Big Bear Black Stout - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

SportsandJorts

Michigan

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

bomber poured into a pint glass

appearance-black and nearly opaque. thick tan head that faded slowly to a nice lacing along the edges

smell- molasses and hints of roasted malt, nothing overpowering.

taste- molasses, slight roasted malts, and bitter chocolate, very well balanced.

mouthfeel- a tad thick and creamy. low carbonation. pretty easy to drink. as a big imperial stout i would prefer it to be a little heavier in terms of mouthfeel

overal- definitely a good beer. i really enjoy the sweet start to bitter finish and the low tones of the roasted malts. very pleasant drinking beer. i wish it was a little bit more of a sipper than it is. all in all easily worth the $5 i paid for a bomber

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 04:51:48 | More by SportsandJorts

vfgccp

New York

3.33/5  rDev -20%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Purchased 8 months ago, opened in December 2012.

A - Light khaki, creamy head. Sub par retention and ok lace. Light cola body with ruby brown highlights.

S - Sweet nose. Molasses, ginger bread, anise, salt, dark caramel, brown sugar, and root beer.

T - Butterscotch, molasses, dark roasted hazelnut, a hint of char, resiny plant bitters, thick ginger bread, and a light milk chocolate.

M - Low carbonation, even to style. Medium/light body.

O - Not a bad stout, but the balance feels a little off and it's a shade too sweet for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 08:56:34 | More by vfgccp

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-dark brown Black color with a nice tan hear and some lacing

S-coffee, dark chocolate, malt, hint of pine and earthiness

T-dark roasted malt, chocolate, espresso, nice bitter hop finish with hints of pine

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, creamy and smooth yet with a nice crispness, alcohol very well integrated

O-this is a tasty stout and a very good value, easy drinking

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 22:26:04 | More by MDDMD

heygeebee

Australia

3.78/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes. In all fairness the brew was poured too cold.

Pours black with a thin head. Little lace.

Aromas are muted and of roasts and licorice

Taste also is more roast driven,with choc coming thru as it warms, toward the end licorice is dominat note.

Mouthfeel not too heavy.

I actually had this as a Foreign Export rather than double. Flavours not massive.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 00:24:18 | More by heygeebee

barknee

New York

4.58/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

B.B.B.S. pours an opaque black color, similar to the time you forgot to change your engine oil after 25,000 miles.
Deep rich toasted mocha colored head, dissipating quickly, but rejuvenating nicely when agitated, which admittingly is a much more impressive recovery than some folks I know.
Absolutely totally insane nose of oaked vanilla, bread pudding, flan, bittersweet chocolate, marshmallow and fine cream.
Smooth and velvety in the mouth; the weight of this brew is simply fantastic, and fortunately not too sweet.
Flavors of cocoa-cream, roasted chicory and gourmand milk chocolate make this one of the most enjoyable stouts I've ever encountered.
I've given the "smell" of this brew a 5 for the incomparable aromatics that waft from the glass, unmatched by any other stout; a truly remarkable tour de force in brewing!
This brew is a true labor of love.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 22:12:33 | More by barknee

atr2605

New York

3.6/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-pours black with a tan head with average retention
S-columbian coffee, rich chocolate, low hop aroma, hazelnut
T-more coffee and chocolate, roasted malt
M-medium full bodied
O-very well rounded and easy to drink. Definitely needs to warm to reveal its complexity. I would have it again

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 03:13:16 | More by atr2605

chicagoanbeerone

Illinois

2.15/5  rDev -48.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

very rich dark stout that smells well , a nice smooth bitterness , quite tastey for a stout, can not tatse the alchol heavy but not to over done more simple. The stout needed more flavor from hops and maybe coffee would have been nice overall i would pass on this beer

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 19:55:36 | More by chicagoanbeerone

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.78/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in an over-sized wine glass (because I wanted to do something different).

Appearance: This would be a 4 if not for the lack of head, I give it this nice even lacing body coming off dark brown almost black with little bubbles to the body. Head is tan slightly lighter than the norm but still looking good.

Smell: Light coffee bean notes, and scent of bitter dark chocolate.

Taste: It's a little bitter, like bitter chocolate, light molasses that make it a notch sweet. It feels almost like a milk stout, espresso meets a little cream but still espresso bitter if that makes sense. Malty and a little all over the place.

Mouth: Medium carbonation feels a little light. This beer because of it's smoothness is a good introduction beer for your first imperial stout "tryout".

Overall: I was half way into my glass thinking already in my head this beer has to be rated somewhere in the 80's I am surprised that it is rated this high considering what I consider to be "world-class". Factoring price and how easy this brew is to get, maybe it makes more sense. Good beer that takes a little time to break in, Salud!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 07:17:51 | More by BlurryVisi0n

Chris_Cali_2o9

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber to a pub style glass
Bottling date 6/12/12

A- Near jet black mahogany body, 2" fluffy brown head

S- Roated malts, funky hops, slit soy sauce aroma once it reached near room temp.

T- Bitter dark chocolate and cocoa nibs, roasty, nutty, caramel malts, funky hops, alcohol twang

M- Creamy, below average carbonation, slit alcohol heat

O- A pretty damn tasty stout. Lots of bitter dark chocolate and cocoa nibs. Roasty, nutty, caramel malts, and some funky, dank hops. I'm kind of disappointed with the bottling date and can't help but wonder if this brew would have been better fresh. It's my fault though for not taking the time to research where the bottling date was, prior to the purchase.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 20:59:27 | More by Chris_Cali_2o9

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 650ml. bottle with no freshness info.

Appearance: Completely black body, nice shimmering effect with the head which is full and light brown. Intricate patchwork like a web forms on the glass.

Smell: Good roasted aroma, molasses, tootsie rolls, milky chocolate.

Taste: Roasted malt mixed with chocolate, has a milky coffee thing going and the finish is more robust in the coffee flavor. The unfortunate thing is there isn't terribly much depth to the flavor.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, coffee-like bitterness in the finish.

Overall: Good but not a standout.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 12:42:04 | More by papat444

mjtiernan

New York

4.15/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a Teku stemmed tulip. Can’t find a bottle date but I’ve got good reason to believe that it’s fairly fresh.

A: One finger light brown head. Moderate fading...nice lacing. No light getting through the body.

S: Dominated by a real nice chocolate aroma. Some sugary caramel, light hops and a touch of roastiness.

T: Oh man, that’s good. Chocolate and caramel with a really nice semi-dry roasty finish. Delicious.

M: Creamy and luxurious. Pretty much exactly what I want a good stout to feel like. Carb is low-to-medium. Body very full.

O: This is the first time I’ve had this beer, but I’ll seek it out again. Reminiscent of Stone IRS. Wonderful example of a big standard stout.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 03:46:20 | More by mjtiernan

jmerloni

Massachusetts

2.4/5  rDev -42.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A - Dark brown body with nothin' shining through. Big beige head that laces well. Looks good.

S - Meh. Not much on the aroma. Oak, molasses, milk chocolate.

T - Meh. Even less here. Dry chocolate, artificial vanilla, dead hops. This is pretty bad.

M - Hits grainy chocolate and comes apart like a soda whose flatness is accelerating. Meh again.

D - Bear Republic is one of my favorite breweries - I ADORE Racer 5 and Hop Rod - but this beer is a disaster as far as I'm concerned. I'm not even going to bother going into where this beer could be better because it's a synopsis that is a couple paragraphs long. In short, this is a mediocre beer that was rained on and left outside mistakenly overnight. Wouldn't recommend it, and I wouldn't get it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 01:59:48 | More by jmerloni

RussBecker1

4.75/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A- Pours like a classic imperial stout with a very inky texture and a toffee head that sits atop everything else. The body is not as thick as some however, which would have set the look over the top.

S- Deep complex smell with malts chocolate and licorice.

M-Smooth/creamy, but not too thick to overwhelm. The perfect feel to the taste.

T/O Holy crap!! Honestly this beer swept me off my feet. The flavor profile is absolutely monstrous. Each sip bounces between delicious malts/chocolate/coffee/licorice/plum? other deep fruits/alcohol and the occasional bit of strawberry. More amazingly, the profile is remarkably balanced making each and every sip a new exploration in flavor. I can't believe it has taken me so long to find this!

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 15:23:30 | More by RussBecker1

draheim

Washington

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

22oz bottle into a snifter. Pours an opaque black w/ a thick mocha head, good retention. Some reddish light penetrates the sides of the glass.

Aroma is a blend of molasses, black licorice, dark fruit, sticky caramel. Really strong licorice/anise character.

Taste is fruity, roasty, and dry. Molasses, caramel, licorice w/ a bitter finish. Floral hop presence.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, a little sticky, w/ a lingering aftertaste.

Overall a solid American stout.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 05:39:49 | More by draheim

dpodratsky3

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber poured into stout glass

A: Might as well be jet black , but some gives of slight hints of brown to me, head is supported nicely, lightly sticks to the sides of the glass but nothing extravagant, it does hang around the edges though

S: Everything you'd expect from a stout in the aroma, creamy and rich roasted malt, not super heavily roasted to the point of chocolate or coffee though, alcohol comes through just slightly

T: A little bit of a let down from the aroma, still has that same deep roasted malt flavor (again without being chocolate or coffee), however, that rich creaminess isn't quite as powerful, the alcohol doesn't comes through very much which is good for an 8% abv beer, hops totally cleanse your palate in the finish, but don't provide too much in the way of flavor, a little piney, decent amount of bitterness too, needs to be to carry through some of the heaviness of the roast

M: Very dry, but it would probably be a fairly heavy beer otherwise, not entirely pleasant for some reason though

O: A very good stout, nothing mindblowing about it though, just a solid roasty but drinkable stout. And that isn't a knock against it. Too many stouts are crazy coffee stouts or imperial stouts that wreck your palate. This is true to the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 03:02:47 | More by dpodratsky3

sukwonee

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Black with 1 finger head with lots of messy lacing

S: Roasted malt is dominant, coffee, some hops, not getting much caramel as advertised

T: Roasted malt, espresso coffee, hoppy bitterness (in addition to the bitterness from coffee), some smoke maybe, I taste the alcohol as well. Again, lot getting a whole lot of caramel here. It's quite good. Good mix of coffee and hops. Not sweet much either.

M: Medium thickness for the style. High amount of carbonation. A bit on the crisp side for me.

O: Very solid. I see this bottle everywhere and finally pulled the trigger after enjoying their rye and indian pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 01:44:49 | More by sukwonee

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.8/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint.

A: Genuinely good looking stout, nearly opaque black with a light reddish tint at the stem of the glass...light tan head, some decent lace.

S: Dark caramel, licorice, a distinctly roasted edge with some aromas of acrid coffee and blackened barley...dark cherry juice and black currant, faint hop bitterness.

T: Some astringent roasted espresso notes that intertwine with flavors of char and roast...licorice hits again, combining with some herbal hop leaf and a slightly bitter finish to make this an interesting and unique flavor profile...unsweetened bakers chocolate, burnt caramel, and coffee bitterness all make their presence known in moderation.

MF: Semi-viscous medium body with moderate carbonation and a semi-dry cocoa-like finish.

O: Honestly, not as good as I'd hoped. Its a decent stout, but not exactly what I prefer as far as nose and flavor. Glad to tick this one though.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 14:14:19 | More by Scotchboy

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pitch black body with a thin layer of mocha colored bubbles. Head leaves some lacing, but does not hang around long.

S- Chocolate malt, roasted malt, hint of bitter coffee, some chocolate syrup.

T- Roasty and malty upfront, with a surprising amount of hop bitterness at the end of the taste. Finish leaves some chocolate and roasty taste.

M- Silky, full-bodied, medium carbonation, nice mouthfeel.

O- Good, solid, hoppy stout.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 17:42:08 | More by stephenjmoore

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Black. Some dark browns and red when held to direct light, but it's minimal. Head is small and drops to a small collar. Khaki-colored head. Big bubbles, loose, some spotty lacing.

Smell: Dark chocolate. Deeply roasted malts. Some char. Burnt malts. Caramelized sugar. Burnt black licorice. Some old coffee, milk chocolate, and roast. Lots of chocolate. Semisweet chocolate chips, cocoa, even some nibs. Bitterness comes solely from the malts. No hopping to be found. Some citrus in the back. So much malty chocolate goodness. Some dark fruitiness, like blackberries and blueberries.

Taste: Roasted cocoa. Huge roasted sweetness. Burnt edges. Some char. Leather and blackberries. So much chocolate. Cocoa, milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate chips. Some espresso. Creamy and roasted like crazy. Big fruitiness tempered by some citrus from the hops. Bitter edge from the malts. Some oily pine in the back.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, but it's a bit thinner that I would like given the malts. Minor carbonation. Smooth and just a touch creamy.

Overall: The precursor to the American Black Ale.

Big roasted malts and some hops? Bear Republic did it first.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 00:37:53 | More by Goblinmunkey7

Dools9

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle Poured into tulip, bottled 9/14/11. Sampled 9/22/12.

A: Black as black can be. Produced a nice, creamy two finger khaki brown head. Nice retention and leaves nice lacing. Looks like a great impy stout.

S: Roasty malt, sweet mollases, heavy caramel, big bittersweet chocolate, mild smoke and vanilla. Theres some slight plum and fig, but its dominated by the caramel and mollases sweetness.

T: Very roasty, good amount of charred smoke, bittersweet chocoalte, mollases and heavy caramel.

M: Its medium to full bodied, creamy, soft and smooth. No alcohol detected.

O: Solid. This particular bottle had a bit of age on it which might have toned down the hop presence mentioned in other reviews. Overall however, a very good imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 04:08:08 | More by Dools9

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Pure pitch black pour into a pint glass. Creamy light mocha tan head with good retention. Tons of awesome webs from the lacing all over the glass.

S- Hops are pretty much right up there with the the big roast stout base. Notes of pine, citrus, roast cocoa, coffee and dark malts.

T- Picking up more hops than I remember when having this back in the day. Roast takes precedence though with nice burnt cereal grain, milk chocolate and slight coffee. Significant hops with earthy, pine and citrus notes.

MF- Body has a foamy and silky feel with a moderately thick consistency. Good roast and hop bitterness in the finish.

Had this a few times before and it still stands up as a go to Stout.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 03:10:19 | More by cbutova

claspada

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown color with dark amber highlights and a nice tan head that leaves plenty of lacing on the glass.

Aromas begin with a surprising amount of citrusy hops which caught me off guard. Then you get the typical darker malts, roasted coffee and woody molasses undertones.

The tastes begin with rich chocolate maltiness that blends with some lesser dark fruits. As it warms the grapefruit hop flavors and bitterness really comes out and coupled with the coffee/dark malt bitterness makes the overall flavor profile a bit acrid.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation. The finish is woody and dry, almost to a fault.

Overall I just don't dig big hoppy stouts; I want my stouts to be creamy and chocolately, not bitter, acrid and citrusy. This is almost like an Imperial Black IPA (another style I distaste) and really became a chore for me to finish because the flavor profile just didn't gel for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 20:53:05 | More by claspada

SmashPants

Australia

2.88/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle: standard brown long-neck ping glass, "big" U.S.-style label. The quality packaging has me looking forward to a great beer.

Appearance: liquid jet back with a 1cm thick tan head with good retention. So far so good!

Aroma: dominated by heavy roasted malts, some caramels and coffee / biscuit. A touch of citrus hops underneath, which is odd for a Stout.

Taste: goes all wrong for me here. Not really too much going on - it actually tastes like a standard Milk Stout with some roasted malt poured in. Very disappointing. Definitely doesn't taste like an Imperial Stout.

Aftertaste: pretty much follows the taste. Lingers reasonably well, but only with a bittering off-malt flavour - which is never pleasant.

Mouthfeel: reasonable mouthfeel for a Stout - low carbonation and heavy body.

Overall: I was expecting big things from this beer, and unfortunately it didn't deliver. I will openly admit that I generally drink English / Irish / Australian Stouts & Porters, so maybe I am not used to the U.S. versions yet. Will have to try a few more then revisit this beer later.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 05:43:43 | More by SmashPants

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.05/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Consumed 9/2/12

Appearance: Black from a distance, but dark brown in the light, with some nice clarity around the edges - nice, tan head that fades somewhat quickly, becomes a wispy cap, leaves some spots and streaks of lacing

Smell: Roasty malts, burnt malts, and chocolate - lots of chocolate, including dark chocolate and semisweet chocolate pieces - roasty, slightly burnt, with some caramel, some coffee - not sure why, but I think this really smells like a chocolate cake - nice malty, caramel sweetness - a nice undercurrent of citrusy hops - orange and grapefruit flesh

Taste: A mouthful of chocolate cake followed by a sip of coffee, with hops on the side - roasty and burnt - coffee, toffee, and caramel - dark chocolate, semisweet chocolate chips, and chocolate cake - orange and grapefruit flesh, with some oily pine - mildly bitter

Mouthfeel: Medium body, a bit thin, but very smooth, nicely carbonated

Overall: A great stout, but not sure if I'd call it imperial...

Scoring this beer is a challenge. It really feels more like an American Stout than American Double/Imperial. It has a ton of flavor, but it's mild compared to what I would expect in the style. The mouthfeel, too, feels decidedly non-imperial. But this doesn't take away from the fact that this beer is awesome.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 06:05:55 | More by angrybabboon

Blackwolf

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from bottle to pint glass.

A- Dark, dark, dark as the absence of all light. Seriously I held this up as close as I could to a light source and nothing could passed through. There was a barely visible tinge of mahogany on the edges of the glass, but it was a razor thin line. And the head was lovely. A frothy cappuccino two finger head that held just enough retention. After a few minutes it settled into a creamy cap that skimmed this dark beauty. Sticky lacing! This stout stares deep into your eyes and tempts you like no other ;)

S- Roasted malts, toffee, slight alcohol, dark fruit some hops if you pay attention to them.

T- Your palate follows the nose. Roasted malt flavor... Caramel/toffee, again with some dark fruit and the alcohol finish is a nice warming spice, not over powering at all but it is distinct. Well balanced sweet malty stout! You can really dig into this.

MF- Light smooth syrup... It's a medium body with a light-medium amount of carbonation. The warming alcohol feel definitely helps you shift gears on this tasty stout.

O- Great stout. I would recommend it to all. Not an everyday beer in my opinion, but it is interesting with a great nose and vibrant taste. If you want an exceptional stout for a reasonable price grab a bottle or two.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 04:13:14 | More by Blackwolf