanked by secondary notes of booze and caramel... tastes follows the aroma: all the above-mentioned, but i get more coffee and alcohol than was evident in the smell. the latter of which IMO is a shade too much - not as well-hidden as i would normally like. mouthfeel is decadent; rich, full-bodied, and creamy. overall it's flawed but still very nice. i would definitely have it again. would probably make a good dessert beer.

original review on: 08-01-2010 02:51:14

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 23:26:31 | More by BostonHops

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Jahva pours a completly black color, with not very much head. The smell is very boozy, with hints of smoky malts. The taste is very complex, very creamy and has a nice sweetness to it, then a strong bitter coffee taste, and finishes dry, with hints of coffee. A nice strong complex flavor, the bite from the alchool prevents a higher score. Overall a very nice coffee beer, a bit different and very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 02:47:51 | More by vette2006c5r

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type - 22oz bottle

Appearance - Dark black, hint of tan. 1/2 foamy creamy head with some lacing.

Smell - Strong coffee aroma, roased malts, vanilla, dark fruits, chocolate, some molasses and syrupy sugars. A little cocoa and caramel to round this out.

Taste - Big hit of coffee, malts and a little chocolate at first sip. Sweet Caramel and some cocoa mixed in with some dark fruits add some more flavors. Sugars and some alcohol come in at the finish.

Mouthfeel - Big beer, coats mouth with malts, coffee and alcohol. TOunge gets alot of malts, were palette gets more sugars and chocolate. Aftertaste is coffee with some chocolate

Overall - Pretty nice coffee stout. Lots of coffee, but not sickly bitter like alot of coffee stouts ive had. Nice sweetness but not too sweet or overpowering. Malts are nice also, this is relaly balanced and quite enjoyable. Alcohol does sneak in a little too much at the end by other then that, this is really good. Must try this.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 00:58:00 | More by wvsabbath

Celtics76

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a sample into a 6oz. Red Hook glass.

Dark brown in color with basically no head. Taste is of black coffee with a hint of chocolate. I'm not sure what the other reviewers are talking about, I can clearly taste the 10.4% ABV here. Generally I don't mind this, but it is slightly overpowering.

This is a nice after dinner drink. Though given the price and high ABV clearly present in the taste, I prefer Berkshire Brewing's coffee porter over this one. Still recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 22:18:38 | More by Celtics76

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle.

It pours a deep blackish brown with a creamy mocha tan head.

It has some nice hoppy scents and a good imperial stout base. Thick rich black malts with some cocoa and caramel. The coffee lingers over with some bitter earthiness and some fruit.

The mouthfeel is thick but with prickling carbonation. This time coffee is more dominant. Lots of burnt flavors and some slightly tartish fruitiness.

It is decent but nothing mind blowing.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 22:16:47 | More by crossovert

KingEdward

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured this beer aggressively from a bottle into a chimay glass and the result was a small head that was gone quickly. Very dark with a reddish brown almost black color when looking through with light. The smell is of coffee, malt, and dark chocolate. The Taste is almost the same with the hops giving it a dark chocolate bitterness. The mouth feel is silky and thick. I am drinking and typing and have noticed almost no lacing. I like this beer alot thought i feel the price should be a little lower than 8.50 but i bought it at a specialty store called bruisin ales which i feel can be a little pricy. Maybe a less expensive 4 pack is on the way.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 22:08:16 | More by KingEdward

Greywulfken

New York

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: spot-on stout blackness; head thinned quickly and actually looked like a mily froth around the edges once it had settled (made me think of a milk stout)

S: fairly low-key: some coffee scents, some malts, and some cocoa, but nothing too impressive under the nose

T: nice roasted malts ans coffee, some cocoa; not decadent in the sweetness - a more balanced sweet-to-dry balance than I expected, and it worked well for the beer

M: rich, little sticky, teensy bit of alcohol astringency, hint of acidity

O: great stout - more subdued than the Bourbon County coffee stout, less classy than the Peche Mortel (my only other true coffee stouts), but in general, a really good stout

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 19:59:01 | More by Greywulfken

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

4.48/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22fl oz bottle. Pint glass. Enjoyed on dec´11. Very dark copper in color. Beige, creamy , slowly dissipated, crown. Lacing collars. Caramel malt, choco malt, sweet fruit, strawberry syrup aromas. High profile sweet upfront. Smooth flavors of toasted malts & subtle underlying coffee. Full flavor, full body, medium carbonation. Dry bitter finish. Chocolate & sweet coffee on the aftertaste. ABV well hidden but after a while it is definitely there.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 18:14:04 | More by GONZALOYANNA

Rhettroactive

Virginia

2.78/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

From 22oz bomber to Bruges hybrid glass on 4/4/12
*From notes

Vintage 2010

A: If I wanted a Brown Ale, I'd buy one. Sadly, this is much lighter in color then your average brown, and a big pour disappoints - yielding no real head, lacing or collar to speak of.

S: Peanut butter and unseasoned oatmeal.

T: Again, lots of oats. Not a lot of coffee or residual sugar. I'm not too fond of this one.

M: Thin and uninspired. It lacks not only carbonation, but body too.

O: Don't age this beer, folks. I write this review to tell you that putting this one in the cellar was a mistake. Ok, so I lost the bottle in there for much longer then originally expected, but be warned: unlike a lot of ST's Impy Stouts, this one must be consumed as fresh as possible. As it is, you ask?

Not good.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 21:56:10 | More by Rhettroactive

Kromes

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pitch black with a thick brown colored head consisting of large bubbles. Good lacing down the glass.

S: Roasted malt, dark chocolate, bit of tobbacco and alcohol and grassy hop in the background.

T: Pretty much identical to the aroma with a more intense roasted malt and coffee flavor. There is a sweetness to the finish that goes well with the chocolate, coffee and hop.

M: Very smooth with a heavier, syrupy feel to it. light carbonation and a burn on the tongue.

O: One of the better coffee Imperial Stouts. Some have a wicked bitter bite from the mixture of roasting and hop, however, this beer has a nice sweetness to it.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 00:11:05 | More by Kromes

mdaschaf

Washington

3.1/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Review from notes. Consumed blind.

A: Pours a very deep black with a small brown/mocha head on top. Very little retention or lacing.

S: Rather unremarkable. Some roasted malt and a little bit of chocolate and coffee. After the bottle was revealed I was surprised at how muted the aroma was for a bottle in the blackwater series.

T: Very similar to the aroma in terms of the flavors and how minimal they were. It came off like a rather generic imperial stout with some roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee.

M: Medium to full bodied with low to medium carbonation. Alcohol hidden well.

O: Was extremely surprised when the bottle was revealed. Having had choklat and creme brulee I would have expected an in your face coffee beer, but this just did not live up to that. Age could have been a factor, but I wouldn't expect it to drop off that much.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 16:56:54 | More by mdaschaf

thekevlarkid

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Out of a bomber this beer was an opaque black color with one finger of dark tan head. The retention of the tight collar was ok and it left lacing as small spots. The aroma was of coffee, chocolate, molasses, a hint of caramel .The flavors were, well, just plain delicious. The coffee, the flavorful and distinct was not overpowering and allowed the more subtle elements of chocolate, Belgian candi sugar and roasted malt to shine through. I also tasted toasted marshmallow and toffee as it warmed up. Rich and inviting yet dangerous in how well the booze was covered up by the flavors. The mouthfeel was creamy, the body full and the carbonation delicate. A joy for anyone who loves the coffee/stout combination.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 01:06:10 | More by thekevlarkid

cwguy5

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

reviewed from notes taken on 9.6.11. served on-tap in a pilsner glass.

A - deep brown, almost black; thin tan head withdrew to a trace of a cap; fair amount of lacing left around top half of glass

S - light overall, more so than i expected; coffee, dark and roasty; maybe some bread

T - not overpowering with the coffee; dark, malty tones quickly followed by dark, french pressed coffee; some sweetness but semi-sweet at that; the 10.4% is hidden pretty well and is not noticeable

M - light-medium body for a stout; thin but noticeable carbonation; drys slightly toward end with short coffee aftertaste

O - a little more light-handed than some other ST beers; a bit thinner than i expected but not really a problem actually ups the drinkability factor

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 02:11:00 | More by cwguy5

atr2605

New York

4.48/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-pours black with a tan head with good retention
S-coffee, plums, milk chocolate, rum
T-the plums and coffee mix up front with the alcohol coming in giving it a bit of the rum flavor, finishing with the milk chocolate and more coffee in the finish
M-full bodied
O-lots of flavor and plenty of layers. A great beer that can be enjoyed like a dessert wine. Highly recommend

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 03:35:34 | More by atr2605

PorterLambic

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Arrives in a a Cigar City snifter with barely 1/4" of space for the head. A ring of around the rim of dark tan head is all that tops this exceedingly dark brown liquid love.
Smell is rich and well balanced with notes of roasted malt, rum, coffee, vanilla, caramel and dark fruits.
Taste is the same. Roasted malts, rum, fermented dark fruit, coffee, caramel and a smoky peat note. Warming from the start.
Full-bodied with a light effervescence. Smoooth and de-freaking-licious. Not the coffee heavy brew I expected and for this coffeephobic drinker that's a happy thing.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 22:45:48 | More by PorterLambic

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.8/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Black pour, thin 1/8" ring of tan head on it, maybe a little bit darker than tan. Aroma was poor in terms of representating the coffee (the bottle was over 6 months old). For those of you who will blast me/the review for it being an older bottle of coffee stout, I offer this: The great coffee beers retain their coffee flavor for a long time. Hence, your beer is not a great coffee beer if it has a short shelf life, I don't like dainty beers that can't hold up. This is a good imperial stout, just doesn't impart enough coffee. It did hide the alcohol in the aroma quite well though.

The taste, again, missing enough coffee, tasted like a huge stout, rich, decadent, everything was big except the coffee and alcohol taste, hid 11% greatly. Not an immense amount of chocolate, if any, maybe it came entirely from the chocolate malt.

Ultimately, this was a good imperial stout, but was lacking for the coffee component. But then again, when stuff is this heavy all around, I find it difficult for the coffee to standout, unless your name is Speedway Stout. Would try again. Drank before the start of the Super Bowl.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 18:28:00 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Merkur

Tennessee

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer pours very dark wth very little head.

Beer smells of dark, sweet fruit and roasted coffee. Also, a very strong booze smell.

As far as taste, the beer follows the smell. Very sweet and not very coffee tasting up front. The coffee flavor is on the backend with a good amount of booze afterburn.

Moutfeel is a bit thick, but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 12:45:44 | More by Merkur

Apostlebrews

Texas

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a 6 oz. snifter. Color is completely black with a creamy head and thick lacing. Smell is wonderful--dark fruits and booze. Smells more like a bourbon stout than a coffee stout.

The taste is a bit surprising. There's really not a lot of coffee here. I get more of the dark fruits--some raisins, dates, and fig. This is quite sweet for a coffee stout as well. The finish is sweet with a slight booziness.

Again, this is pretty easy to drink. I quite enjoyed this brew, though I was looking for more coffee in the profile. Still a quality beer that out performs most of the competition.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2012 18:22:31 | More by Apostlebrews

RJLarse

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I bought a bomber of Jahva Imperial Coffee Stout in a bottle store. $8.99. Poured in to a pint glass.

Pours a jet black opaque color with a small bubble tan head.

Smell is strong, a sweet coffee aroma with molasses or brown sugar, maybe a little bourbon scent along side.

Taste is a dark chocolate and molasses flavor, with a little bitter dark roasted coffee flavor.

Mouthfeel is incredibly smooth and silky and oddly not cloying. There is a bit of an alcohol heat on the swallow.

Overall an incredibly smooth and tasty imperial stout. Maybe just a bit long on sweetness, and to high on ABV to be sessionable, but a very good imperial stout just the same.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 00:35:40 | More by RJLarse

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

We pour a brew of the deepest black into our tasting snifters. It holds a one finger head of light brown bubbles. This shows medium retention, but leaves massive bubbles atop the liquid. Lacing is spotty around the glass. Carbonation appears higher for such a syrupy brew. No sediment is observed. The nose is full of the dirtiest, earthy and metallic malts. There is a handful of spicy jalapeno peppers thrown in the mix, with some deeper malts surfacing with warmth. These are in the form of chocolate and chalk. The coffee comes through on the back as raw metals, slickness, mud, and crude oil. There is a dash of earthy hops to complete the picture. As we sip, the mouth meets thick and drying roasty malts. There is chalk, chocolate, and blackness. These hang heavy with steely, bittering raw coffee bean. The middle moves with more sugars and cleaner malts. The grain is still mineral and earthy, but they are cut by a melon sweetness. A char rumbles up, mixing with earthy citric hop resin and more waxy malts in the finish. There is additional chocolate, coffee, honey, heavy creamer, and milky coolness. The aftertaste breathes of hot peppers and heat. There are also notes of raw coffee, more drying chocolate, booze, and a carbon char. The body is fuller and the carbonation is average. Despite the body, the feel is lighter and thinner at times. There is nice slurp, smack, with okay froth. The mouth ultimately gets coated with metallic slick astringency. The abv is appropriate and the beer warms significantly. The beer sips for sure.

Overall, what we enjoyed best about this brew was how raw and earthy the nose was. The coffee inclusions were nice, and so was all the chocolate balance. The degree to which this beer is “coffee” is less so than Southern Tier’s Choklat is “chocolate. As a negative we wish this beer was thicker and stickier through and through, but less sweet, rather than leaving us some thinness around the edges.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 23:59:59 | More by TheBrewo

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into tulip glass

A - Black with a minimal tan head. Considerable alcohol lacing, but little in the way of head lacing or head retention. Can see through the beer as I pour, but in the glass it is fully opaque. Head is gone entirely in 2 minutes.

S - Dark fruit and deep roast coffee, some roasted malts and a little cocoa. Some grassy hop character.

T - Intense sweet coffee, black with sugar added. A tiny bit of raisin, but only a little. Some roasted malts and booze. Finish is incredibly good, with a bit of chocolate joining the coffee to round it out.

M - Surprisingly just medium bodied. Wet throughout, very wet in the finish.

O - Overall a nice coffee stout. Not as good at being a "Coffee stout" as Choklat is at being a "Chocolate stout" but it is probably better at being a stout in general, as this beer is more well rounded, and the coffee is balanced by some other flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 23:26:10 | More by greenmonstah

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz Bomber

Appearance - Black/brown colour with an average size light brown coloured head. I can't see much carbonation due the darkness of the beer and there is some fairly good lacing on the sides of the glass. The head lasted for 5 minutes or so.

Smell - Chocolate, malts, hops, roasted/toasted nuts, coffee

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation and I can taste chocolate mixed with malts and a roasted/toasted taste. There is also some hops and of course coffee flavour. It ends with a sweet coffee/chocolate aftertaste.

Overall – There wasn't as much coffee flavour as I expected there to be. It also didn't seem as sweet and cloying as some of the other ST beers are. Still a good beer for sharing as an after dinner drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 20:28:27 | More by spinrsx

jegross2

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewing the Javha Imperial Stout from Southern Tier Brewing Company.
Score: 82

Unknown vintage bottle purchased Fall 2011. Enjoyed 12/15/12 an served in an oversized brandy snifter glass.

Appearance: Pours an opaque dark brown/black brown color with dark caramel/red highlights at the top of the glass. One finger of creamy mocha/chocolate colored head at pour, settles into a layer of head that is so thin that it barely covers the top. Average lacing. 3.5/5

Smell: Alcohol, bitter chocolate and coffee. Has a faint oxidized/sour aroma. 3/5

Taste: Espresso beans and bitter chocolate. Some earthy hoppiness too. This beer is very acrid with a sharp, lingering chocolaty bitterness. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Very acrid mouthfeel. Medium (maybe slightly lighter) bodied, medium carbonation. Bitter, but not dry, finish. 3/5

Overall: I remember Southern Tier being one of my favorite breweries before I started regularly drinking craft beer, but recent experiences seem to have soured past memories. Like the Unearthly and Oak Aged Unearthly, I distinctly remember Jahva being better when I had it several years ago. Nowadays, however, I am finding it to be a very bitter, one dimensional stout.

Recommendation: Worth trying once, but I wouldn't buy a bomber of this again.

Pairings: Smoked turkey croissant with Swiss cheese.

Cost: $7.99 for 22 oz (bomber) bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 22:54:01 | More by jegross2

nbree00

California

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Stoked to try my first Southern Tier beer!

A: Not exactly jet black but a deep rich brown with some black undertones. Light carbonation.

S: Wasn't getting much from the nose at first so I let it warm up a bit. Aromas of espresso, toasted coconut and bitter chocolate. I became super engaged as I let it sit and open up.

T: Flavors of double chocolate cookies, french pressed coffee, vanilla and maybe a touch of tannins. Some what simple but so easy drinking it doesn't matter.

M: Kind of thin on the mouthfeel but just the right amount of carbonation for the style. A nice earthy leathery feeling on the tongue as it finishes.

O: Overall a great offering from Southern Tier, glad I finally got to try one from them. Not particularly complex but soft and lush enough to make up for it.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 04:21:27 | More by nbree00