Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout - Flying Dog Brewery

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

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This is a nice drinking coffee stout. Hearty yet smooth on the flavor profile. Coffee accents are a nice addition. It isn't overpowering, but it's smooth overall. Feel is great. Drinkability is really nice. I could go for many of these. And on that note, I wish I had more than one right now.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 03:25:33 | More by RblWthACoz

MikeB20

Delaware

4.44/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

P: 12oz bottle into a perfect pint glass.

A: Super dark, opaque black with a foamy two finger brown head. Looks great in the glass, like a dark roast coffee.

S: A lot of dark roasted caramel malt, some coffee and dried plums. I find the aroma very inviting.

T: Slightly sweet up front, alcohol is well hidden in the finish. There's a nice roasted malt flavor along with the coffee notes in the background, hops are not pronounced at all.c Coffee flavors linger in the finish, well balanced.

M: Creamy, lower carbonation, both a great for the style. Coats your mouth with each sip.

O: One of the better beers I've had in recent memory. A nice balanced malt profile with coffee flavors that add to the experience rather than overwhelm it. Not too sweet, which I find to be an issue with some imperial stouts, well balanced overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 20:25:06 | More by MikeB20

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A-poured into a snifter; pours a deep dark opaque black with a small, dark tan fizzy head that reduced quickly, leaving no lace. Looks like a cup of coffee a few seconds after the pour.

S- dark roasted malts provide dark chocolate, smoky charred wood, molasses, a bit of rubber, and day old coffee

T- sweet dark fruit up front with notes of fig and raisin, the sweetness continues mid-palate with slightly roasted notes, the finish is dry, leaving a strong linger of coffee with a bit of chocolate. Strangely enough, I don't taste any of the coffee until the linger on the palate, but when it hits, it's pretty strong

M- medium-heavy body, low carbonation, creamy mouthfeel with a smooth finish. Alcohol warms it up just a bit on the finish, but otherwise hidden well.

O- this one had some interesting flavors, it's the sweetest coffee stout that I've tried, maybe just a bit too sweet. The flavors that lingered on the palate would have been ideal throughout the whole sip. Nonetheless, still a good stout and worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 04:04:08 | More by Treyliff

nimrod979

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle from Junto Society Meeting 12/12. Poured into a Flying Dog Chalice.

Appearance: Pours pitch black with a very thin tan head. Had to pour quite aggressively to even get that. Not much for retention or lacing.

Aroma: Strong coffee aroma along with some chocolate malt. Smells sweet.

Taste: Semi-sweet dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dark fruit, vanilla. Coffee isn't overwhelming but is definitely there with a slight roastiness. Reminds me of an iced coffee. It's a little on the sweet side but that's ok here. Pretty good but not as good as "Batch 2"

Mouthfeel: Creamy, slick, medium-full body with very little carbonation. Slight alcohol presence.

Overall, I find it an enjoyable beer, if somewhat inconsistent. No head and carbonation take away a little bit from an otherwise great tasting beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 02:22:44 | More by nimrod979

rawfish

California

4.15/5  rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours oily dark brown, pretty viscous stout. Tiny mocha head that disappears within seconds and leaves no lacing, very slick.

Dark fruit, rasins and candied dates, above all is the distinct addition of coffee, sweet chocolate and chocolate cake. Inviting dessert aroma. A bit boozy on the finish.

Roasty and milk chocolate sweetness hit the palate first with raisins, prune and licorice following. The sweetness of this beer makes rather unique, the chocolate and fruity sweetness is not unlike a black forest cake. Sticky in the finish but the taste does clean very well.

Tight bubbles and average carbonation, a bit creamy but more sweet than anything, a good sipper.

Decadent, easy to drink imperial stout, the sweetness could be cloying for some but I enjoyed it. It's not really a coffee heavy beer, more of a milk chocolate and dark fruit combination that makes it stand out. Would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 04:55:10 | More by rawfish

Samuel906

California

4.19/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours very dark with heavy tan head.

S: Predominantly a nice earthy coffee with some sweetness, vanilla and chocolate. No booze.

T: Despite the huge coffee flavor, this is very well balanced. The sweet, bread, cereals all go together great.

M: Thick creamy.

O: If you love stouts and you love coffee, this is a hone run. Bit on the expensive side though.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 22:44:08 | More by Samuel906

CharlatanSin

Connecticut

3.69/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

From a bottle into a tulip.

Kujo pours a very dark brown with dark tan edges. It's a really nice color, actually. Not a lot of head, though. The smell isn't all that complicated -- big coffee and dark caramel malt. Not bad, but nothing to set it apart.

The taste is more complicated. Caramel and dark chocolate, raisins. Some coffee, but not as much as I'd expected from the aroma. There's a definite booze character that I'd usually like but it comes off here as a bit harsh in relation with the other flavors. Mouthfeel is slick but a little thin. A little foamy in the mouth, too.

Overall, there's nothing especially wrong with this beer, but nothing outstanding either. One of those "wouldn't turn it down, wouldn't seek it out" drinks.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 14:41:08 | More by CharlatanSin

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the Sharp Edge Creekhouse. Bottle and a pint glass.

Vintage 2012. Black-brown cola color into the glass. Subdued head of a quarter inch. Dissipating quickly.

Coffee liqueur, vanilla, roastiness, ale yeast, light licorice, and earthy floral hops.

Coffee stout goodness. Applicable hops with a savory earthiness to complement the roasty and gutty dark malts. Bitterness is medium to low; lingeringly sweet. Hints of maple and licorice. Decent load of vanilla bean. Finishes with a booze-centered spiciness.

Drinks under-carbonated. Just a late spritz. Body is medium plus, decently sticky. A bit hot, too.

Hey, the feel is subpar, but this is still really good. I always come back to this, and for good reason.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 15:26:03 | More by thecheapies

Mounty4Life

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into Evolution brewing pint glass, bottled 11/12.
Appears opaque black with coffee colored head that disapated rather quick and left just a corner of glass with frothy goodness.
Smells of coffee beans and cocoa with some wood and alcohol. Intially smells real good and then the alcohol was up my nose,or something close to strong espresso.
Tastes like a imp coffee stout should! Not my kinda beer but growing and give this high because one of better I've had in class. You can taste the black dog coffee they proudly put in it. Alcohol seems hidden for almost 9% and doesn't leave you with out taste and doesn't overwhelm your palette either!
Mouthfeel is med carb and didn't drown my mouth with flavor but definable your getting what you paid for!
The smell had a little to much alcohol in it for me but was gone before I could get to mouthfeel so I pledge to drink another someday when in the mood and its available!

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 00:29:10 | More by Mounty4Life

StroppyMare

California

4.45/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Loved watching this blackened brew sliding into the tulip glass. I love oily brews and this looks like just the thing. Gorgeous black in color, but very little dark tan head. Smell is heady with coffee and chocolate. Taste is heavy on the coffee (which is fabulous) to start , mellows to dark fruit then ends with yet more coffee. The alcohol is well hidden; it's a warm feeling at the end. Mouthfeel is oddly fizzy, but not off-putting to me. Overall a wonderful, smooth brew. I could drink this quite often.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 02:51:42 | More by StroppyMare

dspolanco

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Served in Bottle poured into Great Divide Yeti Glass

Appearance- Dark,Dark,Dark Black. Tan head which faded rather quickly.

Smell- Coffee,Coffee, oh and I did I say Coffee. However it smells incredibly balanced. I'm getting roasted malt backbone, and Chocolate.

Taste-This is a coffee stout and it doesn't disappoint. The Coffee is up front, but not so bitter. After the coffee you pick the roasted malt, and the hints of vanilla/chocolate. Tastes Great.

Mouthfeel-Medium to Full.

Overall-This is a great coffee stout. Well balanced, and smooth. You don't taste the 8.9 ABV at all. This is up there with the best coffee stouts, and in my humble opinion I put this slightly ahead of Founders Breakfast Stout because of the mouthfeel.

Cheers Everyone

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 18:33:36 | More by dspolanco

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

flexabull

California

3.83/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle courtesy of Gibby, thanks again!

Pours a thick and dark black color with a tiny tan head.

Aromas are nutty, smoky, with charred malts and espresso.

Taste is smoky, but not overly so. Dark charred malt notes, bitter coffee, lightly sweet brown sugar, and bakers chocolate. Finish is crisp and bitter with some alcohol warmth.

Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated, but a touch thin.

Overall, a pretty nice coffee stout. Solid offering from Flying Dog.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 00:03:22 | More by flexabull

TheSixthRing

California

3.78/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a jet black with deep, dark ruby brown edging where light can penetrate. The head is a nice tan brown, a finger thick and showed fair retention. Lacing is spotty, with little stick.

Smell - What you'd expect of the style - Roasted malt notes coming through with coffee and milk chocolate character. A hair of raisin and anise sit beneath.

Taste - Follows the nose. Big roasted coffee notes upfront, backed by hints of sweet and dark chocolate. A touch of anise hits briefly mid-taste, then finishes with milk chocolate and a faint vanilla note.

Mouthfeel - This is the killer. The body's a bit thin for the style, it's somewhat chalky on the finish and the carbonation is weak and fizzy. Fairly disappointing.

Overall - This is a solid imperial stout, held back by it's lack of 'stout' body. Still, I enjoyed the flavor, and I'd definitely give it thought about buying it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 01:26:29 | More by TheSixthRing

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Dark black with one-and-a-half-finger, dark tan, creamy head that lasted a couple of minutes. Okay lacing.

S: Coffee and bittersweet chocolate.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. The coffee flavor is strong. The finish is about the same. The coffee is good.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Smooth and slightly warm going down.

O: This is a pretty good coffee stout. Would drink again if I liked coffee more.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 02:22:05 | More by SolipsismalCat

mpyle

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Effectively opaque in color, pours a moderate sized tan colored head, creamy and with good retention.

Sweet coffee aroma, definite dark malt presence in the aroma. Chocolate.

Rich coffee flavor, yet still quite malty and a little sweet. If Starbucks made a beer drink, I think it would taste like this beer. A little roasty, but pretty tame for a stout. Bitterness stays at a gentle level with a subtle transition into the finish. Malty roast flavors with a slight hint of alcohol linger into the finish.

Moderate carbonation and moderately big body. Has a bit of creaminess to it, and the alcohol warming is well controlled given the strength.

Does a good job of delivering on some coffee flavor and aroma, but not something I'd want to drink in great quantities.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 22:03:42 | More by mpyle

Titans77

Maryland

4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pitch Black, dark tan head that became a thin film after sitting for a minute. Par for the course.

S - Coffee. Fresh ground coffee. Chocolate malts and some booze. Very nice coffee forward smell.

T - Coffee and chocolate roasted malts. Some dark fruit. Very well done.

M - Drinks like a milk stout. Kinda threw me for a loop. Clean finish, but not what I was really expecting for a double/imperial stout.

O - A very good stout for the price I paid. I will be buying this every winter to stay warm. The coffee is VERY prevalent and makes this one of my favorite easy to find, easy to drink, and easy to purchase beers.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 22:34:47 | More by Titans77

JosiahS

California

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appears nearly black with only a few shades of brown. Upon poring a brown thick head forms but dissolves to a tan ring. Leaves splashy lacing. Sweet and dark cocoa w/ coffee dominate the aroma. Also present are alcohol and dark, grape-like fruit smells.There's a hint of hop floridness, it seems to meld with the alcohol.

The taste is an intoxicating blend of coffee and roasted chocolate malts. There are is dark fruit and a bit of alcohol present but the rich malts and coffee easily take center stage. The finish is roasty with an almost lactose quality that rounds each sip off very nicely. The body is full and velvety with low carbonation.

The alcohol begins to sharpen as it warms. The flavors stay distinctive and don't muddy together. A perfect brew for a rainy evening. One i wouldn't mind having again.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 02:52:19 | More by JosiahS

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

355 mL Bottle, with freshness date. This poured pitch black, and some coaxing was needed to flair up a really coffee-dark head, retention was pretty quick, though it did leave a nice lacing and a wispy film.

Aroma has a fruity groundnut character, lychee or dragonfruit also maybe, quite distinctive. Also a lot of coffee and roast malt character. Big dark chocolate. It is pretty big, representing the ABV, but a tropical fruit lightness too, that make this quite interesting.

Taste is akin to really strong coffee (!) yet with a bit heap of bitter cocoa in there. One hell of an alcoholic warming mocha. Strong roastiness from the malts, this is somehow impeccably smooth. Some playful dark fruit and spiciness underneath, it is a complex flavour here.

Mouthfeel is quite obviously big in presence, with a lot of roasty malt, yet it has a great creamy aspect, and the bitterness of the cocoa/chocolate is nicely drying (imagine eating a spoon of straight unsweetened cocoa) on the finish.

Wow. This has 'winter sipper' all over it. The alcohol is barely perceivable under the creamy smoothness, yet its body belies its strength. Although the nose is a bit disparate initially, the palate gets over the coffee and finds those tropical and nutty characteristics. I'll stick by the strong mocha description, a bit all-over-the place, but interesting, damn good.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 21:39:20 | More by mick303

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

Ego

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

eyes...
audible sizzle as the head manages to attain one finger and then collapse on itself in the blink of two eyes, jet black hue, legs are left on the sides of the glass as you swirl, pretty much this looks as it should, nothing special, nothing off

nose...
black coffee with a little sweetener, dry cocoa, dark chocolate/dark fruit notes, the coffee really comes through here strongly (which makes sense eh?), nice

taste etc...
body is medium thick, some bitterness on the sip along with sweetness, the after taste is large, big dark chocolate and coffee flavors, but it seems to be lacking a "roasty" flavor generally associated with coffee, so to me the sweetness comes through a bit more, this is so strange that the sips contain little flavor but if you wait around in the after you get all sorts of notes, I tried just letting this sit in my mouth for more time than usual and it just doesn't release much flavor except a lactic type of sweet. The ABV is very well hidden, I am just getting a mild warming in my stomach from this.

verdict...
tasty, not great. A nice after dinner brew with some dessert as a foil, probably interesting to cook with, worth checking out but don't sell off your honus wagner rookie card

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 05:03:46 | More by Ego

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

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.48/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I tried this on tap at Conway & O’Reilly’s in Janesville, WI in summer 2012.

Pours as black as can be with very little head. Scent is that of robust coffee malts. Taste is rich, robust and full or great heavy flavors. You get tastes of roasted malts, caramel malts, coffee, toffee, and so much more. A fabulous dark beer for those who can handle something really dark.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 19:38:00 | More by Lemke10

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