Kujo Imperial Coffee Stout - Flying Dog Brewery

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

bark

Sweden

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The colour is black, the low head is pale brown. No lacing occurs.

The smell is sweet and loaded with coffee. It is elegant, but it is a little un-complex.

The taste is sweet. There is just hints of bitterness. Coffee, lots of clean and smooth coffee and coffee drops. Some black malt sourness (or is it the coffee?). The aftertaste is sweet with some metallic bitter flavours. Oily notes in the finish as well as even more coffee.

The carbonation is light. Few but fresh large bubbles. The liquid is smooth.

A very smooth after dinner beer, yet I had hoped for some more complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2012 17:47:10 | More by bark

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

MysticRuler

New York

4.23/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap. Nose is sweet and chocolatey, not much in terms of coffee in the aroma, but very pleasant. Scrumptious Chocolate and Coffee notes but not cloying. Nicely balanced sweetness with alcohol in check.

Nitro is a must to truly experience this stout.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-24-2012 13:43:05 | More by MysticRuler

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

kylehay2004

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap at the brewery after my tour. Awesome group of guys there and the beer was better than I had anticipated as I had only had their standard beers we get in Florida. This time I got to try the local release stuff.

A: very dark body with a single finger thick and creamy head. Lace that completely coats the inner glass surface.

S: aroma is of spearmint and mostly espresso. Light milk chocolate notes.

T: the flavor follows the nose almost exactly with more spearmint, espresso/coffee, milk chocolate and roasted malts.

M: thick nitro-ed body, semi dry finish.

Overall: this one is pretty interesting especially with the degree of mint. It definitly takes the edge off the espresso and helps drinkability although it removes some of the coffee from the coffee stout. I am on the fence about how I liked this one.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-03-2012 17:00:43 | More by kylehay2004

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

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A fine tuned heavy hitter. Poured with a decent tan foamy head tht slowly settles and good lace. Color is an opaque black brown. Aroma is roast, coffee, malt, toffee. Flavor's like nose, sweet on top, but short lived and followed quickly by carbonic tand and dark roast coffee, bitter from coffee, black malt, and yeastoids fit perfeclty. Body and carbonation are perfect. Finish length is average for style and likewise boozy for style. Good drinkin' brew.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2012 06:26:24 | More by drpimento

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Nearly pitch black with big frothy tan head..Big walls of tan lacing.

Smell big roasted, woody, coffee scents. Some raisins, tobacco.

Taste offers equal amounts of coffee and burnt fruits. Lots of molasses-like sweetness. Finishes with mild bitterness.

Chewy, sticky, heavy.

My first from Flying Dog...pretty decent.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 20:44:36 | More by TheMultiYeast

rarbring

Sweden

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

A black brew with hints of red, a brown head leaving little lacing but good curtains.

Brown bread, dark coffee and dark chocolate.

Starting with brown toast, figs and dates, then very dark fresh espresso, with a hint of high-grade chocolate.

Medium carbonation, soft and oily, a big body.

A dark beauty, very stout.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 10:25:18 | More by rarbring

StJamesGate

New York

3.71/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Viscous purple-tinged black with a burnt sienna head that fades quick. Oily coffee bean on the nose with blackberry and ash.
Heavy black licorice with earth and fennel plus some charred sugar, a roasty hit, and the slightest orange rind hops. Black grape as it warms.
Espresso grounds ending and bitter coffee linger. Full, heavy, chewy, round, no burn.

Way too thick for the flavors; out of balance to start. And what's with all the licorice up front in a coffee stout? It rounds out and the coffee takes over as it warms, losing some bitterness, almost nudging the flavor to a 4 (it's really a 3.7 overall, not 3.8 or 3.6) and matching the feel a bit better. Which is not to say its ever more than average.

More mediocrity from FD.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 21:45:36 | More by StJamesGate

jera1350

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Solid black color with a frothy head of foam that leaves some nice lacing.

Rich malt smell with lots of fresh roasted coffee bean. Hint of vanilla in there.

Much like the nose, the flavors are of sweet malt with roasted coffee beans, touch of vanilla bean and alcohol mixed in. Very tasty.

Full and silky smooth across the palate.

This is a great imperial stout. The coffee is phenomenal in this. I will be looking for this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2012 14:56:52 | More by jera1350

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a single for $3. This is a big, smooth stout with a candied dark roast coffee undertone. The malts come off with a sweet liquor character than blends tightly with the coffee. It's tough to pull the flavors apart, and seem like the beer lacks a bit of breadth and complexity. Still, a fine a dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 01:39:42 | More by tempest

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Half Acre tulip.

A- pours a thick, dark black with a 1 finger dark tan head. Small blotches of lacing remain on the glass.

S- coffe, vanilla and some light char.

T- roasted malts, vanilla, coffe not as prevalent as you would think. Slight bitterness at the finish.

M- medium body and carbonation. Fairly effervescent with a tingly feel at the finish.

O- liked this beer and would have again. Coffee could be a little more in the taste and a smoother finish would be nice.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 03:23:15 | More by kawilliams81

jjboesen

Maryland

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

This is part of the “Wild Dog Series” and is brewed with a “secret” roast from the Black Dog Coffee Company. As one who loves beer and coffee with an equal passion, what a way to combine my favorite beverages!

Its’ body is the color of tar that wears a frothy beige cap. There is minimal lacing and nary a bubble of carbonation. The nose, as one would expect, is inundated with robust notes of coffee; the palate is awash in a heavy blanket of toasty malt that fades into the subtleness of nut and toffee.

There is a velvety mouthfeel to it: a splendid balance of all things that make for a superlative brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 00:51:45 | More by jjboesen

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 Vintage - 12oz. bottle
Purchased at the Foodery.
Made with Black Dog Coffee

Deep brown color out of the bottle. Thick, slow to develop mocha-colored head sits on top of an opaque black body.

Aroma consists of obvious coffee notes, dark chocolate, currants, Irish cream, and has a defined tannic note at the end. The smell is quite appetizing! I feel it's a bit more multi-dimensional than what I would typically find with a coffee porter or stout.

The flavor is equally layered and rich. Up front I get a berry-like sweetness, and the body immediately shows itself as full and smooth. Creamy, but not oily. Alcohol is very well-hidden. The roasted coffee flavor comes toward the finish and lingers long into the aftertaste. Surprisingly very low bitterness.

Fantastic beer! Initially I liked the low bitterness, but towards the end I was wishing that there was more there for balance. It calls itself an "imperial" beer, but it almost does too good of a job at hiding the fact. Not much bitterness, well-hidden ABV, very smooth and easy drinking...

Food pairing suggestions would be blueberry cheesecake, coffee-rubbed steak, fruit pies and lighter chocolate desserts.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 20:22:05 | More by MusicaleMike

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

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

Thanks David Rosen. Some great blues over some fantastic beer!

Pitch black body (as should be expected for the style). Thin white head is left from an aggressive pour. The smell isnt as much coffee beans as I want. I think of either fresh Wake n Bake or FBS, but I get a very balanced coffee stout. Theres bitterness in the smell from the coffee, but only to balance things out.

The taste is all about the base stout. Thick oat laden body. Nice semi-sweet body that feels thick from the all the malts they used. the coffee kind of seems like an accent, not at the front (which is what i want).

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 01:19:01 | More by VncentLIFE

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

Dennoman

Belgium

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

Pour from a 12 oz. bottle into an Alvinne tulip glass.

Aroma from the bottle is very mild coffee, not quite the aroma explosion I expected. Subtle, but lovely and warm, roasty and slightly sweet.

Pours pitch black with a deep ruby red tint visible through strong light at the bottom. Dark mocha head that disappates rather quickly, no heavily lacing on the glass either.

Aroma in the glass after a heavy pour is coffee and slight hints of dark chocolate. No unnecessary sweetness interfering. Taste is roasty coffee, chocolate, slight carrying alcohol and dark candy sugar. Very lush and indulgent.

Despite having had more flavorful imperial coffee stouts, this rocks my boat in a big way. Everything is subtle and perfectly balanced, no flavor clashes in what is clearly a fine-tuned recipe that's been slaved over. I absolutely adore this and the best thing is it's fairly easy to get hold of at a decent price. Big kudos to the boys at Flying Dog, may you long continue to give us these delicious brews.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 21:07:14 | More by Dennoman

corby112

Pennsylvania

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

Draft at The Pour House in westmont, NJ.

Pours pitch black and opaque with a half finger beige head that quickly settles into a thin ring. Sporadic spots of lacing left behind.

Roasted malt aroma with a strong coffee presence that's countered by sweeter malt notes.  Hints of burnt toast, dark chocolate and deep roasted coffee.  Pretty robust but doesn't smell burnt or acrid.

Flavor is very similar to the aroma with a nice balance of robust coffee and sweeter malt notes.  A lot of coffee beers tend to taste like three day old black coffee but this is nicely balanced with hints of dark chocolate, toffee and hazelnut countering the deeply roasted coffee, burnt toast and oatmeal flavors.  Well balanced with a well masked abv making it easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2012 20:10:15 | More by corby112

Sunnanek

Sweden

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

A: Pours pitch black with a rather large brown compact head that rather quickly sets into nice lacings.

S: Strong black coffee dominates. But there's also some mellow dark dried fruits along with some dark chocolate. Some bitterness as well.

T: Complex; chocolate and liqourice balances the coffee. Some faint vanilla together with some faint smoke makes this quite interesting. But the coffee is rather dominant.

M: Long smokey and bitter aftertaste. Body is full and carbonation held light.

O: A nice and interesting stout with lots of coffee.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 13:55:13 | More by Sunnanek

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

dtivp

West Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black with a one and a half finger creamy dark mocha head that fades slowly into thin ring with moderate lacing.

Aroma of coffee, dark chocolate, slight caramel and some alcohol.

Taste of sweet chocolate, licorice, vanilla, dark roasted coffee, some smoke and a slight alcohol warming. As this beer warms you get more coffee and alcohol taste.

Mouth Feel is medium body, light carbonation, smooth with a slight tingle and a nice coffee after taste.

Overall a very nice stout that starts a little sweet, but ends with a nice coffee and dark roasted taste. I enjoyed this beer more as it came to room temperature.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 01:58:07 | More by dtivp

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

Arborescence

Finland

4.13/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Black. Pours a decent two finger head with a brownish tint. Looks good!

Aroma: Chocolate and roasted malt. The coffee is not that strong, but there are espresso-like aromas there.

Taste: Dark chocolate, licorice, a little sweet. Toast and roasted malt are evident. Again the coffee is not the main element, but it's there -- not espresso though, but rather weak brewed coffee. The aftertaste lingers nicely with a malty alcoholic sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, oily.

Overall: It's a good one. I reviewing my fifth bottle, so I've already gotten used to the beer. I've liked each one and this is certainly a beer that I will be looking for again; I'd like to try it from the tap. Not the most coffee-rich coffee stout, but certainly not the weakest either. The strong ABV is hidden well. Another excellent brew from Flying Dog!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 01:16:13 | More by Arborescence