Splinter Black - Tröegs Brewing Company

Treebs

Illinois

2.94/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

750 ml C&C bottle served in a Southern Tier tulip.

A: Pours a very opaque black color with a khaki color head forming on the pour. It recedes quickly to a thin ring, but it has very lively body.

S: Creamy tootsie roll chocolate notes, almost bordering on artificial. Very roasty with some light barrel notes. Mostly oak at this point.

T: A ton more oak in the taste than the nose. The artificial nature of the chocolate from the nose is gone as well, but it's still a very sweet malt and chocolate combination.

M: Extremely overcarbed. Very prickly on the tongue with a medium thin body.

O: The oak barrel really overtook the base and it was extremely over carbonated. Not a fan.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 14:04:52 | More by Treebs

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

$24 for the 750mL, served in a mini snifter
ABV not indicated, damn surprised at the 11% listing
Sampled 31DEC12

[A] An absolutely beautiful head froths up after a slow pour, 3 fingers high, medium brown in color, and ridiculously long lasting. The head is easily the fluffiest head on a dark beer that I've ever seen. Pitch black body with dark amber edges when the glass gets low.

[S] Virgin oak barrels impart their unforgettably pungent scent. Heavily charred and roasted aromas waft next. Dark chocolate or fudge plus a hint of vanilla and, to no surprise, mild oxidation.

[T] Barrel, roasted malts, mild char, and rich cocoa. The vanilla bean flavor has more than less faded at this point but is noticeable in trace amounts. A little hint of raisin/dark fruit flavor comes through at the very end. Nice subtle touch.

[M] Whatever the over carbonation concerns once were can now be completely forgotten. (Well, for this bottle anyway.) The mouthfeel is stunning. So soft, so full. Hell, as pronounced on the bottle tag, Chris and John may very well have "captured silk in a bottle."

[O] The less than stellar opinions following the release of Splinter Black prompted me put my bottles away and forget about them, figuring that: If its average now, why bother? And if its going to improve, then all the better. Well, this beer is drinking fantastically right now - particularly in the mouthfeel. If you haven't opened a bottle recently, I suggest that now is as good a time as any.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 16:12:17 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a corked and caged bottle into a pint glass

A- pours jet black with a two finger frothy, brown head. Incredible lacing. Looks awesome

S- getting some oak, along with a little bit of vanilla and slight hints of chocolate

T- age was kind to this. Getting a nice bit of oak character in the beginning, with minor hints of chocolate and vanilla. No heat at all. May have let this one mature a little too much, but it's still good

M- the body is actually pretty thin, which is a bit of a disappointment, all things considered

O- not bad at all, but I think people had their bars set a little high with this one. It's getting a bit past its prime right now after 2 years, but it's still very drinkable and solid. Don't expect to be blown away

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 19:20:19 | More by bigfnjoe

kscaldef

Oregon

3.35/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours dark brown with a minimal head. S: Light wood, moderate menthol, and mild rubbery phenolics. Not a great smelling beer. T: Rich chocolate and roasted malts, fortunately lacking any of the off aromas, but not particularly interesting either. M: Medium high carbonation. Overall, a fairly disappointing beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 21:39:22 | More by kscaldef

HoopTime

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

ADDED UPDATE AFTER OPENING TWO-YEAR OLD BOTTLE AT END OF ORIGINAL REVIEW

Poured from a bottle purchased after my hands thawed out enough to get cash from my wallet at the release into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint

A - This beer pours black as coal with a rich, foamy dare I say luxurious dark caramel head that just kept growing and threatened to overrun the top of the glass. The amount of carbonation is incredible. The foam was dense enough to support a dime (no, I did not actually try). Held to a strong light, the beer's true mahogany coloring is revealed, with black cherry undertones. It is a beautiful pour.

S - Very subtle smell, perhaps because of so much foam. Really have to get your nose in it to detect the sweet caramely malt with hints of cocoa, vanilla and licorice.

T - The malt is center stage here, darkly roasted and pungent, with an wine-like woodiness from the oak barrels it was aged in. The turbinado sugar obviously is a yeast feast as the carbonation shows, but it is not overly sweet and the caco ribs this was aged on leave just the right hint of dark, baking chocolate. It doesn't turn into a chocolate beer, but adds a subtle layer of complexity to the palate of this bold Imperial Stout. This is not a hops brew -- definitely stars the malt -- but there is enough hops bitterness to keep the malt, sugar and chocolate under control and in check. Also worth noting, I tasted the head on a repour and the foam was luscious, dense, thick bobbles of flavor.

M - This is a very smooth drink, with a feel of dry red wine or maybe a port. The high carbonation makes it dance on your tongue, even though the beer is heavy enough to leave a "coat the back of a spoon" sensation as it warms your throat.

D - This does not taste like a high alcohol beer. It is very smooth and has little alcohol "burn." At 11% abv, I don't think you'd want to drink more than one bottle in a sitting and I shared this bottle with my brother, which seemed like just about the right amount for each of us.

In addition to two bottles the first day, I went back the next few days and bought more, ending up with a total of six bottles. I have one gift-wrapped, am cellaring the remaining four bottles. It will be very interesting to see how this one ages. It has almost a nouveau feeling to it right now. It is fresh and young, with complexities that likely will grow even more interesting as it matures. After this bottle, I am thinking of making a run Monday for another one or two (as of yesterday afternoon they still had some left a friend who was at the tasting room reported).

Well done brothers. This will easily make my Top 10 list for 2010, likely the top 5.

UPDATE 12/27/12: Opened my last bottle of this on Christmas Eve. This is the beer that got me started on cellaring beer. I kept four bottles of this, drank one with friends shortly after getting it, another on Christmas Day that year. Drank the third last Christmas Eve.

Really enjoyed the way this beer matured, from a sweet, chocolate dominated flavor to the matured, drier beer I enjoyed the other night.

It's still very carbonated, but the healthy 1/2 inch head in my tulip glass was a rich, caramel color atop the deep cherry tinged mahogany. The head left a moderate lacing as it receded.

Smell is deep, tawny, a hint of cocoa.

The mouth is thick and rich, with the carbonation causes a mild foam sensation as the beer rolls across the tongue.

I liked this beer when it was new. It was big, yet drinkable. At a year, it was changed, far less chocolate or sweetness, more malt coming through. At two years, the chocolate has faded to the background. It's there, but it's not the first thing you taste, or even the second. The malt has blended nicely into a strong, dry stout. There is a little caramel, some grape. The oak, too, is less pronounced, deeper in the background.

This, to me, is a very good beer. I saved it for sort of a "special occasion" and I felt it was up to the task. I would love to have a few more bottles to see how it progresses and I'd certainly hope Troeg's will be doing more in the Splinter series soon.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 01:02:53 | More by HoopTime

jethrodium

California

2.73/5  rDev -28%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy of totoropanda. Thanks Daniel. Pours a dark black with small tan chocolate head with good retention and some light lacing. The aroma is roasty with dark chocolate and lots of oak as well as a mineral note. A little bit of brown sugar and alcohol as well. The taste is sweet and oaky, very oaky with lots of roasty dark chocolate. The finish is oaky and astringent with bitter dark chocolate. Medium body. Medium carbonation. Not that great. Way too much oak and quite astringent.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 06:11:20 | More by jethrodium

drabmuh

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Troegs cervoise, the amber glass. My biggest complaint? This is overcarbonated. Beer is black with a huge dark brown head, small and medium bubbles, some lacing, too much retention, the head is a barrier to the beer and stop me from properly enjoying it. I'm bummed out by the carbonation level.

Aroma is chocolate, roast, malt, sweet. Smells good.

Why were people bitching about this beer? Not rare enough? It is rich, full in body, sweet dark chocolate, nice oakiness, a well rounded stout with a nice finish. I'd definitely have this again. Whiners.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 20:59:12 | More by drabmuh

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to ZX6Chris for sharing this one while waiting in line for Churchill's Renaissance at Churchill's Pub & Grille in San Marcos, CA.

Pours an opaque black with a really foamy dark khaki head that settles to a small cap. Thick chunks of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, slight cocoa, and alcohol. Taste is of dark roasted malt, char, and cocoa beans. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good stout but nothing all that special.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 20:52:49 | More by UCLABrewN84

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

3.4/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle shared at a tasting tonight with a few local yokels.

Pours black with some sharp crimson highlights when backlit. Enormous billow of cumulus cloudage upon pouring. Lacing is haphazard.

Slightly soured milk chocolate and sharp cherry twang.

Big roast up front turns to a sharp, semi acrid milk chocolate bite with a puff of smoke. Lightly sour cherries dance across the proceedings and the finish yields a healthy dash of vanilla and a lingering off flavor of tannic acedic cherry.

Mouthfeel is highly carbonated and light on the tongue. A bit off for an imperial stout.

Overall, this has the making of an infection that has not destroyed this beer, but has played a number on it. To be fair, I continued to return to the bottle to give it its just desserts. I didn't find it a failure, but rather more in the vein of Hellshire II. A decent imperial stout that battled its shortcomings, but couldn't quite rise above.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 05:58:13 | More by BarrytheBear

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle, thanks Chris.

Pours a dark black ruby tinges against light. Dark khaki head, creamy and thick, with great retention. Oaky and roast nose, slightly sweet and malty with trace vanilla in the finish. Still a little over carbonated but has gotten better with age and a silky, pleasant texture is now present. Flavor has milk chocolate, roast malt, slightly charred oak, vanilla. Bottle variation aside, some of these bottles aren't terrible and don't deserve the rap they get. Still not an A stout, but worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 23:59:14 | More by yourefragile

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a black liquid with dense brown head. The nose is woody, roasted malts, light notes of booze, dry and ashy with some chocolate sprinkled in. The flavor has wood and booze up front, ashy malts, notes of cherries and a bit of sweet malt in the back. Medium body and assertive, balanced carbonation. Tastes almost slightly infected with an off cherry sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 16:06:03 | More by cpetrone84

Jeffo

Netherlands

2.45/5  rDev -35.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Got this bottle from GoGriz in a trade way back. Thanks for the good times man!

From a 750ml bottle into a snifter.

APPEARANCE: Transparent brown pour yields a 3 finger, medium looking, fizzy, light mocha head with great retention. Black body and higher levels of carbonation evident for the style. Head slowly fades to a huge foam cap and coats the sides of the glass. A full cap remains and leaves some decent bubbly lacing down the glass. Too thin and carbonated for the style, but leaves some nice lacing as well.

SMELL: Big nose. Roasted notes, pure chocolate and lots of brown sugar. Light vanilla notes with milk chocolate from the oak barrel. A hint of alcohol as well.

TASTE: Some roasted notes up front and some sweet brown sugar, but a little empty at the beginning really. Some dark chocolate and hints of vanilla at the swallow before a medium strength and persistent oak, sugary and boozy aftertaste. Quite underwhelming, unfortunately, and quite sugary and boozy. The description on the tag was much better.

PALATE: Medium body and higher levels of carbonation. Quite light on the palate, goes down fine but with a good alcohol burn at the swallow. Finishes somewhat mouth-coating. Too carbonated, light, and boozy still.

OVERALL: So this is a B+ beer on here? Pretty awesome. This is not horrible, but it’s just not much of anything. The flavor is relatively empty for the style, and the feel is just too light and carbonated for a big imperial stout. The booze could be toned back a bit as well. I’d suggest just reading the description on the tag, enjoying that, then drinking anything else. Though this was a disappointment, I’d been looking forward to trying it for quite some time. Thanks again for the opportunity GoGriz.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 14:18:22 | More by Jeffo

oline73

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

Pours a very dark brown with a finger of tan head and good retention. Smells slightly sweet with a nice roasted malt note. The taste is sweet and roasty. Mild vanilla and chocolate. The body is too thin but the carb level is a bit high.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 03:11:02 | More by oline73

Marty30

Pennsylvania

2.55/5  rDev -32.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks Chris for this bottle really appreciated brother. 750ml c&c bottle. Served into A Jackie O's snifter at 55 degrees.

A. Bottle opens with a big pop. I tried to pour gently but the carbonation is huge. Black as night body, giant creamy khaki colored head. No lacing.

S. I'm getting some wet wood,dark fruits,vanilla. I was kind of worried for I was getting a slightly acidic smell and with the big carbonation,I was fearing infection.

T. At first I get some wet charred wood,followed by a nice bit of vanilla. Chocolate and cocoa come to me with some roasted notes.

M. Feel was to thin and light. A bit to much carbonated.

Overall This was pretty much all over the place and didn't really meld all together. I was very dissapointed. Still i'm gratefull I got to try it!

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 01:39:52 | More by Marty30

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle. Pops with a lot of carbonation! Pours a dark brown color with a big fluffy tan head. Head leaves a sticky lace as it settles. Malt milk vanilla flavor in the nose. Lighter mouthfeel than expected. Sweet with some roast notes. The vanilla is nice and well incorporated. The body is too light for me as an impy stout but it’s passable. Overall, it’s pretty nice except the mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 00:50:46 | More by kbutler1

Arbitrator

California

1.5/5  rDev -60.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Chilled bottle into a glass. Thanks, Arne.

A: The cork shoots off and nearly kills someone. Black body with mocha head.

S: Very, very oaky. My lord. They really hit you over the head on this one. Aromas of roast follow, finishing with some chocolate.

T: Incredibly oaky; just overdone, really. It's like they left this in the barrels and forgot about it. "Astringent" is putting it mildly; some vanilla and chocolate appeared to take the edge off, but a pronounced roastiness in the finish accentuated it once more. Also some dark fruit or licorice in the finish; hard to tell.

M: It's harsh. There's really no other way to put it.

O: I admired the hell out of Splinter Gold, but not Red, Blue, or Black. Was the first one a fluke? No one wanted to finish this.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 06:03:29 | More by Arbitrator

DrBier

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a deep amber, opaque brown in the glass, efervesscent with tight tan head, nice lacing. Halfway thru a Duvel goblet and still has a 1/8" head across entire beer.

Aromas seem subdued even with agitation, subtle oak and vanilla. Some chocolate and roasty aromas from the malt. Not much for any hop aroma but a nice subtle barrel aroma, worthy of long deep inhales. With warming a nice earthy aroma fills the spaces between the other aromas.

Tastes of vanilla and oak up front quickly chased by the roasty bitterness of the malt and hops. Mild chocolate and vanilla return with a lingering bitterness. As the beer warms chocolate becomes much more pronounced towards the end very nicely balancing the bitternes

Mouthfeel is wonderful. For a beer of this abv and style it is very smooth, light on the tongue and slides right down. Carbonation is pretty lively, dosen't detract but could be even smoother, possibly with aging.

A great original american barrel aged imperial stout. No booze flavors but so much going on that one sip requires another just to keep up. Good stuff.

This is a great interpretation of an American oak aged Imperial Stout. No whiskey or other booze influence just wood, vanilla and chocolate layered on top of thick layers of malts and hops. Kinda like yer favorite birthday cake without the wood.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 00:53:15 | More by DrBier

scottfrie

California

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into 25oz snifter. Huge thanks to StormKing47 for sending me this one a while back.

A: Pours pitch black with a HUGE foamy, frothy, dense and airy dark brown head that took forever to fade into a thick fuzzy film that left a few streaks of lacing down the glass.
S: Dominant notes of sweet turbinado sugar, oak and vanilla. This is one sweet smelling beer. I get a hint of chocolate as well.
T: Follows the nose with sweet notes of vanilla, powdered chocolate, fudge brownies, molasses, vanilla, and spicy oak. The finish is sticky with notes of toasted malts and raisins, and the aftertaste is full of chocolate and oak and lingers forever. The alcohol is well integrated but there is still a lingering amount of warmness.
M: Airy carbonation that froths up on my palate. The body is fairly thick, and coupled with the frothy carbonation, creates a smooth and chewy mouthfeel.
O: Bold flavors and fairly unique. I glad I got to try it as it’s a solid brew. It doesn’t necessarily wow me though, but I would drink this again. Thanks again, Josh!

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 02:13:46 | More by scottfrie

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I still remember waiting in line for this one several months ago at about 6AM and freezing my fucking nuts off!

My plan was always to share this brew with Huhzubendah at some point, and today I did just that!

A: Black brew (hence the name), with a ridiculous head... and by that, I mean that the entire glass was filled with nothing but foam! After a while, a mocha colored topping to the liquid began to take shape.

S: Vanilla, oak, and pork sausage... but not much bourbon. Curious huh? This one sort of reminded me of Duck Rabbit's Rabbid Duck.

T: Very buttery in its oak presence, with a tinge of dark fruit. I didn't get nearly as much vanilla in the taste as I did the nose. Once I got into the session, I began to admire how smooth the brew actually was.

M: VERY well carbonated (perhaps too much), but I have to admit that that hid the booze quite a bit. About half the lacing fell back into the glass and the other half stayed afloat. Not too sweet overall, which I appreciated.

O: Troegs made a huge blunder with this one: This should be a regular offering, or perhaps a seasonal in their lineup, rather than a one time, brewery only, 2-bottle limit, $30 a pop effort. Heck, Troegs didn't even have this on tap for people to try on Splinter Black day for goodness sakes!

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 23:37:00 | More by Chaney

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by Chaney. Thanks Brandon!

The beer is opaque and completely black. A thick, dense beige head looms over the beer, plastering the sides of the snifter with foamy lacing.

The aroma brings heavy roast and oak, with hints of chocolate and coffee.

The flavor is almost entirely dominated by roast, with some coffee presence emerging in the finish. Oak and alcohol are there as well, but overshadowed by charred and/or roasted malt.

The beer is relatively full bodied, with plenty of carbonation. Alcohol presence is there, but not overpowering.

Overall, a bit out of balance, but still enjoyable. For a brewery only release and at $30 per bottle, I expect more.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 16:08:37 | More by Huhzubendah

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Serving type - 22 oz bottle

Appearance - dark tan/ black killer tan creamy 2 inch head tons of lacing.

Smell - Wood, malts, dark fruits, alcohol, some barley not aggressive smelling

Taste - Very creamy and carbonated with roasted malts start this off. Traces of vanilla, and lots of wood. Whiskey flavor is also present. Has a sweet coco powder finish.

Mouthfeel - Sweet sugars and malts cover mouth. Really light and smooth for such high alcohol. Aftertaste is very cocoa with some alcohol at the end.

Overall - Tasty, and real drinkable. Really smooth And sweeter then I expected for 11%. Very enjoyable wish it was made again

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 02:02:09 | More by wvsabbath

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A deep, dark, brown. Little reddish hues coming through this one throughout the session. Not nearly opaque, but yet very dark indeed. A nice head, maybe two inches high came up over the top and settled down slowly leaving behind a very nice billow if tan across the top and really just a great amount of side glass lace to it. The only thing I could think of that detracted from this one was the lack of the pitch black darkness you would normally find.

Deep rich notes of roasted malts, dark cherries, currant and a touch of fig. Very complex and interesting take on the style. vanilla bombed, molasses infused chocolate stouts we have all come to love, tons of oak here but i am getting lots of dark fruit too.. The flavor was just as amazing and in fact went through several transformations as it approached its room temperature peak. lots of cherry and dark fruit like flavors mixed in with a roasted, almost smoky malt that served to let you know this was indeed a stout. As it warmed though it started to peak through with a bit of cocoa, just the slightest touch of sweetness coming through now but still, that dark, cherry and currant like flavor that was all over this. The slightest bit of tartness working its way though as well, really just plowing over the flavor at the end leaving me with a long drawn out flavor, somewhat dry, and a nice touch of sweetness on the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2011 03:15:21 | More by mikesgroove

nlmartin

Ohio

4.63/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I think this is blind beer #10?

The bottle was marked share. Shared with my wife and best friend. They couldnt or wouldnt finish a glass so I finished the bottle. The oak was too much for them. Perhaps I am a homer? Can you be a homer if your not from the state of origin? Anyhow, this beer was served in a snifter. I allowed the beer to hit a temperature closer to room temp during consumption.

A- 5.0 Very active carbonation. Perhaps it was my rush to pour the beer. I got a beer geyser pouring the first glass. The coloration of the beer is dead black! Its like I like my coffee black! The head is thick and creamy the coloration of cafe late. The lacing on my glass looks like pan cake batter.

S - 5.0 This beer has a major league oaked character! Awesome vanilla notes spice up the aroma. Dark roasted cocoa and none of that bullshit milk chocolate. I hate milk chocolate! Dark roasted bittersweet cocoa medium roasted malt brown sugar and molasses.

T - 4.5 Major oaken vanilla flavors take the lead and dominate. The oak hits tannic notes. Darak roasted cocoa nibs / malt combine with lightly charred malts. The beer has a nice spiced finish. I know the beer is very alcoholic! I definitely feel the buzz setting in. I cannot taste the alcohol in the slightest. A nice lingering roasted tone hangs around in my mouth.

M / D 4.5/ 4.5 The body of the beer just misses full; however, she still has all the right curves. Very slick smooth mouthfeel present. At first I feared over carbonation. I now think the geyser was one of operator error. I accept that blame. Carbonation is active but I think it lifts the beers character up. No alcohol is present in the mouth. I know the alcohol is present as I am buzzing hard. As far as drinkability this is major beer drinking pleasure! This beer has very rich and bold flavors. This is easily a world class beer.

Reveal" Troegs Splinter Black. I looked at some of these reviews. I can see where some beer drinkers would fault them. The beer is no apologies oaked. Not sure if I am a homer? I love me some Troegs beers. This was very well played! Thank you again Neorunner!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 10:31:10 | More by nlmartin

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750mL bottle poured into tasting glass - thanks to poneill

Pours a thick blackness with a completely out of control graham cracker brown head which seems to want to balloon out of the glass. Plenty of lacing on the glass.

Some chocolatey tones followed by some earthy wood tones. Hints of smoke with sweetness, some light alcohol.

A bite of hops up front, plenty of roasty warm malts as well. Wood from the barrel aging with some earthiness. Caramel, chocolate, and some bittersweetness all combine together. Slight alcohol heat and roasted malt towards the finish.

Fuller body, wayyy high carbonation, a little chewy on the tongue. Plenty of flavor on this beer, and I definitely enjoyed the different sort of barrel aging, although it wasn't a total hit for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 06:04:11 | More by xnicknj

alleykatking

Indiana

3.53/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 750ml. Thanks to jdefont for busting this bottle out.

A- Pours a as close to black as you can get without being black color. One and a half finger tan head shows medium retention. Lacing on the sides of the glass come in streaks.

S- Oak and more oak in the front. Roasted malts come in the front wiith light hints of vanilla. Charr from the barrels come through next in the aroma with hints of darker fruit. Caramel malts shine in the ending along with a underlying chocolate malt. Simple overall for a beer that was so hyped at first.

T- Light roasted malts start off this beer which inturn gives off a light oak impression. Coffee comes through next with light roast in the ending. Middle of the beer shows a caramel like base body with a light charr hint to it. More roasted malts with a hint of chocolate comes through in the ending. Very ending has a hint of vanilla with a strong oak finish. Alcohol is apparent in the ending and gives off a little bit of a hot presence.

M- Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation is a little high for the style giving it a light fizzy feel on the palate. Roasted malts, light chocoalte, and lots of oak are left on the palate. Aftertaste is mostly alcohol, oak, chocolate, and hints of vanilla. Flavors were a little off blended with the oak at times coming through very highly. No real off flavors were present this beer overall was a little young I thought. High alcohol drying on the palate overall from the oak overtones and alcohol.

O- This was a good beer. Was it worth the hype? I wouldn't say that. The ABV was really not much of a issue and never really came up while drinking this. A little immature I thought and could have sat around a little more. This beer wasn't as bad as others have stated although I see why it isn't the most sought after in the Splinter Series.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 06:00:47 | More by alleykatking