Butchertown Black Ale - Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

capra12

New York

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

Reviewed @ Rattle n Hum on 9/1/09,

Appearance: Deep Mohagundy with light cream colored head.

Smell: Piney and grapefruit hops.

Taste: Opens grainy, in the middle piney and bittering hops come through the graininess and just before the finish a hint of malts and alcohol come in leaving a bitter and hoppy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied and slightly coarse.

Drinkability: Definitely worth a try and I would definitely have another.

Serving type: on-tap

09-04-2009 02:12:33 | More by capra12

casapy

Idaho

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%

05-06-2013 01:29:37 | More by casapy

lordofstarside

Nevada

3.2/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bomber to snifter, no freshness date

Pours pitch black with a finger and a half of foam, good lacing and lots of carbonation on the sides. Pretty impressive retention also, looks good

Smells of hops, strong malt, chocolate, smoke, pine, and some alcohol. There's not much to this

Taste follows the nose, which unfortunately isn't the best. Strong up front malt melded with some hops, very distinct taste of tobacco, some smoke, and alcohol

Feel is full and creamy, pretty thick. Alcohol isn't very detectable

Overall I think this might have been sorta old, but this was not an enjoyable experience. Too much malt over powering everything, nothing came together well. I'm already pretty out of it, there's no way I'm going to be able to finish it. Steer clear of this beer

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 07:17:21 | More by lordofstarside

drgonzo2k2

California

4/5  rDev +6.1%

04-20-2013 14:32:41 | More by drgonzo2k2

jealmanzar

New York

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

04-15-2013 17:24:03 | More by jealmanzar

Cali_Vic

California

4.25/5  rDev +12.7%

04-09-2013 05:22:42 | More by Cali_Vic

GennyCreamAle

New York

4/5  rDev +6.1%

02-27-2013 02:18:23 | More by GennyCreamAle

Amerikon

California

3/5  rDev -20.4%

02-18-2013 02:20:50 | More by Amerikon

Davepoolesque

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -20.4%

02-17-2013 23:40:53 | More by Davepoolesque

mactrail

California

3.01/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

Pours quite a dark, near black color in the tall Stella glass. Handsome off-white foam. Winey nose with a hint of hops. Carbonation and foam last well.

Not very sweet, but plenty of malt flavors. Even fuller bodied than what you'd find in stouts. It's just a big strong ale that happens to be black. Some burnt flavors but the hops take over with a lot of herbal bitterness. Very bitter aftertaste that borders on the medicinal. Better than some of the Speakeasy brews. However, that dank flavor with the murky burnt taste keeps this from being much of a pleasure.

From the 22 oz bottle bought at Coit Liquor in San Francisco.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 05:18:16 | More by mactrail

tzolandz

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

01-27-2013 19:22:21 | More by tzolandz

mfrogs

New York

4/5  rDev +6.1%

12-29-2012 22:11:27 | More by mfrogs

jimilayne

New York

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

12-29-2012 03:26:43 | More by jimilayne

TheSixthRing

California

3.4/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Final Gravity Taproom in Roseville, CA.

Appearance - Pours near black that shines a dark ruby brown when held to any light source. The head is light tan, about a finger thick and with fair retention. The lacing is spotty with decent stick.

Smell - Musty aroma, hitting on mostly faint notes of pine. Earthy. Not much else.

Taste - Hits on pine hop bitterness to start. Earthy notes. leaf. Grassy bitterness toward the finish.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body. Soft, bubbly carbonation. Finishes fairly dry.

Overall - Decent brew. Not a great CDA. Flavors are a bit muddled. Not much in the way of dark roasted malt character. Kinda weak.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2012 22:18:32 | More by TheSixthRing

austincsuf

4.73/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured into cold pint glass...

A- real dark appearance, looks like a pepsi, it is a black ale so kind of expected...2 fingers of head which is dark colored as well

S- definitely some roasted notes, also picking up some fruit/citrus possibly

T- geez thats some tasty craft brew...super refreshing and a great light roasted aftertaste definitely worth TRYING

M - light carbonation, full body flavor

O-really one of my favorites, this beer has it all, dark bodied appearance w/ full flavor that leaves a pleasant aftertaste, and at the same time really easy to drink, could slam 3-4 of these real quick and at 8% that's a good thing..

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 01:50:34 | More by austincsuf

surlytheduff

Michigan

2/5  rDev -46.9%

12-07-2012 03:52:37 | More by surlytheduff

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

pour is black with red hues, creamy light brown head with some larger bubbles. Nose is milk chocolate, tobacco, butterscotch, and faint herbal hop. Thick and creamy with roasted malts, faint chocolate and vanilla with a fair amount of butterscotch. Tinge of herbal hop and bitterness, very creamy but flavors are surprisingly light. Assertive carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 18:13:57 | More by cpetrone84

elNopalero

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tried this from the bottle and thought there were enough differences as to make it worth revisiting.
Appearance-wise this has a creamy foam head atop a thick black ale, with a lightly perceptible roast aroma and a pinch of hops. The real difference comes across in the taste and body. For starters I feel like it pours out maltier, thicker, and richer from the bottle, although it’s lacking as strong a hop presence as you might find on tap. The roast profile is rounded with some blunted edges to it. Still enjoyable, don’t get me wrong.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 22:40:48 | More by elNopalero

sneaks2210

New York

4/5  rDev +6.1%

11-21-2012 02:37:46 | More by sneaks2210

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew was served from the tap at Rattle N’ Hum in New York, NY. It arrived in a stemless pilsner glass showing a pitch black coloring. It held a two finger head of latte colored foam, showing nice retention. Lacing was spidery and patterned, with a ghostly film to finally top the liquid. No haze or sediment was noted, and carbonation appeared average. The aroma was bright with raw black licorice, big phenolic plastic bitterness, deeply charred malts of coffee and caramel, fusel booze, sweet floral hops, light lavender, and vanilla coolness. Our first impression was that there was a nice depth to the malts, but not so as to overwhelm the hoppiness. As we sipped, soft char of caramel and coffee came into focus, with the musk of a big basement, and a light balance of hop bitterness. The middle peaked with herbal hops to wash, but these are quickly enveloped by chemical phenols and malts, adding thorough bitterness throughout. The finish was lighter, with citric hop bitterness to mix against the continued blackness of malts, and warming booze and musk. The aftertaste breathed of smoke and sour char, bittering plastic phenols, and bitterness of coffee malts. The body was full, and the carbonation was light to medium. The mouth was coated with a nice syrupy film, with stickiness to the lips, and a light metallic dryness and sheen down the palate and tongue. Each sip gave good slurp, sip, and soft cream, with lighter froth. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the aroma and the feel. The former was sweet with char, inviting musk, and creaminess. The hops did start strong, but did tend to get lost in the bitterness of char and phenols with excessive warmth. Regardless, the flavoring was nice, and very warming for a chilly day in the city.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2012 20:17:09 | More by TheBrewo

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at The Cannery. Its the way they make the style, a very good aroma of hops and roast .Black with a big head and lots of lace. The taste does not deliver, its muted,herbal but it is a smooth mouthfeel. Chocolate malt. Not the bold taste I have come to expect in the style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2012 13:36:39 | More by northyorksammy

felixljr

New York

4.5/5  rDev +19.4%

11-11-2012 22:56:33 | More by felixljr

Kendo

New York

4.05/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from the bomber into a pint glass. Body is black with mahogany edges when backlit. Pretty big (2-finger) light-tan, foamy head on top. Some thick rings of lace left behind.

S: Nice - what I like in an American Black Ale: chocolate malt, roasted barley and a touch of piney hops.

T: Given the nose, I'm a little bit disappointed by the taste, though the first impression is more a knock on the mouthfeel - which seems a bit thin - than the taste. As for taste, I get roasted barley, roasted coffee beans and then piney hop bitterness. At times that roastiness becomes char or charcoal-like. I was hoping for some chocolate malt, but all-in-all, even without it, this is solid. Very porter-like with all that roastiness - if it wasn't for the hop bitterness at the finish. Aftertaste is a battle between roasty flavors and the hop bitterness. Alcohol warmth felt in the belly, but otherwise not noted on the palate or in the taste.

M: As noted above, it's a little thin in feel, and at first I thought the carbonation was too sharp. That seemed to improve, however (or I just got used to it).

O: Pretty good. Have had mixed experiences with Speakeasy beers, but I'd say this one's a winner.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 00:20:03 | More by Kendo

CHickman

New York

4.3/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Pours very dark brown that borders on black, with the brown color only showing around the edges when the light hits it. The tan head was 2 fingers, very thick and foamy, leaving excellent foam lacing coating the sides and rings as it went down; an outstanding looking beer.

Smells of sweet malt, coffee, caramel, toffee, roasted grains, bakers chocolate, grapefruit, floral hops, herbs and cocoa powder; the sweet chocolate notes stand out the most and the ending citrus and floral hop aroma mix well with the malts and roasted grains, which smell like charcoal or burnt wood. A great smelling nose that is very complex and full of everything that makes beer enjoyable.

Tastes like it smells, but more rich and full of flavor, with sweet malt, coffee, caramel, toffee, cocoa powder, roasted grains, bakers chocolate, grapefruit, citrus hops, lemon zest, floral hops, flowers, herbs, pine cone/piney hops, brown sugar and spruce tips or some other spice like tea leaf or pepper; the sweet chocolate notes start things off, followed by herbs and floral hops and then some more sweetness like caramel, vanilla or a Frappuccino. The hops let this brew end bitter and still sweet, completely hiding the ABV.

Mouthfeel is creamy and very smooth, with a medium chewy body, mild carbonation and a nice sweet bitter finish.

This is what a craft beer is all about: the total beer experience that smells good, looks good and tastes great. Factor in that the price ($8 for a 25 oz bottle) was reasonable and I will seek out the beer again and suggest everyone tries it.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 03:01:38 | More by CHickman

Pinche_Oso

California

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

11-03-2012 07:16:18 | More by Pinche_Oso