Black Cauldron Imperial Stout - Grand Teton Brewing Co.

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a nice ris. A really excellent nose with a consistently thick body and a consistent delivery of flavor. It carries a lot of the characteristics I like to see in the style (though admittedly, not as intense as others, but who cares) and does it well. Oddly, this seems like an easier drinking ris. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 03:29:05 | More by RblWthACoz

woemad

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle purchased at Enoteca in Post Falls about a year ago and forgotten about until now. According to the stamp on the label, this was bottled on October 14, 2010. Hopefully, with an abv of 8%, things will still be tasty.

Poured a viscousy dark brown, almost black color. Decent sized dark tan head hung around for a few minutes before receding to leave spotty lace on the sides of my glass.

The ol’ factory rewards of this beer are sweet, as in mollasses, and a bit boozy. There’s also some bitter, coffeeish notes in the background that are harder to detect.

Modest, sweet mollasses flavor starts off the taste, to soon be joined by some bitter coffee notes to balanced things. This is not a flavor bomb of an Impy stout by any means. There’s a mild, bitter zap to the palate at the swallow. Not nearly as boozy, taste-wise, as I expected from the aroma. Weird.

Somewhat thick, oily and coating in the mouthfeel department, which I suppose is what’s expected.

Meh. This is an okay beer for it’s style, nothing spectacular. However, it is possible it’s a little too old, so at some point, if and when a fresher one becomes available again, I’ll try it again and if neccesary, I’ll re-review it. But for now, it seems to be nothing terribly special in a style that generally is supposed to hold up for the long haul.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 23:17:47 | More by woemad

mdaschaf

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to angelmonster for this one. Bottled 1/4/11

A: Pours a very deep black with a small khaki head on top. No retention leaving only a thin ring around the top. Spotty/thin lacing.

S: Lots of dark fruit, some cherry and plum, a little bit of molasses and chocolate.

T: Even more dark fruit than the aroma mixed with some chocolate and roasted malt. There is a little bit of molasses and licorice and a little vanilla.

M: Medium to full bodied, a little on the oily side, but carbonation helps it be rather smooth.

O: Liked how fruit forward this Imperial Stout is, a nice change compared to most. Would drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 02:27:58 | More by mdaschaf

mactrail

California

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Lovely sudsy appearance with beige head. Spritzy on the tongue. Surprisingly thin body. A sort of cloud of carbonation in the mouth. There just seems to be not much real flavor beneath the black stoutness.

Quite pleasant as a stout, but suspiciously overstrong. Fairly sweet taste with some milk chocolate, but dries quickly to a flattened flavor of soupy darkness. Hops seem to have evaded me in taking notes.

As a regular stout this would be pretty good. But with the apparent addition of EverClear, it's good for a bedtime tipple but not much for savoring.

05-15-2012 - Another tasting, apparently I forgot I had this before. I would not rate it so high this time. such a huge flavor of both raw and burnt grain. Seems stronger than 8%. Burnt pumpernickel toast.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 06:04:10 | More by mactrail

Etan

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Spiegelau tulip.

A: Pours a rich, absolutely opaque black with a small dark tan head. Head recedes to a ring around the glass on some whispy carbonation on top. Some lacing.

S: Chocolate-forward with a bit of spicy alcohol lingering behind. Slight roasted coffee beans, a little smokiness, and milky vanilla. Hint of hop resin. Sweet and smooth.

T: In front, milk and bittersweet chocolate with roasted coffee and a hint of fruity sweetness from the hops and alcohol. Smoked malts are definitely doing their job here, with a hefty dose of smoky bitterness lingering well-after the beer leaves the tongue.

M: Soft and tingly carbonation. Good body.

O: The smoked malts are certainly there, but aren't overpowering. ABV is on the low end for an American RIS, which lets the malts come into focus. I really liked this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 21:15:51 | More by Etan

beagle75

Iowa

3.45/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a tasting glass.

A: Opaque black color with no head save for a loose ramp of light beige bubbles that tries to climb up the side of the glass. Light lacing remains on the glass.

S: Mild but roasty, with a fine thread of molasses that adds minor interest. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins off-dry, with soft roasted malt, herbaceous qualities, and a brief hit of smoky and fermented yeast. Acidity is mild into the middle where coffee emerges before a savory quality, also suggestive of smoke, marks the transition into the mild roasty finish. No alcohol is detected.

M: medium to thick viscosity, slightly acidic but balanced on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This stout barely qualifies as imperial at 8% abv, and it shows in how it drinks. It has a slightly apologetic feel to it, which is unexpected from Grand Teton. It is an acceptable stout and does not offend, but it lacks the inspirational flair featured in most of their other recipes.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 14:02:25 | More by beagle75

Blakaeris

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours very dark brown, almost black with a creamy tan head that leaves sheets of lacing.

Aroma is smokey charred dark grain and espresso.

Taste is similar to the nose. More of the charred dark grain. Espresso and chocolate makes an appearance. Subtle dark fruit sweetness - plum and date. Tobacco hop character comes on surprisingly strong. Finishes with a dry oak and vanilla quality.

Mouthfeel is medium-full.

Overall, a decent stout. No off flavor here. Certainly worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 01:30:33 | More by Blakaeris

bashiba

Iowa

3.63/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a thick dark black with clear mahogany highlights, the head was a nice creamy dark tan that quickly turned into just a light ring.

The smell is dominated by the smokiness and roasted barley.

Has a heavy black burnt grain and smokey flavor with some touches of molasses sweetness coming through, just a bit of herbal hops keep it almost in balance. Some nice notes of chocolate and brown sugar, a bit of vanilla pokes through as well.

The mouthfeel is thick and oily, a bit chewy.

A good Imperial Stout, but nothing groundbreaking here. A bit on the mild side of imperial stouts.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 01:27:52 | More by bashiba

inlimbo77

Delaware

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml (1 pint, 9oz) bottle. Date reads, 9/21/11. Split between two into a Victory snifter

A: Pours a dark black color. There are some faint reddish hues at the bottom of the glass. Three fingers dark tan head. Tight tiny bubbles. Alcohol feet. Beautiful head. Two tones and sticks around forever.

S: I got lots of roast and coffee and mild chocolate. It's very pleasant.

T: Really nice chocolate bitterness on the tip of the tongue. Lots of dark chocolate but also milk and there is some coffee too. As it warms the chocolate really mellows into a smooth flavor blending milk and dark.

M: Medium to full bodied. Not overly thick.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 22:50:51 | More by inlimbo77

rawfish

California

3.7/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle pours into a tulip glass. Pitch with mahogany glints along the glass. Pretty good lacing forms from a tiny mocha head of half a finger.

Aroma highlights fruit and complexities in the malt, molasses, char, licorice with plum, raisins and currants in the mix. Slight hoppiness of citrus mixed in there. Low on chocolate or coffee depth. That's um, different.

Charred roasted malts with a sweetness that comes from molasses and candied fig. Slight mild chocolate finally appears as the hops come in with flavors of muted grapefruit. Finishes with roasted malt and lactic acid. Not your typical RIS but delightfully complex.

Suffers from a really stick mouthcoating that doesn't clear the palate for the next sip. Decently carbed and body otherwise. Lactic acid finish is accentuated by the roasted malt finish that draws on.

Rushed through this one a bit so I could avoid the aftertaste and biting finish but the flavors here are welcome change from most stouts I have tried. Malts are pleasant and complex with a brighter hop finish than expected. Not my favorite but worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 00:03:26 | More by rawfish

notchucknorris

California

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at O'Brien's

A: Black with a thin tan head and pretty good retention.

S: Tons of roasted malt with a bit of molasses, black licorice, rye bread and some faint smoke. Pretty nice.

T: Lots of roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, molasses, rye bread and a touch of black licorice. Velvety mouthfeel made it a joy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2012 22:47:08 | More by notchucknorris

barnzy78

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottled 9/20/2011, pours a syrupy black with a thin, tan head that leaves some lacing on the glass. Aromas are mainly some roasted malt and anise, not too boozy, but as it warms booze and dark chocolate seem to come out. Tastes are bitter with anise and pine dominating the forefront followed by roasted/charred malt, burnt brown sugar, somewhat boozy, with some white pepper that finishes with a prickle on the tongue. Mouth-feel is medium bodied with appropriate carbonation. Overall, pretty good complexity here, but at times I found it wasn't going down so smoothly. Good example of the style, just not a favorite.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 03:38:47 | More by barnzy78

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2010 bottle poured into a Stone Brewery flute. Pours very dark brown, appearing black. Half finger dark brown head dissipates slowly to a thick ring, light lacing. Muted aroma of dark and roasted malt and light chocolate. Flavor of roasted and slightly charred malt melds into a thinner, slightly sour fruit, roasted malt and coffee middle and finish. Body is light to medium. A satisfactory stout, but the finish is thin and not a good flavor progression. I bought this almost two year old bottle from a cooler room at the store, but can't be sure of its storage history. Good enough that I'll try a fresh one if the opportunity arises.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 02:59:18 | More by LiquidAmber

intensify

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a snifter and reviewed.
First off, this was recommended by a good friend of mine who knows his booze so i was curious to try it.
Pour- poured a dark brown with a nice 2 finger head.. excellent retention. As a matter of fact, retention is nearly flawless.
Smell- dark malt characters and a bitter chocolate aroma. A kiss of coffee and no alcohol.
Taste- pretty damn tasty. Almost pin point to the smell. Bitter but sweet chcolate, coffee and a sweetness that balances out very nicely. Overall a bit bitter finish.
Mouthfeel- creamy, creamy, and creamy. Low carbonation which suits this style nicely.
overall its a tasty stout. The creamyness lives up to its style and its one i will enjoy in the future. If you like strong coffee character stouta.. try this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 07:23:40 | More by intensify

eclipse54

Idaho

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A bottle from November 2010 that I opened as part of a small stout tasting on 01/03/2012. Poured into a 5 oz. snifter, and reviewed from notes.

Pours a dark brown, near black with faint ruby hues. A thin tan/brown head develops with good retention but minimal lacing.

The aroma is of roasted malt, smoke, cocoa, a touch of milk chocolate, and faint coffee grounds. A bit of a "charred" impression is gained.

Taste is rather unassuming, with roasted/smoked malts, caramel, cocoa nibs, ground coffee, and a certain earthy dirt flavor. Seems a bit muddled and unintegrated, but not wholly offputting.

Mouthfeel is relatively smooth, though there is a slightly bitter characteristic from the cacao (it seems). It finishes with a creamy texture and dry aftertaste.

Overall, a good stout. Not mind-blowing, but affordable and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 17:21:18 | More by eclipse54

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beer poured from bottle to a NBB globe glass. Bottled on 12/8/2010.

A - The beer pours a deep bitch opaque black color. Black edges, dark. A nice 1.5 finger mocha colored head. Good retention and lacing.

S - There is roasted barley and chocolate immediately but a citrus sweetness from the hops comes in afterwards. Its a nice blend of sweet and roast. No sense of alcohol.

T - Just like the nose the beer starts with a bitter roasted barley and chocolate malt flavor. It's not so much that it's unbearable but rather a smooth roasty character. The hop sweetness and citrus character comes in the middle. It's a very balanced brew. I am not used to such hop character in an imperial stout. I really like it!

M - Good carbonation and medium bodied. Finishes smooth and creamy. Good.

D - Very

Overall, this is a very good beer. I had the opportunity to get a 4-pack or a bomber. I went with a bomber. I will immediately get more. Recommended.

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-13-2011 01:50:08

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 14:08:35 | More by hopfacebrew

ghostwalker

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark brown body. Solid finger of tan head. A little thin for the style.

Aroma is solid malt, dark fruits and a hint of sour. Is that sourness intentional?

Smooth and rich maltiness. Dark fruits jump out at me. No real coffee or chocolate contribution, or other things that one often encounters in Imperial Stouts. Almost Belgian in style, but without the Belgian yeast character. Kind of reminds me of Black Albert, but without the hoppiness. Different, but good.

Thin for the style. Slight creaminess, slick and coating.

Overall is good. I like it, but it lacks a certain intensity. Bet it's better with a little sidecar of good bourbon. Think I'll find out!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 02:43:34 | More by ghostwalker

Crass3000

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes on 12/29/2011

5/5 Pours out dark as used motor oil with a huge four-finger, dark brown head with great retention.

4.5/5 Smell is dark malts, dark fruits, mollasses, and a tiny bit of chocolate.

4/5 Taste is nice roasted malts, dark fruits, mollasses, and a tiny bit of bitter coffee.

4/5 Mouthfeel is nice and thick as expected for an imperial stout. Really a great beer. The best of the night although they are all recaps.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 10:51:21 | More by Crass3000

stealth

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is real black - only slight dark brown edging at the bottom of the tulip glass I used. Dark tan foamy head, but not super thick. The alcohol comes through in the nose a bit, with molasses, fruits, and chocolate. Has a dark fruit flavor/sweetness with some hops and dark chocolate. Roasted finish, but not strong. There's an essence of smokiness in there too that makes this brew pretty unique.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 10:32:57 | More by stealth

budgood1

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

pours out ann opaque ink black colour with a cherry red tinged dark tan head. receding foam leaves a good deal of clinging lace. choco covered cherry aroma...hints of java, nougat, yeast, and coconut. the taste lends itself towards coffee and cocoa notes...then veers heavily toward the yeasty, fruity esthers reminiscent of plums and chokecherries. some brandy like alcohol rears its head, making this seem more RIS than ADS. definitley more fruit centric than dark roasted malt centric. add in some lactic aspects and this big stout provides a unique, boozy goodness that is welcome in its balance of flavours. nice full body with a smooth mouthfeel only interrupted by a slight alcohol sting. drinkability is real nice...a well constructed DIS.

overall, i was impressed. this had some baltic porter characteristics, and a surprisingly boozy kick for only 8.00% ABV. worth trying, and worth laying down.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 01:02:10 | More by budgood1

TenHornsProud

Colorado

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours pitch black with a tan head.

Smells of roast, sweetness, coffee, chocolate, and grapefruit.

Taste is chocolate up front with coffee, a general caramel sweetness, and a fruity and roasted malt finish that is quite nice actually.

Full body with medium carbonation.

I was quite pleased with this beer. It is sweet yet drinkable and complex with a difference in its more fruity/hoppy finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 16:26:10 | More by TenHornsProud

metter98

New York

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a thin tan head that died down and left a thin ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are strong aromas of sweet malts, raisins and sherry in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the overall taste has lots of flavors of raisins and sherry.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a low amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very flavorful and the taste of sherry makes this an interesting beer to sip.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 15:53:08 | More by metter98

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Trying my first Idaho beer and it is very nice. The Black Cauldron Stout is great. The beer pours an opaque color with tan thin head. The smell is roasted molassis, vanilla, black licorice. The taste follows the smell. The mouthfeel is a medium to full body with decent carbonation. Overall it is a very good stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 23:16:03 | More by WoodBrew

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle, bottled on 11/18/10. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a quarter inch tan head that fizzled away quickly. There is a good amount of lacing left on the glass. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like roasted and charred/burnt malt, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, and some dark fruit. The taste is pretty much just like the aroma, with the roasty/charred and bitter coffee flavors being the strongest, and some light sweet dark fruit flavors also noticeable (which do get stronger as the beer warms up more). Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and slick with low/moderate carbonation. I think this is a good overall brew, and it's certainly worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 22:32:05 | More by bluejacket74

Cru

Montana

4.25/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tried this on tap, along with most of their other beers in the brewery.

Pitch black with dark lacy head, nicely carbonated.

Aroma is coffee, roasty, bready and the alcohol comes through in the aroma.

Chocolate and caramel dominate this flavor profile with a coffee background / aftertaste. The alcohol does not come through nearly as much in the flavor as the aroma.

Well done for an Imperial Stout. Many I've had seem to sacrifice the smooth, drinkable characteristic of the stout entirely for the bump in alcohol content. You know its there in this one, but much milder than most in the 9% range.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2011 22:33:53 | More by Cru