Scarface Imperial Stout - Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

RBassSFHOPit2ME

California

2.78/5  rDev -30%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

The label clearly stated "Brewed in Small Batches." You'd imagine this would be a good thing right? Speakeasy does a very good "Hunter's Point" porter *OR* Payback Porter so I thought I'd give Scarface a stab...

A - Good black appearance in the 12oz Tulip I poured it in, decent head and head retention. Nothing wrong here.

S - Above average, sweet malts, a bit of coco and vanilla. Upon a semi aggressive swirl you get a creamy milky smell as if I'd almost swear lactose was added to this brew. Roast comes out as well. Inviting...I've never had this beer before so I'm dying now to dive in.

T - OK. Here's where it all goes wrong. I do get the flavors I mentioned above in the smell BUT it's rough around the edges, or rather rounded out in the middle and finish with a char - cigarette smokiness that wont go away.

M - Get rid of that smoke. Ruined the beer for me...otherwise everything else was fine.

O - Drainpoured the last 10oz or so. At $5.99, not a bad price for a bomber of a Imperial anything...but money would have been better spend adding 2 more dollars and picking up a 4-pack of Green Flash Double Stout or Old Raspy.

Sorry Speakeasy for the rough review as I do LOVE your Firkin' Fridayz!

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 15:35:23 | More by RBassSFHOPit2ME

PhilDaBrewer

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

05-24-2013 04:13:03 | More by PhilDaBrewer

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%

05-17-2013 14:52:43 | More by twenty5

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Yep. I'm a sucker for marketing, apparently. Any screen printed bottle with any degree of interesting design is a shoe-in for a purchase for me.

This is a thick and rich stout with mild roasted tones and a touch of chocolate and a bit more molasses. Smooth feel. Mild carbonation. A nice easy drinker. Consistent and thick. I like this. Could sip on this one for a while. I wonder what some age would do to it.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 03:18:11 | More by RblWthACoz

gtermi

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

05-10-2013 06:17:55 | More by gtermi

mc4z

California

4/5  rDev +0.8%

04-29-2013 02:26:56 | More by mc4z

SoCalBeerIdiot

California

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

04-22-2013 21:00:59 | More by SoCalBeerIdiot

DotBier

California

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%

04-20-2013 01:27:08 | More by DotBier

SuyoonShin

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +0.8%

04-13-2013 16:00:28 | More by SuyoonShin

DovaliHops

California

3.91/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

2013. Pours pitch black with a medium-large dark tan head that goes down slowly. Scent is packed with roasted malt and burnt cocoa aromas. Lots of dark chocolate. A bit of charcoal with some nice espresso aromas. Some earthy aromas with more burnt malt and roasted malt. Very roasty! Taste is dark chocolate at first...tons of roasted malt and a hint of citrus...just a tiny bit. There is a coffee flavor, but it is a bit stale...not very fresh. Finishes with more dark chocolate. Mouthfeel is full bodied, and nicely carbonated...maybe a bit too carbonated. Drinkability is high for an imperial stout. Overall, where this beer lacks in depth and complexity, it makes up for in drinkability. It goes down way to smoothly. A beer like this should be treated as a sipper, but it's hard when you are able to take big gulps of it (partially due to carbonation). This is a solid imperial stout, just nothing world class. Flavor is lacking a bit.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 08:30:45 | More by DovaliHops

Paul68

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

04-11-2013 00:29:18 | More by Paul68

WizzardOfHops

California

4.75/5  rDev +19.6%

04-05-2013 11:09:23 | More by WizzardOfHops

Mlitesonata

New York

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

03-25-2013 23:05:46 | More by Mlitesonata

popery

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

03-01-2013 07:28:36 | More by popery

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours jet black in color with a thin tan head that left a mild coating of lacing down the sides of the glass.

S: A nice little booze sting on the nose with dark chocolate, anise and coffee

T: Taste starts with some black patent malt, chocolate malt and hints of coffee. There is a substantial amount of anise throughout this beer. A nice booze sting persists, but sharpens on the end

M: Big body, well carbonated, not really creamy but more so in your face. I can see how some stouts drinkers could find this abrasive

O: A nice, tastefull Imperial with just the right amount of everything I like in a stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 17:02:38 | More by barleywinefiend

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +0.8%

02-09-2013 23:25:51 | More by t0rin0

Kendo

New York

4.08/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from the bottle into a Duvel tulip. Body is black with a 1-finger chocolate-brown head on top that leaves a nice ring of lace as it dissipates. Small amounts of splotchy lace thereafter.

S: When cold (probably too cold; I should've let this warm up a little before pouring it, but hey, I'm impatient when there's a new beer nearby) I didn't get much at all - a bit of roasty malt and chocolate malt is about it - but when it warms I get a bigger whiff of chocolate malt, some molasses, a touch of burnt sugar and even some alcohol esters.

T: First impression is the dark fruits - think raisins & prunes - which leads me to believe this may not have been the freshest bottle. There's also some bitter dark chocolate or bakers chocolate and roasted barley malt. Quite an impression of char/charcoal towards the finish, leading it to end with a charcoal-type bitterness.

M: Full-bodied and thick; carbonation is modest, but it doesn't result in the feel crossing over to slick or syrupy. At the same time it's not integrated in a way that would allow me to describe it as creamy.

O: Solid. Better than I was expecting, to be honest, as I haven't generally been overly-impressed with Speakeasy's offerings. I'd recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 15:40:34 | More by Kendo

sendbeer

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

12-21-2012 19:45:43 | More by sendbeer

atr2605

New York

3.8/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours back with a frothy tan head with excellent retention
S-coffee, rich chocolate, carmelized sugar
T-chocolate and sugar followed by roasted coffee and finishing with more chocolate
M-full bodied and creamy
O-good flavors but balance was a bit quirky. Overall not a bad brew for the price and wouldn't mind drinking it again, just not sure I would seek it out

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 03:46:14 | More by atr2605

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A near black body with a creamy tan head that rose two+ fingers. Some nice sip marks develop as you work your way through the glass.

The nose has a good amount of dark roast, bordering on char, with brown sugar, rich dark chocolate, and licorice. Solid aroma, but not overly impressive.

Deep, dark roast with some char and smoke come out in the flavor profile. Licorice and molasses notes evident as well. Sweet. Dark, rich chocolate notes and some coffee grounds come out in the finish with a little bit of ashy char. Most times you encounter char or ash it is a detractor, but it works well balancing out some of the sweetness in this stout.

Full body, smooth and rich. A touch slick, but mainly creamy.

Solid stout on all fronts. This is a great go to.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 19:18:13 | More by ColForbinBC

CaptDavyJones

New York

4/5  rDev +0.8%

12-02-2012 08:52:54 | More by CaptDavyJones

MarioM

California

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%

11-22-2012 20:57:17 | More by MarioM

sliks96

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.8%

11-11-2012 01:42:14 | More by sliks96

Devi0us

California

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%

10-25-2012 23:23:14 | More by Devi0us

crowsoup

California

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%

10-03-2012 19:30:09 | More by crowsoup