Brooklyn Black OPS - Brooklyn Brewery

mfavoino

Washington

4.11/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Got to take part in sharing a '09 bottle on 2/9/13.

A: Pours black with a creamy brown head.

S: Subtle aroma of burnt malts, dark fruit, and just a bit of bourbon.

T: Dark fruits, grapes, burnt malts, light chocolate. Grape could be from me feeling the champagne yeast and thinking champagne flavor. Unique for a stout.

M: Thinner for a RIS, tingly carbonation from the champagne yeast, kind of weird.

O: The champagne yeast gives it an interesting dynamic that might turn some people off because of the mouthfeel. Held up fairly well in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 02:51:08 | More by mfavoino

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.99/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle, 2012 edition. It is rather amusing to see the treatment of this purportedly rare beer upon its arrival in our fair province - two stores received it, and the one with which I have more than a passing acquaintance got the lion's share. And what do they do with it? A dismal, hardly visible stack of it in one corner of the store. Hidden gem? Yes, indeed.

This beer pours a solid black abyss, with ever the slightest of basal cola highlights, and three fingers of tight foamy tan head, which leaves but a few elongated specs of island lace around the glass as it groggily abates.

It smells of grainy, woody bourbon notes straight up front - oak, vanilla, dry caramel, and spicy grain - on top of a pungent dose of astringent coffee grounds and baker's chocolate, some mildly soused black fruit esters, a bit of wet ash, and earthy, leafy hops. The taste is nutty chocolate malt, prominent biscuity coffee notes, pleasantly soft bourbon-tinged vanilla, caramel, rye, and simmering alcohol, a subtle black fruitiness - hinged on a singular summer cherry remembrance neuron - some equally sublimated black liquorice essences, and a somewhat musty, yeasty character that disappears rather soon, along with most of the rest as the flavour fades just past the middle, in a just less than concerning manner. The 21-proof booze is damned near imperceptible, so bully - no, hurray for that!

The carbonation is quite sedate, and generally out of critical contention, the body a teetering medium weight, and actually quite smooth, very little taking a pound of flesh out of this low-throttled train ride. It finishes a tad on the sweet side, the cocoa, coffee, and muddled fruit holding fast against, well, against very little, as the expected alcohol and hop cavalcade fails to properly manifest.

I feel that the mystique surrounding this offering is a little uninformed - it isn't really all that 'big' in the general booze and malt sense. It's hefty, sure, but in a much more restrained, subtle sense - coffee, cocoa, and fruit, all fluffed up by a crazily understated alcohol measure, one which may the enduring point here, as you can barely sense the barest prick of alcohol edge. That may very well be the biggest champion for this offering, which parlays rather well into my overall impression - big, level, and sneaky, all at the same time. Maybe not quite worth spending all that much effort seeking out, but grab it if you can, even if you have to bend your local retailer's ear and/or arm.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 04:44:39 | More by biboergosum

PorterLambic

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This bottle was allowed to warm for a full hour before I started this review.

Pours the black of the vilest soul, the deepest, darkest corner of the universe, the black seen by a blind person in a cave 2 miles underground with a black bag over his/her head. Speaking of head, this is the darkest brown head I've ever seen. It fizzes like root beer and looks like its darker cousin. Retention is for shit but you were expecting a fluffy cloud on this bad boy? Silly mortal.
Smell is almost overwhelmingly rich. Notes of bourbon, malt, chocolate, caramel, many and varied dark fruits, wood and brown sugar sweetness. Holy olfactory assault, Batman! The balance is pretty good but it seems to reach out of the glass and grab the nose by the short hairs. Seriously intense.
Taste is phenomenal. Sweet, malty bourbon with fruitcake. Every single note I just mentioned above.
A serious sipping beer. Full bodied liquid velvet. Smooth with a capital and underlined SMOO. Nicely warming. A bit cloying after the swallow with a goodly coating of the upper palate. It goes great with homemade chocolate chip cookies. ;) A rich, decadent dessert in a glass. Should have shared this but I'm just too greedy.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 02:46:07 | More by PorterLambic

hardy008

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2012 Vintage

Pours dark black with a 3 finger mocha head with very good retention and lacing. as soon as I poured this out of the bottle I could smell the bourbon, and it has a very nice aroma. The aroma also has chocolate, dark roasted malt, oak, and vanilla. Just a fantastic aroma. Hopefully the taste is much like the aroma.

Gladly for me, the taste is very much like the aroma. There is bourbon, chocolate, dark roasted malt, oak, vanilla, and also some anise. Sweet with some balancing bitterness from the dark roasted malt and oak flavors.

Medium bodied with modest carbonation. The alcohol is noticeable and warming, but there is no alcohol burn or heat. This is a very nice beer. I will keep the other bottles I have for a while, to see how they age.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 02:36:37 | More by hardy008

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

4.29/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2010 edition - enjoyed during the midst of the Super Bowl Blackout. Figured it was a good enough time as any to enjoy this. Cheers to daryk77 for sharing this one!

Poured into a wine glass. Very black indeed, with only a hint of chestnut around the edges. About a half inch of head, recedes into a thick ring.

Nose is bloody fantastic. Definitely get the bourbon, which is nicely subdued, with coffee, roasted malts, caramel sweetness, and vanilla.

Very tasty brew, love the dry bitter finish. Not as deep as I thought this brew would be - it felt a bit thin to be honest. Still very tasty, don't get me wrong. Dry finish, coffee and tart hops, bourbon, caramel and roasted malt.

Thinner bodied than I was expecting, which helps this drink more like a porter.

Glad I got a chance to try this - I think I'd like to compare it with a fresher edition to get a sense of what the age does to the brew. Good stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 03:04:05 | More by JohnnyBarman

mfrigon

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 2011 bottle on super bowl sunday! A very solid brew, albeit a bit expensive. Lots of delicious bourbon in the nose. A great black color and a deep brown head. The taste is very mild. There is nothing amazing about this beer but it is very solid and smooth. For over 10% it goes down easy. If this was cheaper I could crush this all day.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 03:02:37 | More by mfrigon

nukem5

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a great black cola color, With a very nice head and a slick oil like consistency that coats the walls of the glass .

S: Aroma is of licorice and bourbon with an oaky musk about it. Very pleasant to the nose.

T: Taste is of bourbon licorice, and some mild sweet cheeries and dark fruits.

M: Mouthfeel is a medium by with a smoothness to it . Also a decent carbonation.

O: Overall a great beer I have searched for three years for this beer and so happy this one did not dissapoint, was very good and will keep looking for it even though I personally thought I overpaid but not by much and was very pleased with the product.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 02:35:21 | More by nukem5

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

4.24/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.25

A-Nearly pitch black with a three finger tan head that slowly dissipates. Some slight lacing and some nice cascading.

S-chocolate, alcohol, bourbon, and a good amount of coconut

T-much like the nose: chocolate, hint of bourbon, coffee, a tiny hint alcohol. The flavors are pretty subtle as this was the lightest flavored RIS I've drank. When taking a sip the flavor almost disappears in the middle, which is weird. Yet it has great flavor.

M-thin, light, and almost overly carbonated. Definitely could be thicker and fuller, but at the same time this unique mouthfeel separates its from other versions of the style.

D-This beer drinks so easy, almost like a pale ale. The alcohol is very well hidden which means this could sneak up on you very easily. Absolutely no palate fatigue.

Overall, this is a really good beer. It is unlike no other RIS I've had the privilege of drinking. The price is somewhat of a deterrence, but I would drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 20:04:58 | More by thegodfather2701

Boungustatio

South Carolina

4.95/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

2012 corked and caged 750ml bottle poured into 2 Chimay chalices.

appearance - opaque black - with a brown head with hint of dark reddish hue

smell - boozy, vanilla bean, pancake batter, burnt lemon

taste - sweet at first - fills out with bourbon essence - am I crazy or do I taste Cherry?, shadow of milk chocolate - prolly from the champagne yeast

mouthfeel - full bodied - nice effervescence - Garrett Oliver has really done something here! Nice dry finish.

overall - I really dig the back of the bottle literature - very well crafted, gem of a barrel-aged brew. Definitely taste bourbon at beginning, middle and end - most at the end.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 00:50:48 | More by Boungustatio

watsonmd

Georgia

4.89/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This is very, VERY good, and worth the effort to track it down. the flavor is very complex, and very oaky. I have been enjoying bourbon barrel aged and oak aged beers for a while, and the nose and palate on this are very strong, and the oak is very full. There is a chocolate or coffee in the back ground, and combined with the oak almost gives it a licorice after taste. The 10.5% is noticeable in the finish, but not unpleasant. Will update if the character changes significantly at a warmer temperature.

Enjoyed in a snifter, at ~45 degrees F.

I am glad I bought more of this while I could.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 23:09:28 | More by watsonmd

SoberPhobic

Pennsylvania

3.16/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Split this bottle with the same guy who recently gave it to me as a birthday gift. Poured dark with a small yet tan head. Smelled like alcohol and the first few tastes definitely showed this brews potency. After those first initial sips, though, the brew started to mellow out and even flatten to the point were i became disappointed.
Sorry bro, it was a nice thought and i'll always appreciate the gift of a new beer, but i wouldn't pay the $25 for a bottle of this. Worth trying though. Please prove me wrong. Brooklyn is a great brewery, but i'm gonna have to pass on this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 04:55:52 | More by SoberPhobic

browniewithnuts

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Pitch black coloring with really no carbonation showing. It has a 1/2 inch dark brown head that retains itself in the glass

S: A lot of bourbon notes come through up front and is the most prominent smell. Also notes of chocolate and a hint of vanilla come through as well

T: Bourbon and chocolate are the most prominent flavors that come through. Coffee follows after the initial bourbon chocolate rush followed by hints of vanilla and slight leatheriness in the back end of the palate. The bitter notes linger after on the tongue.

M: More carbonated than I expected by just looking at it. Thick but not overwhelmingly so. Slightly chewy almost with the syrupy sweetness that comes through. Gets better as it warms.

O: Solid BA stout although the alcohol is not as forward as I would like with the taste. Still definitely worth trying!

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 03:18:11 | More by browniewithnuts

wvsabbath

West Virginia

3.91/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Serving Type - 25.4 oz caged and corked bottle

Appearance - Black as night with a nice 3+ inch creamy thick head and tons of lacing.

Smell - Bourbon whiskey, oak, alcohol, roasted malts, coffee, added sugars like molasses and brown sugar. Some chocolate round this beer out.

Taste - Starts off with the barrel aged flavors, oak and whiskey, along with some sweet malts and sugars. The flavor is very smooth , the alcohol isnt really that noticable. Brown sugar and molasses adds minor sweetness. This beer has a flat feel to it, no carbination at all. Not overly complex or as big a beer as i expected.

Mouthfeel - Loads of bourbon and malts coat tounge. More whiskey with some chocolate and sugars along with some minor alcohol warmth hit the palate. The finish is oaky, malty and a little dry.

Overall - Decent but i was expecting alot more. The flavor is really mild for being higher alcohol and barrel aged ris. As this warms, the alcohol comes out more, not more flavors. Very overpriced and not nearly as good as lets say, kbs. Worth a drink espically for fans of the style, just too mellow for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 23:52:30 | More by wvsabbath

Zach136

Georgia

4.19/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2012 vintage bomber, poured into Southern Tier tulip.

A - Pitch black, one finger dark caramel head that disappears quickly, little lacing.

S - Not a blast to the nose. Like bourbon, chocolate and oak.

T - a lot like the nose, pretty subdued for a fresh bourbon aged stout. Bourbon, coffee, chocolate and oak notes.

M - A good bit of carbonation from the champagne yeast.

O - A really good stout I'm enjoying drinking, but very muted flavors. I like it, its not so in your face. I was going to buy another bottle to age, but I don't think I will as I can't see this one really improving with aged for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:20:34 | More by Zach136

ONUMello

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This may or may not have been in a 750ml bottle, poured into a pint glass, and may or may not have been made in 2011, spending the last year aging in Area 51 or my cellar.
A: Pitch black with a two-finger mocha-colored head that settles to 1/2-finger
S: Lots of cocoa/coffee and some cream, hints of bourbon, vanilla & oak
T: Mocha, cream, caramel, oak, bitter hops, great balance
M: Full-bodied, bold yet restrained, smooth & creamy. Great malt/hops balance, long finish
O: One of the better RIS I've had recently. Great balance, notable complexity. This was my only '11 but I plan to get several of the 12's, if they exist, to try at 0, 1 & 2 years to follow it over time. Well made- pricey, but I'd say worth it.
Again, please take all of this with a grain of salt since there is no beer on record that meets the above description.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 06:17:27 | More by ONUMello

mhksuccess

California

3.76/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This bottle was from 2011 so it had nice to mature although
i found it not up to par in a top level beer according to the price
i poured it from a bottle into a snifter glass let it warm up to probably 55 before drinking
I found it to be extremely dark
as for the smell it had a nice chocolate vanilla and slight boozy
the taste to me is where it lost it as i cant quite put my taste buds to it
but think it was probably that champagne yeast it just was odd
not what i would consider top level in a barrel aged stout
overall it was fairly average something I will not seek out again and probably would just pass at the price

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 17:03:16 | More by mhksuccess

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.21/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

750ml bottle poured into tulip 13/1/13

A black liquid with a deep cola edge, thumbs width of mocha head falls to a film rather quickly and leaves no lace, not sure what to make of the look

S now were talking! woody bourbon, vanillas strong, licorice jujubes, dark fruits, coco, some Terry's Chocolate Orange, faint booze, and just a hint of cigar, not cigar smoke but the cigar itself and just a little coffee , awesome

T more oak and smokey bourbon then the nose, the coffees more like espresso in the mouth, not as much vanilla, no cigar and slightly less complexity and strength but still very nice, a little something I can't place perhaps the champagne yeast?

M fairly thin for a big stout and the bubbles fluff up fast and flatten out just as quickly, nice barrel finish and faint heat

O it looks and feels pretty simple but smells divine and tastes great, the most important aspects have been well taken care of

for a beer that doesn't exist its pretty solid, that being said there's a zero% chance that I'd buy another to age because it's way overpriced. Solid beer but 36$? I'd spend the the money on their BCS before buying this again

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 03:17:23 | More by wordemupg

farrago

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

You should pour carefully or half the glass will get filled with dark brown microfoam, very whipped up and almost delicate, no dimpling, close to zero lacing, slides right off the glass sides. The liquid is, naturally enough, jet black and seems clear, no visible bubbles, touch of orange at the rims. The nose features roasted cocoa, caramel, coffee and anise, close to too muscular for the flowers and tangerine to shine, low level of plum and fig fruit scents, no discernible hops presence, really not that boozy at all. Full-bodied, dry yet creamy in texture, here you get more butterscotch, caramel, coconut and vanilla bean from the barrel treatment. Also still loaded with cocoa, mocha with more cola to black licorice than coffee accents. Too dry for the cherry, plum and raisin fruit to spread. The carbonation is arguably too fine for the overall body weight. Has good integration and balance yet not so much richness of flavor and flow. (2012 Edition)

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 01:20:10 | More by farrago

HopHeadCnK

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My first ever bottle of black ops even though it doesn't exist.

Pitch black coming out of the bottle with a tan half inch head thanks to the champagne yeast. Smells of champagne citrus, chocolate and coffee.

Taste is overwhelmingly bourbon with a light champagne finish mixed with coffee and chocolate notes as well as some raisin and dark fruit as the beer warms.

I am very underwhelmed with this, I have had many RIS's that I was much more impressed with and selling this for $22 makes me smh. This beer is rated at a 92 because it's hard to get, quality wise I would put it at an 84. A novelty with the champagne yeast that I would say try once if you have someone to split the cost with so you're not going all in by yourself. If you want brooklyn go for a chocolate stout.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 05:16:29 | More by HopHeadCnK

CJS

Florida

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Based on a 2012 bottle.

A Moat water of a pour with 2 finger width of a head. Reddish brown head revolving from a tulip glass swirl. Sticking to the glass like meat on ribs.

S Slight funky dark fruit aroma, wood, prominent alcohol, vanilla, and chocolate. Oh and cherry.

T Dry bread. Bitter Chocolate with an underlined tartness. Much wood character and earthiness. Fig, date, and raisin just jump out at me on every sip. It should be called Dry Fruit Cake. Has a funky farmhouse saison appeal on the way out. Def not much sweetness in this one.

M Nice viscosity but probably could mellow out on the boozy taste with age.

O For the many characteristics of taste that protrude it's a pretty balanced stout aside from the slight booze after taste. But should be cheaper on the wallet for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 03:36:19 | More by CJS

Casedogg43

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Traded for this one. Nice corked bomber.
Been anxious to pop one open.

A nice dark fill, solid head. Looks damn tasty

Smells of Dark fruits some chocolate, whiskey, and hint of coffee. Solid

Bourbon off the bat, hint of vanilla, espresso or dark coffee and dark fruits finished with more bourbon and alcohol.

Here lies my issue the mouthfeel is very thin. Light almost like a BA ale. I prefer big almost creamy mouthfeel on BA RIS and this does not have that attribute.

I'm glad I had the chance to get my hand on a couple bottles of this years brew. This is a solid BA stout and I enjoy it. It kills me though how this it is on the mouthfeel. I will have to cellar one for a couple/few years. And trade the other. At $22? There are others that I prefer and can get like BCBS, etc.
Good brew, almost gotta try a glass. Not my fit for be $$.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 17:48:53 | More by Casedogg43

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL bottle from HalfTime.com. Bottled in 2012. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Pours black with a dense two and a half fingers of dark tan head. Small dots of lace.

Smell is a sweet array of dark fruit, wood, vanilla, sugar and a little booze.

Taste follows the nose. Certainly sweet with alot of barrel character. Wood, vanilla, sugar, dark fruit, cocoa, leather and a small dose of bourbon. A nice blend that favors the woodsy barrel over booze. Drinks very smooth for over 10% abv.

Smooth, creamy yet thinner feel than expected with moderate carbonation. The faint bourbon finally takes over for a lingering finish.

While Black Ops isn't quite what I expected it is quite good. More barrel than booze and more sweet than roasty, this is a different take on the barrel aged imperial stout. I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops over a year or two.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 04:00:32 | More by ThickNStout

GJ40

North Carolina

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

Sampled a 2010 in a DFH snifter.

A deep black with a moderate beige head. Nice lacing. Aroma is bourbon, oak, dark chocolate and molasses. Very inviting. Taste follows closely with firm bourbon and oak along with some roasted marshmallows. It's got a mild sweetness and a strong warming effect. Some lingering hop bitterness. The carbonation is moderate with very fine bubbles. The consistency is creamy and silky.

I really enjoyed this one. Loads of flavor yet smooth, balanced and behaved. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 22:09:05 | More by GJ40

SawDog505

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured 2012 vintage into a 16 oz snifter. Poured down the middle and got a massive light brown head, that leaves a little lace. Smell is strong bourbon, some dark chocolate, vanilla, anise, and dark fruits. Taste is very aggressive bourbon, vanilla, dark chocolate, and some smoke left on the tongue. Body is thinner than I prefer, the amount of life you would expect from the style, a little dry, and drinks fairly easy. Will pick up another and let it mature, a little too one dimensional with bourbon being to overbearing now. I want a beer with bourbon flavors, not a IRS that had bourbon poured into it. Not sad, just like more balance.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 03:43:46 | More by SawDog505

whoneeds8

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 Vintage: 11.3% abv

Bottle corked and caged. Cork popped right off. Very carbonated. Poured into a tulip glass black with a one finger tan head. Scent is strong of Bourbon and chocolate malts. Suprisingly despite the strong bourbon scent, the taste isn't overpowered by it. The chocolate hits first and the bourbon settles to become an after taste almost. Maybe this is fromt the aging in the bottle. There actually is just a very hint of champagne yeast as the last testiment of flavor. The oak causes a little dryness to the mouthfeel. It's also well carbonated and medium bodied. Not as thick as most RIS.

I look forward to reviewing my 2012 bottle in a couple years.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 03:20:49 | More by whoneeds8