AleSmith Speedway Stout - AleSmith Brewing Company

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Black body, deep brown head that has some retention and lace.

Coffee-forward stout. Rich, thick, roasted, creamed coffee. Dark chocolate, baker's chocolate comes through in the finish with not much bitterness. Full, very smooth, rich, creamy mouthfeel. Not terribly complex, but sure is delicious. Well done coffee flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2013 19:38:03 | More by garuda

DubbelTrubbel

Iowa

4.01/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured into Chimay chalice. Bought off the shelf and in the cellar about two months.

A- Black with an ultra-creamy tan head. Looked like a well-made latte, complete with swirls.

S- The most exceptional component of this for a stout is the nice fruitiness. This combines with milk chocolate and a little coffee. Very malty

T- Roast, bitter, dark chocolate, dark coffee. Fairly crisp

M- Not very thick for the style and abv, but very smooth and pleasant.

O- A very solid imperial stout. It didn't quite "wow" me, but it is a good take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 04:08:34 | More by DubbelTrubbel

CharlatanSin

Connecticut

4.61/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Had a couple of times before, just getting around to reviewing now. Poured from a bottle into a tulip.

A- Pours black with a nice tan head, which lingers. A little lacing.

S- Delicious dark chocolate and coffee. Dark fruit as it warms, with a little alcohol. Definite coffee liqueur character.

T/M- Coffee is the main flavor. Very roasty. Dark chocolate, dark fruit. A little bit of wine-like sweet booziness, but with no burn. That dark fruit is more pronounced as it warms. All of these flavors are powerful and delicious. Definitely let this one warm up, folks. One of the most flavorful non-BA stouts I've enjoyed. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy with low carbonation.

O- Outstanding. Go get some.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 01:45:44 | More by CharlatanSin

johnnydicfore

Ohio

4.31/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

First review... Here it's goes

Poured in to a pint glass

A: pours thick, pitch black, one finger head

S: roasted coffee beans hit the nose first, followed by dark chocolate, and roasted malts

T: bitter dark chocolate up front fades to coffee/espresso and finishes with the malt and a hint of alcohol at the end

M: thick, creamy, heavy, very smooth, warm alcohol feel as you swallow

O: very enjoyable and balanced. gets better as it warms up, that's when the complexities shine.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 00:28:55 | More by johnnydicfore

EigenBeer

Florida

4.35/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A- Black with two finger tan head and very sticky lacing.

S- Sweet and Roasty with a lot of chocolate malt.

T- Sweet and Roasty with a bit of heat and a coffee after taste.

M-Thick and oil like.

O- Good beer similar taste/mouth of ST Imperial Series.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 00:20:54 | More by EigenBeer

Brabander

Netherlands

3.81/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I got this beer at the Zeebra Extreme Beerfestival in Holland on may 4th 2013. Zeebra was held for the first time with lots of very very very great beers like this one. As a matter of fact the BA version of this beer was also there....

This one was poured in a Zeebra glass, a small tasting glass. I did not really know what to expect from this beer but the expectation were higher than the taste i got.

No head and no carbonation. Just a normal Imperial stout where i made the remark that this is good one for the beginners in this style. Not bad but i have had way better ones....

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 17:48:20 | More by Brabander

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.19/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle. There are 19 different versions of this beer, by dint of wood, fruit, and spice? Fuuuck. Anyways, thanks be to doktorzee for 'importing' this for me from SoCal a little ways back.

This beer pours a typically opaque black, with the same subtle, understated basal dark cola highlights, and three ebullient fingers of puffy, bubbly, thickly foamy milk chocolate head, which leaves rather prominent Tim Burton-inspired honeycombed lace around the glass as it evenly subsides.

It smells of a soft milk chocolate sweetness, further dense mountain holiday fudge, thin, somewhat plain morning office coffee, middling dark roasted salted caramel malt, a hint of wayward smoke, fleshy, watery orchard fruit, mild anise spice, and a bursting at the seams booziness. The taste is weirdly acerbic cocoa powder, well toasted Americano coffee, all with a certain lack of smoke or wood - things so prevalent elsewhere in the realm, instead bolstered by a restrained lactic quality, some softly oily nutty notes, more earthy licorice, and an amusing tussle amongst the sassy hops and alcohol for the title of 'innocuous in the least obvious way'.

The carbonation is quite on the low and unobtrusive side, the body heavy with a niggly medium twinge, and crazily smooth and creamy, with a sense of god-like pandering. It finishes off-dry, in the most pithy way, as the chocolate, coffee, and regrouped black fruit hold great sway, in the face of a swelling alcohol and hop (why are they so easily coupled here?) edginess.

A solid example of things possible with a stout when the American sensibility takes a firm hold - duly tasty additives without overt responsibility. An offering more or less worthy of its heady reputation, especially its ability to rein in the 12% ABV elephant in the room.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 04:36:58 | More by biboergosum

jpro

South Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

750mL bomber picked up at Mikkeller & Friends in Copenhagen. Poured into a snifter...

A: Pours black and dense, with about one finger of mocha head; leaves some nice strands of lace for a 12% beer.

S: Dark chocolate; cocoa; some roasted malt; very big, rich aroma.

T: All of the chocolate and cocoa evident in the aroma + coffee; kind of like an imperial Founders Breakfast Stout; coffee on the end is very nice; virtually no indication of the abv (12%).

M: Huge... Thick, heavy, full mouthfeel; lower carbonation; viscous; wow.

O: A big, chocolate/roasty/coffee imperial stout; a sipper at 12% but delicious and decadent.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 00:28:28 | More by jpro

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle poured into tulip 23/4/13 cheers Rutager for the long time want

A black liquid with a dark cola edge a fingernail deep, plenty of bubbles floating up the side of the glass and they keep a two finger mocha foam going for quite a while leaving a couple partial rings followed by random patches

S all sorts of chocolate on the nose, coco, fudge, bakers chocolate and syrup, coffees hard to miss and the roast is dark, there's a little booze, smoke and charred wood but its faint, just a little over ripe plum and licorice with a slight nutty aspect, smell very rich and sexy

T the coffee I'm smelling more like burnt espresso in the mouth, much more dark roast with lots of char but not smokey, faint booze but I'd be guessing 8% not 12% so its quite well concealed, I like it but I loved the nose with more chocolate and less ultra intense roast the mouths offering

M thick and silky with just the right amount of carbonation, a little heat but less then one would expect from a beer this strong, very strong espresso and char on the finish lingers for ages and its just a little sticky on the lips

O big on coffee and chocolate and a very intense dark roast make for an intimidating brew, well concealed booze and I 'll be tasting this one tomorrow at this rate, pretty solid brew if your a coffee lover like me

No bottling date info that I can see but I'd be surprised if this ones fresh as they hide 12% pretty well, enough booze to close one eye and enough coffee to have the other wide open.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 04:24:51 | More by wordemupg

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.81/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Aged two years--Poured into a Two roads tulip

Appearance: black in color, opaque, 1/2 inch head, moderate carbonation

Smell: coffee, rich chocolate, cream, and alcohol

Taste: tastes starts with rich dark and sweet chocolate and quickly changes to black coffee and espresso, light creaminess at the end before a bitter coffee finish

Mouthfeel: roasty bitter with slight sweetness, heavy body, low carbonation

Overall: A big big beer. This one is coffee and alcohol on overdrive. Nice and smooth and it mellows as it gets warmer. I found the alcohol to be a bit overpowering at times. Quality beer, but I do tend to prefer other coffee stouts and beers by Ale Smith more.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 14:04:47 | More by tigg924

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.14/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Picked up in Philly 2 years ago.

Poured from a 750ml. bottle, code2120L (not sure if it means anything).

Appearance: Real thick, viscous pour. Like motor oil almost. Frothy foam that`s modest but ever present. Thick coating on the glass.

Smell: Macadamia nuts, ground coffee beans, very long lasting and full.

Taste: Well roasted coffee beans, not too robust, bit milky, bittersweet chocolate a bit but all about the coffee in a good way.

Mouthfeel: Ultra smooth, silky, melt in your mouth quality.

Overall: Bonus points for being drinkable despite high ABV. A bit expensive but a nice treat all around.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 00:58:19 | More by papat444

SLeffler27

New York

4.6/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The black beer and two-inch, dark walnut, rocky-to-creamy head cascades within a Dogfish Head snifter before quickly dropping to a dense, quarter inch after leaving a thick coating of lace.

Mellow, dark roasted malt with dark chocolate forms a backbone to the aroma profile. Warmth brings out malted milk, coffee ice cream, and alcohol fumes.

The flavor profile follows the nose, however focuses on coffee ice cream. Mellow, roasted bitterness makes this an exquisite sipping beer that unfolds with warmth, adding hints of cigar smoke and leather. The long, pleasant finish returns light bitterness.

This is a full, almost dense, bodied beer with warm, yet controlled, alcohol, soft carbonation, and a velvety texture. The finish brings out a hint of astringency.

Speedway Stout is a superb compliment to reading on a warm Saturday afternoon in January.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 14:46:25 | More by SLeffler27

douginromeo

Michigan

4.54/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Served at cellar temperature, and poured into a snifter. Bottle is from 2012

Appearance: pours jet black with a thick 2 finger off white head. Leaves only a little bit of lacing.

Smell: Rich! Coffee, chocolate, and burnt malts - smells thick enough to eat, rather than drink. Amazing richness for a non-barrel aged stout.

Taste: follows the smell with a decent amount of bitterness, but not too much. It's really well balanced. As it warms in the glass, more dark fruit and sweetness show up, as well as a bit of booziness. It doesn't burn though, even though it's 12%. It really does a pretty good job of hiding the alcohol.

Mouthfeel: silky, so fantastically silky. It has a decent amount of carbonation, but not more than you'd want. It's a good beer to savor in your mouth and almost chew to really appreciate it.

Overall: One of the best non-BA imperial stouts that I have ever had so far. It just does it really well. As I continue to drink some of the top beers, I'm realizing that it's really all about balance. This beer has amazing balance and is a true pleasure to savor for a while.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 02:11:03 | More by douginromeo

rickyleepotts

Arizona

4.78/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

I can't look at this bottle, and not think about Indianapolis. You know, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indianapolis 500? I lived in Indiana for 28 years and never went to the race. I never saw the Brickyard 400 there, either. Or the moto GP stuff they did. They even race F1 there. But I did walk the golf course, so there's that! Matter of fact, we had tickets to the Indy 500 the last year we were living in Indiana and didn't end up going. Oh well, go fast and turn left!

Until recently I hadn't tried this beer. We couldn't get AleSmith in Indiana, ironic, but the other day after 18 holes at Papago Golf Course we went over to O.H.S.O. They had it on tap. I remember it being great, but I was also eating a jalapeno burger and drinking several other beers. So today I can focus on the beer as is, and spend some time with this big black bottle. We did get the chance to try the Vietnamese Coffee Stout a few weeks ago at a tasting. It was incredible, as well. OK, here we go… Speedway Stout!

In the Glass: OK, so this beer looks amazing coming out of the bottle. It's thick and I can already smell the coffee. Then the dark tan head starts to form and just sticks to the side of the glass like glue. I don't remember my sample of O.H.S.O. being so memorable. But like I said, now I am able to focus solely on the bottle that I have in front of me.

The beer, as the head begins to settle, is dark as night and the head just sits there. Give me a spoon because that head isn't going anywhere. This is a good sign of a great beer to come.

Nose: At first I am smelling dark roasted coffee flavors, then I get a nice metallic ting toward the end of the sniff. Granted, I am smelling the head… so the beer itself might smell different. I will want to see what it smells like once the head is gone. I am also getting some nice milk chocolate aroma toward the finish that have me tasting the beer before I even take a sip. The head is gone… time to take a sip! (Actually, the head isn't gone… but I am getting impatient. Bottoms up, people!)

Flavor: This is too cold, but I couldn't wait any longer. Glad I didn't… WOW. This beer is incredible. There is a TON of coffee at first, then the booze kicks in, and the finish is that of a nice cup of Joe. Holy crap, this beer is amazing. I can't imagine how good this will get with age. The bottles says to wait 6 to 24 months before opening this. I would like to see what 3 or 5 years does to a bottle of this. That is just an incredible flavor and experience all across the board. I do NOT remember is being this good on tap. I haven't had a ton of beers from AleSmith, but this one is one of the best beers I have had in a long time. Bravo, AleSmith!

Mouthfeel: It's thick, and there are no bubbles to speak of. It is almost too thick, and I am sure it will thicken a bit as it heats up. But that's OK. That is just a part of the overall experience with this bottle. It's a big bottle, too. I was surprised when I took off the foil it was capped and not corked. Oh well, still a great beer and I am SO glad that it is on our list. I am starting to stop buying beers that are not on the list to get through the beers we have to buy. Of course, I am still buying a few six packs every week of stuff just to enjoy!

I did take a sip to swish around in my mouth, and it didn't really do much for me. The bubbles then become overwhelming, and the finish becomes drying. Speaking of the finish…

Aftertaste: Not my favorite part of this beer, actually. I would say just the overall experience here is my favorite part. This is a bottle that, if drinking alone, I could spend 2 or 3 hours with. I bet this would be a good cigar beer, too. Regardless, the beer is very easy to drink considering the ABV, and you would never know that as this heats up. The booze begins to, as it nears room temperature, disappear and more coffee and chocolate flavors rush to the surface.

AleSmith, you have outdone yourself. This bottle is worth every penny of the $12.99 price tag, and is the official Total Wine & More 1001 Bottles bottle of the week this week at the Scottsdale location. It's cool to get a local liquor store to promote what we are trying to do here. One beer at a time, anyway!

If you haven't had this beer, do yourself a favor and get a bottle. This beer is ridiculous. I will let my last few sips get to room temperature before I finish my glass. Man, what a great brew. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 23:35:09 | More by rickyleepotts

Kevin73

Washington

3.14/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

I felt this stout was a little over rated. The beer pours jet black with a thick'ish tan head that leaves some nice lacing as it goes down. The smell is a little sharp, perhaps some hops character coming through. The body is thin for a stout like this, I expected something more chewy; I love a thick syrupy imperial but this isn't even close. The flavor was not very well balanced, dominated by the unmasked alcohol. Granted 12% is hard to mask, but there is very little sweetness, it's like they didn't even try. Notes of coffee and chocolate are apparent, but not as dominating as I'd like. The vanilla notes are hidden behind what seems to be a bit of unsavory tinny hops on the finish. I only began to notice the vanilla about half way through. While there is a lot going on in this stout, it just didn't seem to come together. Perhaps this would be a good one for the cellar to let it mellow out and come together.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 02:17:02 | More by Kevin73

AltBock

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml capped bottle that has a silver foil over the cap and a small portion of the neck. The front and back label are silkscreened. The front has AleSmith's symbol, and two checkered flags coming out of the name of the beer. The back label has a wealth of information. It contains a large paragraph about the beer, proper serving temp, and proper serving glass. It also says that it approves with age. To the right of that is the Government warning. No bottled date, no best before date, or a bottle code anywhere on the bottle. You'd think there's enough room on the bottle for one of those.

The bottle suggested an AleSmith Tulip (of course!), but I don't have one of those. So I poured this beer into my small Great Lakes Snifter. Out of the bottle came a liquid that's just as thick and black as motor oil. I wouldn't be surprised if this is discarded oil after a long NASCAR race. Don't even think about highlights in this dark brew. It's so thick and black that the mighty sun would have problems shining a ray of light through this beer. Sitting on top of this black as night liquid was a 1 inch creamy mocha colored head of foam. It had pretty good retention that left behind a tiny skim of foam and a mix of streaks and blots of lace. It couldn't decide to what it should leave behind so it left both.

The aroma was just as thick as the beer itself. The first aroma that came pouring out of this beer was the roasted coffee beans. Not just any ordinary coffee beans. I could really smell the high quality of the coffee beans. When it's swirled around, the thick coffee aroma will diminish a little bit. That's just enough time for the dark roasted malt, a splash of dark chocolate, roasted barley, and a whiff of black cherry to come through. When the coffee beans found out that the other aromas weren't coffee based, the coffee beans came in again to cover up what it accidently let through.

The taste was extremely hoppy and fruity. Yeah right! The taste was just as thick and dark as the color and the aroma. The taste was dry and dark with the thick taste of roasted coffee. Not only could you smell the difference between quality coffee beans and regular average Joe coffee beans, but you can taste the difference as well. You can tell that they used quality coffee beans for their beer. Once my tastebuds got passed the thick coffee wall, I was able to pick up roasted barley, roasted malt, a gentle touch of dark chocolate, and a black cherry or two. After all the dark roasted flavors, this beer finishes up with a slight roasted hop taste. The roasted coffee beans were more bitter than the hops.

This is clearly a full bodied Imperial Stout that had a OK level of carbonation and a full flavored aftertaste. The aftertaste was dark and roasted (no duh!) with more quality roasted coffee beans, roasted barley, roasted malt, and dark chocolate. The coffee beans have a hard time leaving so they'll stick to the roof of your mouth for a long time.

Even though the taste of roasted coffee beans was around every corner, the taste never got boring. Like every other AleSmith beer, the price is a tad on the high side. You pay for the quality of the coffee beans and the quality of the beer. Would I buy another bottle? More than likely, I would. Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 00:22:52 | More by AltBock

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.79/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This pours a very dark brown color with a creamy brown head. The aroma is full of robust malts and coffee making it very inviting. The flavor is rich, bold, complex and extra silky smooth. There is so much robust flavor here my taste buds are going wild. This is just as good as I could have expected and then some. You get all the alcohol warmth without any of the obvious taste. After finally having it, it’s easy to see why this is as highly regarded as it is.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 03:57:29 | More by Lemke10

retry4z

California

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured at room temperature, in the comfort and quiet of my room, into an AleSmith Decadence elongated Belgian tulip glass.

Pours black and viscous, as used motor oil, with a resilient three-finger chocolate head that settles to a half-inch.

Smells of roasted cocoa beans and coffee, some cinnamon spice and detectable sweet notes of dried fruit.

Very dense on the palate, with a nice tingly and warm alcohol finish.

Very little bitterness present despite AleSmith using the most hops on this beer (they balance it with sugars). Tastes of roasted cocoa beans, dried prunes, and cinnamon-like spices. A perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness.

Overall, a very well balanced Imperial Stout. I'd say I would prefer this beer chilled by a few degrees for a refreshing complement. At 12% abv, a ton of different hops, and produced by the best microbrewery around, Speedway Stout is a brewer's masterpiece that will soothe even the savage beast.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 10:08:41 | More by retry4z

Auraan

Arizona

4.79/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured a nice jet black with a half-finger tan head, very attractive. Scents of chocolate, coffee, roast malt and slight alcohol. Excellent nose, very true to style. Flavors of chocolate, black coffee, roast malt and a rich, honey and molasses like sweetness, all mixed perfectly together in each sip, with the black coffee and roast malt becoming more prominent on the finish and aftertaste. A deep, rich, complex flavor. Mouthfeel is thick, sticky and heavy with medium carbonation. An excellent Imperial Stout, one of the better examples of the style I've tasted.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 04:35:56 | More by Auraan

magictacosinus

California

4.66/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured out of a 750ml bottle into a wine glass. Purchased this bottle 6 weeks ago, but believe the coffee flavor should still be fresh by now.

Pours an extremely blackened, opaque, oil-slick color. There's some brown streaks that glow towards the bottom of the glass, but otherwise, no light is going through this thing, and it fits straight into whatever theme this was going for. There was a surprisingly large mocha-colored head considering the ABV, and yet it was more surprising that the head never seemed to vanish throughout consumption. Lacing was plentiful the whole way, with thickened frothiness coating the edges of the glass unlike any imperial stout I've seen before. This is extremely viscous and thickened overall, and is truly eye candy in some ways. I honestly have no complaints here.

The aroma is quite what I expected, filled with a sweetened coffee extract aroma, but still retains unique aspects such as darkened fruit flavors and spices that I haven't quite gotten in a coffee stout before. Raisins, blackcurrant, and vinous proprieties abound, but they are coated with warm vanilla, chocolate maltiness, and amazingly fresh ground coffee flavors - exactly the kind of aroma that you get immediately after grounding some beans. As someone who worked at a coffee shop once, it's uncanny. As this warms up, it gets nuttier, and the fruit flavors become more forward, but it also reveals the booze quite clearly. At that point, it almost resembles a deep Malbec or Cabernet blend. Very, very complex, a tad overwhelming, and yet pleasing to the senses.

The flavor really takes things up a notch, but instead of exaggerating one of the many flavors this has, it instead melds them altogether. The coffee extract flavor remains obvious, but it is quickly coated by a dark chocolate fudge texture combined with vanilla, brown sugar, caramel, and dark fruits. The bitterness produced by the coffee and malts prevent this from becoming too sweet, and whatever hops are there (no clue myself), they're doing a strong job. In some ways, this seriously reminds me of Rochefort 10 with coffee, which is most likely due to the bottle conditioning. This is a nearly perfect drinking experience in many respects - creamy, silky, hearty, and yet wonderfully easy to drink. While the alcohol makes itself known in the aroma, it never, ever becomes present in the flavor. No heat or sting or anything. My only complaint is that it's a bit dry overall, in the same way big wines can be. However, it's perhaps the price to pay for it's full bodied character.

Truly something this decadent and filling couldn't be this easy to drink. And yet it is! This transcends the coffee stout as I know it. It's very complex and filled with all kinds of flavors that make it resemble chocolate coffee cake in liquid form. I believe it's worth tracking down, as it really is a big beer that never seems like a chore to drink in any respect. I could drink a whole bottle myself if I wanted to, but I'm glad I split it. Can't recommend it enough!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 06:57:16 | More by magictacosinus

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a wine glass - mostly black with a hint of brown color. Some head at pour and spotted lacing on the glass - different from many beers at this strength. Aroma is dark, heavy malt with a strong presence of chocolate. Taste is heavy and thicker than you average beer. Sweet to start with milk chocolate on the back.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 02:11:26 | More by Oakenator

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.86/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

750mL bottle from Beermongers. Split.

A: Rich, oily black with a bubbling of mocha head. Glass receives a slight discoloration upon the swirling.

N: Smooth dark chocolate, espresso and roast, some vanilla, an oak toastiness though it’s not barrel aged. Some coffee berry. Malted milk. Really, really nice.

T: Very roasty with plenty of coffee bitterness. Almost pure, unsugared cocoa. Has an alcoholic sharpness that can probably age out, but it’s distracting to me. There’s also a hoppy bite to it.

M: Solid if a bit watery at times.

O: I always want to like this a lot more than I do. Needs some more sweetness which is why I tend to like the BA version a lot more. Worthy beer and one I should age to taste the changes.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 17:51:20 | More by writerLJBerg

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.58/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a pitch black color with 3 fingers of tan head that eventually fades to a thin cap that leaves great lacing

S: Roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, anise, and a hint of dark fruits. Very deep and complex

T: Follows the nose. Very roasty, with big notes of chocolate and coffee, with some nice anise and vanilla notes in the background. Alcohol provides a slight estery kick but goes great with the roasted malts and packs almost no heat or booziness

M: Full bodied with low-moderate carbonation. Creamy and smooth

O: One of the best coffee stouts out there, hands down. It's also dangerously drinkable at 12%. I'd recommend splitting this one because this is one HUGE beer. Definitely worth the price

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 18:06:47 | More by BEERMILER12

barnzy78

Illinois

4.7/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle, pours opaque black with a huge, frothy, milk chocolatey colored head, with awesome retention and leaves chunky lacing on the glass. Aromas are sweet dark chocolate, creamed coffee, roasted malt. Tastes are bold, rich and well balanced with dark chocolate, coffee, booze, roasted barley, faint fruity esters, some bitter hops ride out the lingering dark chocolate. For 12% the booze is minimally noticeable and excellently concealed. Full bodied, super creamy and rich. Wow. Not a whole lot of complexity here, but it's brilliantly crafted. One of the best Imperial Stouts I've had.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 03:52:22 | More by barnzy78

Stevedore

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 shared amongst friends in CCB snifters yesterday 3/27/13. Also based on tasting notes from a similar occasion one month ago.

Aroma: Some brewed coffee along with a decent bit of chocolate, roast and a bit of dark fruits making me think of how figs taste. Rather thick, pungent nose which is very enjoyable- a very good nose without much heat. (4)

Colour: Pours jet black, illuminates dark cola brown. Pours with thick 2cm brown head that actually takes more than a minute to dissipate which is impressive to watch. Also, the lacing is quite good, reflective of how sticky the beer can be. (4)

Flavour: Very nice! Follows the nose- lots of coffee and roast, chocolate flavours with a small bit of heat. There is also some dark fruit flavours as it warms- especially raisins, figs, dates. There's another flavour in there that I can't describe confidently, maybe its umami. The best characteristic of the beer. (4.5)

Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy, full-bodied and thick. It feels thick and sticky in my mouth which I love. Aftertaste is nothing too special, really consists of dark fruit and a little umami, and doesn't stay around for long. Decently carbonated, more than enough to satisfy me. (4)

Overall: Very, very nice imperial coffee stout. I have to agree with its reputation. Very smooth, silky, and a pleasure to taste. The heat is somewhat well-disguised within all the flavours of the beer which tells me a lot. I'll keep my final bottle to age a year and see how things turn out. But for its style, imperial coffee stout, and its price point, I have got to say that it's the best non-BA imperial stout with coffee I've had so far. (4.5)

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 14:01:23 | More by Stevedore