Splinter Black - Tröegs Brewing Company

bbeane

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured into a laser etched DFH chalice... starts with a HUGE rocky brown head, that has great retention (with some help from the glass) and leaves behind decent webbs of lacing. Beer is black in color with no light escaping when held to the ceiling

S- Honestly, not that pungent. Bit toasty, maybe some hints of dark fruits and vanilla

T- Popped this one a bit early from the fridge... flavors were a bit too muted at the temperature I started it at. Starts toasty, then as it warms, the first thing to become more pronounced is the wood, followed by the cocoa nibs and vanilla

M- Full bodied with light/medium carbonation... very smooth

O- I enjoyed this one as I have all of Troegs Splinters so far. Bit pricey, but worth it in my opinion. Wish I had gone back for more than my first two bottles

CHEERS

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 01:45:47 | More by bbeane

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Apparently this was one of the sub par bottles of this. Enormous bang when cork was lifted, which was a dismal start. Poured with a large head. Nose was bitter, roasted malt, light smoke. Really sharp carbonation. Mouth quite a bit of roasted malt, fairly smoky, not terribly malt forward. Thin, or at least the carbonation makes it seem thin. I'm not sure whether to interpret this as being infected or not...probably not, but there is something off about this bottle. It was really easy to pick out in a blind tasting later on, as drunk as I was.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 02:07:08 | More by JAXSON

RandomBattle

New York

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

They should release this in the summer time so I don't have to freeze my nuts off to get it. Anyway...

Appearance - Whoa head! This was one seriously carbonated beer. I thought perhaps it was my pour, but not so much. It looks awesome though, off white rocky head that dissipates REALLY slow, which is not always a good thing.

Smell - When reviewing stouts a lot of people tend to use the word oak in their general listing of smells. I never really get a sense of that with most stouts, maybe if its aged in bourbon barrels and the bourbon isn't polluting the aroma of the beer. This beer is almost all oak, and for obvious reasons. Great oaky smell as well as some fainter vanilla, chocolate, roasted malt odors.

Taste - Yep, more oak. Yay, I guess. If you like your beers aged in oak this one will not disappoint. Great oak flavors, along with sweet vanilla, caramel, coffee, and some chocolate, with faint raisin notes in the finish. Enjoyable.

Mouthfeel - As I said before this beer is a bit of an overcarbonated mess. It has a pretty average mouthfeel for a stout, not too thick and not too thin.

Overall - I wouldn't really travel far and wide to get a hold of this one (even though I already did). However, it is a very solid offering from Troegs though. I am looking forward to the next beer in their Splinter series, whatever it may be.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 16:43:58 | More by RandomBattle

srandycarter

California

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Very dark, near black. Tasty looking wiht huge tan head that stays and some fuzzy cling lace.

S - Subtle cocoa, hint of sweet malt. Not much there.

T - Wonderful. Chocolate milk, cocoa, malt, tasty stuff!

M - Medium body, great carb and balance.

D - More, please!

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 00:51:53 | More by srandycarter

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -34%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Splinter Black

Pours 1 finger of fizzy tan head. Color is black.

Aroma: Oak, vanilla, chocolate, roasted malts, and big coffee. All malts. New oak?? Come on.

Taste: All roast and coffee. Too much roast. Chocolate and caramel. Some vanilla and oak. Boring.

Mouthfeel: Fizzy and roasted. Medium to full bodied with a higher amount of carbonation. Ends dry and roasted.

Overall, this was a fail of an attempt at -bal aging a beer. It was too roasted and the new oak really didn't add a lot to the beer. Pretty boring and not something I wanted to drink a lot of

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 20:06:30 | More by mothman

glid02

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Joe - thanks! This is my second time having this beer, both experiences were similar.

Pours black with a half-finger tan head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of robust roasted malts with hints of char and larger amounts of oak. Also present are mild amounts of vanilla aromas that are sweeter and distinct from the oak.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Large amounts of roasted malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by semi-sweet chocolate. Midway through the sip earthy oak and light vanilla flavors work their way into things, carrying through to a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is OK. It's got nice carbonation however the thickness is on the thin side.

Drinkability is good. I finished my glass without any problems and could have another.

Overall, as I mentioned previously, this is my second time having this beer and both times were disappointingly underwhelming. I feel as though the base beer needs some tweaking to make this a great beer. Worth a shot if you stumble across it but not worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 01:26:59 | More by glid02

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pulled this one out of my cellar to try after the Splinter Gold. Beer number 2 of the tasting.

The appearance is perhaps this beer's strongest component. Pitch black body that yields rich garnet around the edges where the light can make its way through. Capped by a creamy and frothy (too much?) thick milk chocolate colored head, which astoundingly leaves not a bit of lace to be found.

Aromas of woody tannins, vanilla from the oak rather than the vanilla beans, dark chocolate, anise, and some warm alcohol. The palate brings on more of the same, with a ton of oak, licorice and anise. Unfortunately, I can't really make out enough of the cocoa nibs and vanilla bean that was added to this while it was in the barrels. Resinous and roasty in the finish, with warm alcohol coming in and then giving way to more toasty oak tannins. There are also hints of piney hops that are beginning to fade.

Highly carbonated for any style, though the carbonation gives Splinter Black a silky feel, not a prickly one. I do question the strategy of virgin oak barrel aging, as I felt the tannins from the wood out-muscled the other flavorings added to the barrels. I would say that this would be a great off-the-shelf beer, but falls short of the loft expectations that surrounded it after the limited brewery-only release and the hype that surrounds the series.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 23:47:56 | More by NittanyBeerFan

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.35/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks for sharing this, Dan! Beer #2.

Jet black with a dark brown head with excellent retention and nice lacing, this is a gorgeous stout. The nose is like a lumber yard. Oak dust, raw, untoasted oak, wood and woody vanillin. In fact , the vanilla from the oak overpowers the vanilla bean that was added! Some cocoa, roasted malt and a mild astringent burnt malt character. Black licorice and anise are present as well.

The palate opens with a blend of caramel, chocolate, lots of oak. Lots more oak is present, along with oaky vanilla, there's cocoa, lots of harsh tannins and a little booze too. Spicy with a black licorice and anise, these flavors accentuate the tannins and roasty flavors on the finish, making this harsher than it needs to be. The spiciness is not unlike that found in a moderately aged hoppy stout. A little more sweetness to balance the tannins would be in order, but that would make this too sweet. Medium in body, medium-high in carbonation, the mid palate has some creamy, milky flavors, but mostly, this is very roasty and tanninc.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 14:53:39 | More by DefenCorps

abecall98

California

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Redemption time. I've slammed this beer for beig bad, but never reviewed it. I just got to try some with PaulStoneAnchor, and I'm impressed.

A - pours a dark black, followed by a violent dark brown head. Bubbles everywhere. Reminds me of infected Abyss. Not how I like my stouts to look.

S - a lot more promising. The beer smells like a good Oaked stout. The vanilla esters come through. I smell coffee and roasted malt. However, that soapy aroma and over wheing oak lingers in The end of the wiff.

T - wow, much better than the last bottle. Creamy vanilla wafer starts the beer. The oak comes in, and not overpowering. The roasted coffee comes out and finishes the beer with some sweet cocoa notes.

M - a tad overly carbonated, but a good mouthfeel. Beyond the bubbles, lies a creamy mouthfeel, that coats with sweetness.

O - bottle variation is to blame for my first bad bottle of this. Bottle two, is the redemption bottle. It's a great stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 03:16:11 | More by abecall98

kzoobrew

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review input from notes.

Huge 4 finger sand colored head. Retention was excellent, a decent amount of lacing left as head slowly receded. Pitch black body, absolutely zero light breaking the surface even when held to the light.

Rich chocolate aroma couples with oak and bourbon upfront. Vanilla is interwoven though out. A rather muted black licorice scent lays softly on the back end.

Smooth dark chocolate flavor up front. Chocolate flavor is a combination of a fudgy dark chocolate and a dry cocoa powder. The vanilla flavor really enhances the chocolate a softens the roast characteristics on the back end. Once again a slight licorice flavor sneaks in on the back of the palate.

The body clock in on the lower side of full. Moderate but appropriate carbonation. The finish is semi-dry.

Hearing a lot of talk going into this one, how it was a disappointment, not worth drinking and so on, I walked away terribly happy with the result. Splinter Black is a legitimately good beer. Even when put up against some stiff competition this one can hold its own. Very drinkable, very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 23:14:18 | More by kzoobrew

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

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

Had this in February 2010 in Columbia, PA.

A - Black with a tan head with light lacing.

S - Reminds me of a Rochefort brew. Woody, raisin and plum.

T - Similar to the smell. Wood, concorde grape, roasted chocolate, vanilla, plum, yeast and mild, astringent bitterness.

M - Medium-heavy body and light carbonation.

D - A nice sipper. I enjoyed the flavors but not my favorite imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 21:31:13 | More by Tucquan

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured on 12/27/10 at Hophead101's Black Tuesday tasting event

Pours a pitch black with lots of tan foam that left some decent oily lacing down the glass. The aroma is chocolate, bourbon and wood with none of them taking the reigns and overpowering. All are nicely balanced. Taste follows aroma with chocolate, a bit of bourbon and the wood hiding in the background with a vanilla taste showing up in the finish along with more chocolate. Its very smooth and creamy with light carbonation. Oily medium body. At 11% this one drinks very well and goes down very smooth. I'm glad I have more of this to share.
Call me a homer, I don't care. I just really liked this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 07:08:09 | More by mikereaser

bs870621345

New Jersey

4.97/5  rDev +31.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Call me a homer (even though I live 2.5 hours away) but this is the best stout I've ever had.

Pops open with a loud noise and pours a beautiful jet black with an inch of tan head. Leaves nice lacing down the glass. Way too much head for the style.

Smells like oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and a hint of roast.

Taste follows smell, I really don't think the oak overpowers this beer at all. The chocolate feels kind of powdery on the finish and in the aftertaste, but the oak and vanilla is ridiculous in this beer.

Mouthfeel is velvet, not as carbonated as the appearance would tell you. Very full, very nice.

Drinkability is amazing, very inviting after each sip and disappointing when its over.

Probably one of the best beers I've ever had.

5/25/11 addition- Very Chocolatey, almost like hot fudge with minty notes on the end. Its a really really great one

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 03:50:27 | More by bs870621345

Florida9

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Black in color. Forms a huge light tan head that reduces down to a small, but very stable head. Minimal lacing.

S: Lots of wood, but more like a cheap pine wood or balsa, than something like maple, oak, or hickory. Aroma is quite vibrant with a bit of alcohol on the finish.

T: An unusual mix of flavors for a stout. First of all, there is the wood which seems to predominate (like I'm chewing on a chopstick) then there is a mix of roasted malts, citrus, and a bright acidity. A slight Belgian funkiness to it.

M: On the heavier side of medium with decent carbonation.

D: An interesting double stout. The lighter wood and citrus flavor seem to lighten up the palate on this beer making it a bit more drinkable than most double stouts. However, the wood and the citrus almost seem out of place as well.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 02:26:56 | More by Florida9

homebrew311

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to hannydawg for sharing this at recent tasting.

A: pour is deep black, vigorous 3 finger head initially, settles down to about a cm of head that hangs around. Minimal lacing.

S: huge woody notes up front. The wood is extremely prevalent and has a cedar character to it. The wood overshadows the malt profile which feature some chocolate and smoke character. Hints of bready yeast come into play as well. Very unique aroma.

T: upon first sip, the main thing I can taste is wood. Again, it has a very fresh raw character and it dominates the palate. The beer takes a turn towards a Belgian influenced sweetness and a slightly tart finish.

MF: medium body, higher than normal carbonation, not as thick of a body as I'd would expect from a 11.0% stout

D: well this beer is certainly interesting and unique, but I can't say that I would want to drink this over and over again. Worth a try, but for me, the wood is just a little overbearing.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 06:00:59 | More by homebrew311

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Stone Levitation tulip glass.

Big thanks to hannydawg for sharing this bottle!

Let's see how this goes, considering the apparent cross-country controversy over the contents of this bottle. Here in the Midwest, it pours a straight onyx topped by a decidedly healthy stack of tan foam. The nose comprises primarily a large amount of wood: cedar, pine, and even balsa all intertwine, strangling out just about anything else. Despite their efforts, though, some toffee and cinnamon make brief appearances from time to time. Gotta say, I ain't too big a fan o' this smell. The taste also shines a spotlight on the wood (mostly cedar now), but now the supporting cast (wait, why are they supporting?) comes through further: light-ish roasted malts, light tobacco, and molasses. Things are definitely better than the smell, but it's not a giant step. The body is a hefty medium, with a very light moderate carbonation, a fluid feel, and a kinda dry finish. Overall, a decent stout, but nothing close to great. I've heard an awful lot about hype-ballooning and -suppressing, as well as the possibility of enormous bottle variation. I'm leaning toward the latter, deep in the belief that this was one of the less-than-stellar bottles.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 01:14:56 | More by TMoney2591

Vdubb86

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Darkness Snifter

Thanks to hannydawg for sharing this beer

Interesting tasting of stouts continues with a beer from the splinter series. This beer pours a black body with a light tan head on it with great head retention. The aromatics were pretty weak, I was able to pick up light malty sweetness and a minor fruit floral aroma, but it was too weak to identify further. The taste reiterated that this was one of the more oddball imperial stouts that I've ever had. There were strong notes of clove and grape along with the very faint roast. The finish was rather tart, which to the point is rather unexpected from anything considered a stout. I'm not sure what this beer truly is. It was rather thin for the high level of ABV but it still drank rather well. Good beer, not great.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 17:11:53 | More by Vdubb86

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Well, well, well...Here we are with a Splinter Black review. The controversy, the accusations, the retaliation. Anyway, the culprit appears to be bottle variation, but the underlying causes remain a mystery. At a recent release, I managed to try Black and I thought it was overly carbonated and otherwise thoroughly average. However, that was after quite a few ounces of Jackie O's finest, so who knows how it really tastes. Now, I will get to experience the famous, the infamous, the legendary Splinter Black.

Poured into a snifter. Full bottle just for me.

4.5 A: The reports of overcarbonation had me worried enough to open this over the sink. I appeared to be lucky and so far so good. Black color. First pour yielded about four fingers of head, but nowhere near gusher level. Second pour got me to my desired level with about two and a half fingers of super creamy mocha cappucino head. Very good retention and a thick ring of lacing. Would be a 5.0 without the overcarbonation issue.

4.5 S: Impressive! The raw oakiness is strong, though not overly done. Though the oak flavor itself is nice, the accompanying vanillins and spiciness are well received. Cacao nibs add a secondary layer of depth along with a subtle roastiness. A bit of sweet molasses to overcome what would be a dry aroma.

4.0 T: Again, the oak has some strength to it, but isn't overly done. (Believe me, I know what overly done tastes like.) Oak, vanilla, hot spiciness, a touch of booze. Cacao and semi-sweet chocolate and a molasses sweetness. Just a touch of roastiness. Big flavors are for the most part very welcoming. This is reasonably sweet and I think this would benefit a lot from a stronger roastiness. Still, very good.

4.0 M: Heavier medium body. The carbonation is a bit aggressive, but not so much that it distracts. Reasonably creamy and fairly smooth. If this was a bit thicker, it would have been given a better score.

4.5 D: It would appear that I got a good bottle. The oak is aggressive, but well within the range of what is acceptable. The carbonation is indeed a bit high, but again within acceptable limits. The taste was borderline 4.5 and I wasn't displeased with drinking the whole bottle, so drinkibility is a 4.5. Good brew and as long as I keep getting good bottles, I hope the bottle variation continues. Driving out to Harrisburg is no picnic.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 04:10:31 | More by DavoleBomb

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml corked & caged bottle into a Weyerbacher tulip. Shared at a tasting.

A: Fully black body with an inch of fairly coarse light-brown head. Good retention and nice layers of lacing. Beautiful.

S: Super woody, and in a great way. Oak, vanilla, and chocolate maltiness. Great.

T: Sweet, oaky, chocolatey, and drenched in vanilla goodness. The oak gives it some tannic bite, while the vanilla lends plenty of body and sweetness. Nothing off, lots of delicious.

M: Medium-bodied and well carbonated. Good, but a bit on the sticky side.

D: The combo of vanilla sweetness and intense oak isn't exactly a recipe for drinkability. I wouldn't want a whole bottle to myself, but it was wonderful to share with a few friends. EDIT: I originally gave this a 3.5 for Drinkability, but now that I'm rereading my review in the days of Overall, I've decided to raise the score. Overall I really enjoyed this beer.

Notes: People whose palates I trust unequivocally told me this was a terrible beer, so my hopes weren't high. One sniff was all it took to convince me that the controversy over this beer must be due to bottle variation. The bottle I opened was nothing but delicious, with the oak, malt, chocolate, and vanilla all working beautifully together. Everyone at the tasting agreed that this was a delicious, top-notch brew.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 02:13:32 | More by woosterbill

decadance

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to cmurren25 for this bottle!

A - Gorgeous blackness with a profound dark tan head. This looks like a big bodied stout should.

S - A little tame here. Getting a bit of licorice. There are hints of bourbon and a mild chocolate in the nose as well.

T - Chocolate is right up front here, but not enough to turn you off from the beer. Licorice which was in the smell is here, but not as forward as expected. Seems like there is a tiny bit of smoke in here. Could be just roasted malt, but it seems more smoke than malt.

M - Has the full coating feeling I expect from a stout, though it finishes a bit dry. Nothing as dry as Black Ops, but it still isn't my ideal finish for a beer.

D - It is a straight forward beer. Its what I want from a stout. I wish I had more.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 17:45:07 | More by decadance

Mora2000

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this bottle. Never thought I would get to try it.

The beer pours a black color with a brown head. A nice looking stout. The aroma is great. I get some roasted malt and chocolate up front, but I also get a lot of barrel aging notes - bourbon, oak and brown sugar.

The flavor is even better than the aroma. I get a lot of roasted malt, chocolate and oak notes, as well as some bourbon, vanilla, maple, brown sugar and molasses. There is also a slight bit of smoke, but is more of an ashy smoke than a meaty smoke. It compliments the other flavors very well.

Medium to thick mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 05:28:12 | More by Mora2000

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +24%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Pours black in color with a perfect frothy/fluffy coffee colored head that leaves chunks of thick sticky lace along the glass.

The scent is of roasted malt, dark fruit, notes of vanilla and alcohol.

The taste was of fruit and roasted malts, chocolate, vanilla notes, also a little bit of wood. Alcohol is very noticeable.

Full bodied, very smooth and creamy, very low carbonation.

This was a delicious beer, there is so much to taste, lots of complex flavor. Not easy to drink more than one of these as it is very thick and rich in flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 19:03:29 | More by BeerCon5

Fish113d

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep, dark brown to almost black color with a huge spongy, dense mocha brown head that forms to about 3" in my large tulip glass. Slow dissipation with lots of stickiness.

On the nose, actually hoppier than expected. However, being a Troeg's product it doesn't surprise me too much. Milk chocolate & caramel on the nose (reminds me of a Caramello bar). For being barrel aged, I expected it to be a bit dryer and "woody" on the nose, but it's lacking a bit in that department. Wonder had I aged this longer in the bottle if it'd come out more with the alcohol...speaking of which, it's well-hidden which is nice.

Sipping reveals a very sweet caramel flavor w/ a bit of slight roasty and maybe even smoke flavor that reminds me of "burnt wood". Very full body with a very sticky taste. It sticks around for quite a while with the caramel and the chocolate flavor. The alcohol sneaks up on you toward the swallow. Wow...very tasty. (I should have let this cool just a bit longer...I'll pour my next glass after it cools off a bit more).

Full-body, well-balanced, smooth and sweet. This is a wonderful brew to drink. Not as much oak flavors or bourbon barrel, which is what would make this even BETTER. Great limited offering from Troeg's...however, I'm not sure $22/bottle is all that "fair."

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 02:14:56 | More by Fish113d

henway

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +24%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This was the first in the line up of heavy hitters ShadesOfGray put together for a tasting. (BT and Kate were also in attendance). Appearance is a very nice silky black, leaves a nice head and good lacing. Smells of dark malts, hints of vanilla, chocolate, and a bit woodsy. As far a taste goes I'm pleasantly surprised. Really smooth, chocolate is present, creamy, light earthy taste, subtle vanilla, and i detect some fruit. Its quite complex. Goes down smooth and leaves a nice taste of vanilla and oak for a while. I didn't have high expectations for this beer but, i do have to say this may be on my top ten list as far as stouts go.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 22:09:08 | More by henway

gford217

Georgia

3.83/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle courtesy of a generous PA trader.

Pours dark, dark brown out of the bottle and settles in black in the glass with an enormous bubbly tan head that leaves tons of lacing on the way down to a thick cap.

Aroma is dark chocolate, black malts and tons of barrel characteristics with smoke, spicy oak, and vanilla. Decent but really heavy on the oak.

The taste is actually better than the taste for me. It's got a big, thick chocolate malt backbone with cocoa powder and some dark fruits. The finish is where the oak comes back in and leaves the palate tingling with oak and charred malts.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and seriously smooth and creamy with lots of carbonation. The finish is all about the barrel and the high carbonation offsets the barrel a bit.

This is a decent oak-aged stout. Certainly not terrible but it does have lots of oak and charred character in it so be prepared.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 04:14:15 | More by gford217