Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout - Flying Dog Brewery

Spider889

Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Well.... the notes on this beer really make me feel welcome to review it. Someone needs to tone it down a notch. Everyone else, stop adding beers that already exist (I'm looking at you, Curmudgeon's Better Half!).

Anyways, poured into my Duvel tulip. No head, not even the threat of one. Flying Dog, how do you do it?

The aroma certainly has a lot of coffee character. There's also a bunch of stone fruit and berry in there and hints of vanilla.

This actually doesn't taste half bad - but the coffee comes across as cold leftovers from the morning's brew. Not sure what type of beans are used, but I'd much prefer something darker and more roasty. The beer just seems overly sweet and ordinary. Vanilla and hazelnut.

Thin mouthfeel. Overall I really wanted to like this, but I just find myself disliking it more and more as I get through the glass. When I pay premium pricing for a coffee beer give me some espresso beans or premium coffee. If I wanted some Folgers Crystals in some milk stout I'd... well... actually I wouldn't want that so... yeah.

Sigh.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 06:10:21 | More by Spider889

jtierney89

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours pitch black with a brown head that dissipates rather quickly. Smells like straight black coffee. Touch of chocolate.

Thick syrup like mouthfeel. Overwhelming amounts of coffee flavor. Touch of chocolate. But basically just like drinking thick black coffee. Not a huge fan. Has a nice finish so it could pair extremely well with dessert. It's okay and id have it again under the right circumstances but eh.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 02:05:16 | More by jtierney89

Vierenner

Ohio

2.7/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I was looking forward to this beer. A renowned brewery must have done a coffee stout right ... or so I thought.

It pours beautifully, but that's where the goodness ends.

The smell (or stench) is upsetting. Like raunchy socks at the bottom of a hamper.

The taste isn't balanced. Coffee is present in abundance and overpowers everything else, except for a bit of cocoa.

A more subtle coffee flavor would help this beer substantially.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 03:12:58 | More by Vierenner

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A-black with a thick brown head, very pretty.

S-dark roasted coffee but mostly has a tint of bitterness and vegetables. medium scent. smells off

T-comes in with an odd flavor of coffee and something else...possibly really sweet caramel? its bitter and different, but not good different. there's maybe a taste of butter? the after-taste is of dark roasted coffee.

M-medium carbonation with a dry finish

O-not a great stout. the flavors seem to be oddly off balance to me. this isn't something i'll want again. sweet looking bottle though.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 00:59:45 | More by AdamBear

mactrail

California

2.8/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Very dark mahogany brown in the glass. Head flattens out fairly rapidly. Kind of an oily texture with virtually no lacing. Smells like some kind of squash or green vegetable to me.

Cocoa flavor is the main thing. Malty with an alcoholic overtone. Certainly a different kind of coffee from other flavored stouts I've tried, and it's not so bitter. The whole flavor is quite smooth. Only modestly bitter with no flowery hops apparent. The coffee does provide the aftertaste along with a winey flavor. This is not quite like anything I've had before, but perhaps it's an improvement on the all too frequent "dregs of last week's coffee" taste.

From the 12 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 06:11:54 | More by mactrail

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.08/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Got this at De Bierkoning in Amsterdam.

From a bottle into a snifter.

APPERANCE: Black pour yields a one finger, medium looking, fluffy mocha colored head with very good retention. Black body and zero carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a half wisp and ring. A ring remains until the end but leaves no lacing down the glass. Dark body, but lacing is a little average.

SMELL: Milder nose of roasted malts, caramel, sweet cream, light vanilla and hints of coffee as well. Coffee is milder on the nose than expected, but it’s still pleasantly put together.

TASTE: Milder flavors as well. Roasted and smoky notes up front with some caramel sweetness. Sweet cream, vanilla and light coffee notes at the swallow, then moves into a sweet caramel and cream aftertaste with touches of bitter coffee as well. Milder aftertaste, but lingers nicely on the palate.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Lighter on the palate but creamy smooth, goes down smooth and finishes slightly sticky on the palate. Nice, though perhaps a little light.

OVERALL: This is alright I guess. It’s well balanced and has some interesting flavors going on, but not something that will knock your socks off, and the coffee seems to be a bit of an afterthought. I wish this were a little more coffee forward and that the flavors were a little bolder overall. Still, an enjoyable beer worth checking out, but just not a memorable one.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 12:37:12 | More by Jeffo

largadeer

California

3.08/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Black body with two inches of foam. Solid retention with sticky lacing. Cocoa and stale coffee aroma, some vanilla in there and a little roast. Palate offers more of the same: a mild stale coffee character backed by baker's chocolate, mild roastiness and vanilla. Body is medium, a touch thin for the ABV but not offensive. Pretty much a completely run of the mill, uninteresting coffee stout.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2012 23:52:58 | More by largadeer

kojevergas

California

3.19/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Acquired at a local SoCal beer store. 8.9% ABV confirmed. "Imperial Coffee Stout. Stout with Coffee Added." Love the label; this brewery has great labels. Made with Black Dog coffee. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with branded pressure cap served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; I can't remember having anything great from this brewery before.

Served chilled and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a one finger rich tan colour head of nice cream and thickness, and average (2 minute) retention. Body colour is a predictable solid black; nontransparent and opaque. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Spot on for the style. Looking forward to trying it.

Sm: Chocolate malt, dark malts, light buried roast, light coffee bitterness, and caramel. Lacks coffee roast or richness; coffee is surprisingly light here. A bit of cream. An above average strength aroma. Appealing, but not all that impressive. Still, I'm pretty sure it'll taste pretty good. No yeast character or notable hop notes are detectable.

T: Light coffee; not all that rich, evocative, or interesting. Dark malts and chocolate malts form the relatively simple foundation. No yeast character comes through. A bit of alcohol does make an appearance. Light cream. Diluted caramel. It's sloppily put together, but generally balanced. I'm far from impressed; it's a pretty mundane coffee stout. Simply executed. Lacks complexity and subtlety. Pretty middling, even a bit pedestrian. Lacks boldness or inspiration.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Overcarbonated. Decent body. Okay presence on the palate. A bit too thick for the lack of diverse and deep flavour. Complements the flavour profile merely in a general sense; there doesn't seem to be much thought or care put into this.

Dr: A lazy coffee stout which lacks interesting coffee notes and interesting stout notes. It doesn't lack alcohol, however. Passable, but forgettable. This'll get lost amongst the slew of better brewed imperial stouts with coffee out there - and frankly it deserves to. You've got to bring more to the table when you brew a beer in this style. This just doesn't stand out. I'd get it again if it were the best option at a bar, or if it were a cheap option on the east coast. Otherwise, I'll be leaving it on the shelf. Still unimpressed with Flying Dog.

High C+

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 04:15:36 | More by kojevergas

homebrew311

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into NB Globe.

A: pours velvety black, dark brown head, decent retention, some lacing

S: big bold coffee competes with malty sweetness, notes of molasses and vanilla, some roast, but over shadowed by sweetness

T: the taste is like the nose, very sweet, tastes like a very high finishing gravity, some bold coffee up front, but again this is overshadowed by molasses and booziness, heat on the end..balance is not great

MF: thick body, medium carbonation, bordering on being syrupy

O: I am a sucker for coffee infused imperial stout but I was left somewhat disappointed by this. the coffee is present and features some nice qualities, but the base beer is unbalanced and too sweet for my liking

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 03:46:51 | More by homebrew311

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Rich chocolate pour produces a 1 finger mocha colored head that was whispy and frothy, only moderately retaining, while leaving a small splotchy and unimpressive lacing.

S: Some chocolate bitterness arrives on the nose, but very light and insignificant. Milky creamer, no alcohol detection and really nothing that stands out to get my attention. Was expecting alot more aromatic appeal from this one, but came up small.

T: Bitter chocolate for flavor first stands out, some milky creamer, a smooth bitterness, aka very light and refined, agains was expecting a bit more coffee roast influence here. Some alcohol shows itself with a spiciness of sweet cinnamon and nutmeg. Chocolate roast appears moderately on the fade, but nothing memoriable. Some chicory and sweet licorice, and burnt wood rounds things out in an otherwise held back flavor that was far from imperial.

M: Mouthful was creamy, smooth oily texture with a burnt bitterness and a warming of alcohol.

O: Roasty alcohol seems to overtake the flavor at times. Some bitterness, but not much flavor, doesnt stand out and is hardly worhty of imperial standards. Moderate drinkability and a bit of a let down.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 00:38:37 | More by beerthulhu

BogBoyJD

Ireland

3.3/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Not going to spend too much time on this one.

Appearance is black and viscous, head goes extremely quickly. Looks flat. What the f#ck?

The only good thing about this beer is the smell. Like espresso beans and caramel.

Very disappointed. When I saw this one I couldn't wait to try it, but anyway...

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 21:37:53 | More by BogBoyJD

n2185

North Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -14%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours black with two fingers of brown head that fades into a frothy ring with no lacing.

S: Roasted malts up front followed by sweet chocolate and creamy coffee aromas. I also get an odd, sweet bubblegum-like aroma in there. It's a bit out of place, though works alright.

T: Similar to the aroma, lots of bitter roasted malt characters with notes of bitter chocolate and roasted coffee. Underlying these is a candy-like sweetness. The finish is roasty and lightly bitter with a light alcohol burn.

M: Medium-thick body with medium carbonation, this beer could benefit from either a thicker, creamier body or a bit more carbonation.

O: A decent coffee stout, overall. Not extremely coffee forward and there's that odd candy sweet character, but still a decent and drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 04:25:54 | More by n2185

dgilks

Australia

3.45/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pretty close to pitch black. Tiny tan head. Poor head retention.

A tiny bit sweet, a little roasty, some chocolate, bits of fruit.

Fruity and sweet. Plenty of milk chocolate. Lacking coffee and malt.

Medium body with moderately-high carbonation. Okay.

Not all that interesting as a stout. It lacks real coffee and roast punch.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 09:39:52 | More by dgilks

gbbass16

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hard not to compare this to GI coffee I had this week but here it goes.

Bottle poured into Founders snifter. No date that I could find but purchased 1/30/2012.

The pour is a dark brown with a small ring of light brown head remaining. The smell is nice with dark chocolate, oak, rum, although nary a hint of coffee, which was disappointing. The taste is slightly hot, oak and chocolate again and only a touch of coffee, which sucks, since this is called "imperial coffee stout". The mouthfeel is what you would expect from this type of beer. Overall, it's a decent stout, but result misses as a coffee stout, thus my score. I bought two bottles and will update my review if the other is any different when I open it. Otherwise I will not be purchasing this one again.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 21:03:18 | More by gbbass16

BrohamidAli

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- I'm not sure really why this category matters because all beers look different but as i pored it out it was pitch black, typical imperial stout. There was a good head on it as well. pretty appealing to the eyes

S- Not getting that much coffee but I am getting a very malty, bannanay smell too it. I do like the smell but I'm not getting those dried figs and plums that every reviewer tends to put down for imperial stout. Sometimes I wonder if they've actually had an actual dried fig, not a fig newton, or a dried plum.

tasted- Definitely getting that coffee bitterness taste typical of a stout but not so much any other characters of coffee. At the back end I'm getting that bannanay taste that i got in the aroma.

M-It's not particularly thick but it does have some body to it.

0-Pretty good beer. definitely would get this again. Not the best beer in the world, but far from the worst. I would like to get more of a coffee taste in it though.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 20:19:41 | More by BrohamidAli

ChugginOil

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours near solid black with just a tad bit of cola colored edging. There is a fingers worth of light tan head that sits for a while. A bit of webbed lacing.

The nose is made up of leather, cocoa, tobacco, and yes, coffee. Not as much coffee as expected but its in there.

The flavors here are cocoa, coffee roast and a bit of leather. Not much here either in terms of boldness. The alcohol however, is very well masked.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a little more carbonation than desired. Crisp.

Overall, this is an alright coffee stout but nowhere near top tier. It has some pleasant flavors but could use work in almost every category.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 22:28:52 | More by ChugginOil

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a brandy snifter. Vintage 12CC.

A: No head, but a crown of brownish foam on the edges. The beer is one shade of black, and completely opaque.

S: Smells a little bit like Founder's Breakfast Stout...I wonder if there is oatmeal is Kujo. Definitely smells like it. Not too much coffee, but trace bitterness and chocolate malt sweetness.

T: Sweet and rather creamy, with a thin-dry aftertaste that detracts from the bigness of the maintaste. Definitely some oatmeal here too, but the maintaste is oversweet and underbitter. Coffee is virtually undetectable and the flat mouthfeel ensures that whatever coffee is present tastes like it's been sitting out for a day or two. Pretty average.

M: Merits for fullness and smoothness, demerits for flatness and lack of esprit.

O: Not a bad effort, but not very compelling double coffee stout. Sweet, creamy vanilla. Not recommended, would not not drink again (double negative intended).

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 04:42:26 | More by AgentMunky

Uncle_Jimmy

California

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- opaque brown no head

Aroma- Coffe vanilla yeasty and slightly floral

Taste- Carmel molasses brown sugar. The coffee comes out after that with a very slight hop bite at the end. LIght prune and raisin toward the back.

Mouthfeel- viscous flat on the palette with slight alcohol warmth. I would like to try this one on nitro.

Overall- I would assume that the coffee used was an oily dark roast , that may be what keeps the head in check. It is an Imperial Coffee stout that is not all booze, not all coffee and not all stout. That being said I like that the hops take a back seat, coffee is bitter enough, and i could definitely see me crushing this before a red eye flight cross country !

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 17:23:51 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a shaker: Black body under a finger of cappuccino head that drops to a thick coat & collar.

Roast coffee in the smell that kind of spills over into a lot of bordering smells: a little chalky, a little waxy, roasty acidity. The acidity translates as a bit fruity, like sharp strawberry or raspberry preserves.

More roast coffee, some dark chocolate, nutty & sweet, & an underlying breadiness that holds is all together. Again, there's an acidity there, too, kind of citric in a way. The sweetness really gains & ends up being more like chocolate syrup that I'd anticipated. Moderately sweet & bitter in the aftertaste.

Medium-bodied, all sugary, & bitterly roasty, & acidic in turns.

Not bad overall, but the sweetness came & made it tiresome before long. Not bad, but not terribly memorable either.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 02:35:57 | More by OneDropSoup

Morey

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12o bottle with "Vintage 12CC" printed on the bottom of the label.

Pours black in color with one finger of light brown colored head that has settled to a thin and spotty layer after a few minutes or so. Pretty good head retention on this one.

Aroma is a bit strange for the style. Smells fruity as if it were brewed with a Belgian yeast. Coffee is present, but I'm definitely getting dark fruits as well.

Taste: I'm getting the fruit flavor right up front. Coffee comes sweeping in next accompanied by a pretty big sweetness. A touch of bitterness towards the middle which is partially from the hops and partially from the coffee. Finishes sweet with the fruitiness coming out again on the back end.

Medium bodied with moderate to low carbonation.

A decent coffee stout overall.

Morey's Bottom Line: I've had quite a few coffee stouts/beers, and this one comes in towards the back of the pack. It's still good, but I'm not a huge fan of the fruity flavors, and the sweetness is a bit overdone IMO as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 16:14:16 | More by Morey

beerluvr

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A vigorous pour into a Duvel tulip produces a nice dark tan head, black in the glass underneath. Nose is all dark fruit and roasted malt with little coffee noted. Heavy/viscous mouthfeel that goes with the style, fruity notes and then some light coffee, sweet from the maltiness. Finishes on a roasty note...again not too heavy on the coffee but a nice drink nonetheless. I'd like to age some to see what develops.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 22:23:51 | More by beerluvr

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip.

A: Pours the typical pitch black colored body expected from a stout. Putting this bad boy up to the light yields none of it coming through. The tan colored head is a little disappointing, only two fingers with lowish retention/lacing, but it's no big deal.

S: There's some coffee, and good coffee too - but it's a little mild in its strength. I do smell some chocolate, as well.

T: The strongest flavor here isn't coffee - it's licorice. Notes of chocolate, roast, a hint of hops, and the tiniest amount of booze also exist; oh yeah, there's some coffee, too. As a straight-up imperial stout, this is excellent, if somewhat unbalanced favoring the licorice. As a coffee stout, it falls short. It needs some more coffee character to counteract the roast and licorice; they could support it easily without upsetting the balance.

M: A little thin bodied, but it's super creamy with low carbonation. The finish isn't as dry as I expected (definitely not as dry as Founders Breakfast Stout), yet I still get some of the coffee texture on the tongue, so extra brownie points for that.

O: All in all, solid. Unfortunately, solid doesn't quite cut it next to Founders Breakfast Stout, as it lacks its immense drinkability and character. Still, I'd definitely give it another try.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 01:50:59 | More by ThisWangsChung

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours deep, dark black with a small mocha colored head. For a coffee stout, this doesn't smell much like coffee. I get a bit of dark chocolate and maybe even some fruit, but not much coffee. Sweet milk chocolate and a bit of molasses and caramel. The coffee does seem to be there in some capacity on the palate, but it's not all that strong. Otherwise, more chocolate, cocoa, and roasted malt with a subtle sweetness of toffee.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 06:24:37 | More by womencantsail

RappAttack

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: jet black with no head to speak of
S: sweet and rich coffee
T: rosty coffee and chocolate with a small alcoholic bite
M: thin with moderate carbonation
O: more of an imperial stout than a coffee stout. coffee is not over powering like in other coffee stouts. chocolate balances the taste nicely. a solid beer but a bit pricey

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 00:29:50 | More by RappAttack

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.6/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Fair coffee stout, nothing outstanding but a good offering.

Presentation: 12 oz brown capped bottle . Roaring expressionistic Steadman dog illustration on the label. Small side note with a description of the brew around their wild dog mythology (much better than the derogatory remarks on their test batch). Notes vintage11AA and 8.9% Alc. by Vol. Served in a snifter.

A - Nice creamy head, moderate retention and fair surface memory with some touches of lacing.

S - Chicory roasted notes, soft coffee bitter dash...

T - Roasted malts with bitter coffee notes, chocolate, boozy hint pushing up the flow, with a soft lactic touch.

M - Medium body with medium-light carbonation early on, it retains a good tingle held by a soft boozy hint. Creamy sense over the bitter finishing note.

O - Pleasing Coffee Stout all things considered.

Notes: A slight improvement goes a long way.. Or so it feels like. After the blah, blah of their Wild Dog Coffee Stout Batch 2, while nothing extraordinary this is a step forward. Appearance, and nose are up a touch making it more reliable. while the rest remains very much the same. Maybe a tad short of really feeling imperial but a good flow in any case. Better design,than the test batches alongside the rest of the series and a better wording…

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 01:02:27 | More by Daniellobo