Great Lakes Blackout Stout - Great Lakes Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A great start, with a bottle picture and description that reminds those of us who survived the Great Grid Blackout. Then a beautiful black pour. A stout with great American hops and some malt taste. Thanks to Chuck's Fine Wines for breaking up a six pack for me.
Second bottle 26 months later, great and substantial coffee and roast aroma. Beautiful mocha ring on head. bMedium mouthfeel,n warming alcohol, satisfying coffee aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2004 03:14:34 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.58/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Glossy anthracite with a faint glimmer of light at the margins, capped by a firmsticky, resolute head of cocoa brown. Thick, chunky gobs of lace affix themselves to the glass and will, no doubt, have to be removed with hot water. Great Lakes brews lace monsters and this one is no exception.

Blackout smells of chocolate syrup-laced black coffee with supporting roles being played by hops and smoke. There are faint echoes of dark brown sugar, but no molasses spiciness that I could appreciate. It's a wonderful aroma, I just hope the coffee is scaled back on the palate.

Wow, this is powerful stuff! My first sip exploded over my tongue, coated my mouth and sent a frisson of pleasure straight into my brain. First of all, although I didn't doubt it for a second, this beer has the most substantial mouthfeel of any Great Lakes offering in existence, and GL is a brewery known and celebrated for that characteristic. Blackout Stout is easily as full and as rich as Victory Storm King Stout. It doesn't quite top the pure, heavy silkiness of Perkuno's Hammer, but it's damn close.

As Imperial stouts go, it isn't overly complex. It's just a hugely delicious, coffee/chocolate flavor bomb that is pure poetry in the mouth. Hops, smoke and anise give it character and added personality, but don't really detract from the mission at hand. If possible, the flavor knob hits '11' with warming and the beer becomes more spicy as well. It's hard to imagine a more robust, more flavorful, yet more drinkable beer in this category. 9% ABV? You'd never know it.

Blackout Stout is great beer from one of the truly great breweries in North America. It has instantly become one of my favorites and it is my fervent hope that Great Lakes will decide to brew it year-round. I'd also like to see it distributed to this state, but I'm not holding my breath. I'll be stocking up on my trips back to Ohio, though, that much is certain. Highly recommended. A huge 'thank you' to Dogbrick for the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2004 15:40:35 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.63/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured a thick black, almost oil like. Extremely opaque with no light penetration what so ever. Huge tan head, gave was very reluctantly leaving a nice web of lace all down the glass for the duration.

S - Smell was very thick, robust and full. Sweet tones were the dominant choice here. Lots of milk sugar was evident and welcomed, with the slight hints of coffee and vanilla, perhaps a cookie dough coming through, Just what I would expect.

M & T - Ahh nothing like a good stout. Felt very thick, full, smooth and creamy. This was definatly a dessert and fitting for my nightcap. The taste was very very sweet, and had alot of vanilla in the flavor. Almost tasted like a vanilla ice cream shake! Hints of coffee and roasted dark chocolate were hiding in there. One of the sweetest full flavored stouts I have had, very nice.

D - Overall this was awesome. A very classic big stout that made me smile. I really enjoyed this and must say it definatly lived up to expectations. I have to give much props to this, full in every sense of the word.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2007 23:02:29 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Jeff for sending me this beer many moons ago. Finally got around to opening this one.

A: The pour is a very dark brown color that can look black if in the right lighting. A small but sturdy tan head.

S: Lots of nice roast and chocolate aromas right off the bat. As I smell this beer a few more times the intense coffee aroma really starts to make itself known.

T: Quite a bit of coffee is present on the palate as well. Underneath, lots of roasted malts and semisweet chocolate which helps to balance out the intense roast of the coffee and malt components.

M: The body is maybe a bit light for an imperial stout, but this beer is very smooth on the tongue so I can't punish it too much.

D: Really pleasant and easy to drink. I really liked this beer quite a lot and found the 9% ABV to be not be present at all.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 18:55:33 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep black with a nice mocha head and a bit of lacing as it goes down. Initial nose is plenty of roasted malt followed up by dark chocolate, caramel/toffee, and hints of molasses. Taste is nice. Some sweetness is added in, which dilutes some of the nuances of the nose. Mouthfeel is nice, thick, and chewy. Very drinkable. A very solid stout for how widely available it is.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 18:42:21 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours a dark brown, near black body with a full, frothed, khaki-colored head.

Smell: Roasty, creamy, chocolatey aroma with an underlying spiciness and a scent of vanilla powder.

Taste: Creamy dark chocolate and smooth, sweet caramel. Light fruitiness. A touch of wood, roast, and light spice. Sprinkled vanilla-flavored sugar. A bit warming in the chalky, chocolatey finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Though I could use a bit more fullness to the body, it's still a very good stout. Good one, Great Lakes.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2008 03:13:58 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Best by 10/1/06; reviewed 1/5/09

Appearance: Pours an obsidian color with a creamy tan head that pancakes the liquid and leaves bubbles of lace behind

Smell: Dark chocolate, plenty of roast; almost cigar-like from the oxidation, I suspect

Taste: A mouthful of dark chocolate is joined, by mid-palate, with a tobacco and dark fruit (prunes and dates) combination, that gets surprisingly bitter; after the swallow, the bitterness lingers and is joined by the cigar flavors from the aroma

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Over 2 years beyond its best by date and still drinking superbly; a fine beer

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2009 01:48:00 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of Jdoolin : Poured a deep black color stout with a nice foamy head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of chocolate and coffee malt is well balance with a medium hoppy finish. Taste is really well balance between chocolate malt, some dry roasted malt and a medium bitter finish. Body was quite full with some adequate carbonation. Overall, I thought this was well done and alcohol was not perceptible. I might have lack some complexity but it was still quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2007 16:06:04 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Extremely solid stout. Huge roasted malt character and malt sweetness. Lots of complexity with unusual balcance. Light lactose additions help to mellow the rough 'stout-like' edges without contributing sourness. Oatmeal like smoothness does the same. Higher than normal carbonation combined with lightly fusal alcohols causes a scrubbing of the throat on the way down. This the only flaw. Finishes with a roasty-sweet sensation and lightly charcoal-like. Other contributing posatives: french roast, milk chocolate, and marshmellows in the nose, flavor, and feel. Quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2006 19:22:06 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to AKsmokedPorter for this big gem of a beer,pours a deep black with a few ruby highlights showing thru with a mocha colored head,aroma ofrum and nuts with some bitter chocolate thrown in just incredibley appetizing with its wide variety.A big rich stout very chewey mouthfeel big and buttery with that rum note again with some nuttiness as well.A big complex awesome beer, man I miss getting GLB beers on a regular basis cuzz this one would be in my fridge all the time.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2004 00:20:11 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great Lakes Blackout Stout

Appearance: Typical stout appearance. Opaque black body with ruby glints of light coming through at the base of the glass. Creamy tan head. Good head retention and lacing.
Smell: Surprisingly limited. Offers some roastiness (some ashen/smokey character and a bit of coffee) and dull bittersweet chocolate.
Taste: There's a nice thread of soft fruitiness that runs through the Blackout, but there's also a rougher strand of alcohol that goes along with that, so it's kind of a trade-off. Beyond that it's quite basic with notes of dark caramel, brown sugar, burnt sugar, bittersweet chocolate, and a light dusting of dark cocoa. The alcohol is noticeable, but not to the point of being distracting - although it clearly cuts down on the drinkability. Some grassy and leafy hops flitter about in the background, which is appropriate for the style (although some brewers are bringing them more to the front lately).
Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied with a gently tingling carbonation that opens to become airy as it warms. Smooth and slick once warmed.
Drinkability: It's rich, but blunt. And not very complex for what it is. Unmasked notes of alcohol hinder it. Otherwise it's a decent sipper for a cool autumn or winter night.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2007 01:14:38 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Big thanks to Wedge421 for hooking me up with this bottle!

...I'm out of catchy tunes here, so...yeah... This guy pours a straight obsidian, luster and all, with a small layer of hussy-white bubbly head. The nose is of deep chocolate, molasses, vodka (the hell?), dark malts, a hint of coffee, and some black cherries waaaay in the back. The taste is somewhat similar, with notes of dark oats, figs, raisins, bitter chocolate, and an alcholic burn thrown in for good pyromaniacal measure. The body is a heavy medium, with low carbonation and a surprisingly watery feel. In fact, it's this thinness that knocks it down a peg for me. Just too much water, y'know? Ask the gilled Kevin Costner...he'll set ya straight. Overall, a pretty solid stout, but I just don't feel it's all that excellent, nor does it live up to its hype. Now I've gotta track down a barrel-aged version to keep that one honest...

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2010 06:30:30 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Solid black color, huge tannish head, active, bubbling, ...aroma, bitter cocoa, nutty, just the thing...on the palate, full, rich, thick, delicious, perfect...lush texture, cocoa is everywhere, carob and anise and more join in on the flavor, thick, rich , delicious,...yum, an excellent stout, from an excellent brewer toward whom I've never had a complaint...full, rich, bodied, potent mouthfeel, this gives Kalamazoo's a run for it's money...wish I had more to test them against one another...but all I can say now is that I fully enjoyed this one, and will seek this one out in the future, if I can!!!
What a great stout...wish I could have this more often!

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2004 09:59:37 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Clark's 3-17-10

The beer pours a pitch black color with a creamy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a sweet chocolatey scent that's rich and creamy with a touch of black malt earthiness. The taste is great as well. It has a warm chocolate malt flavor that goes down slow and easy with a slight black malt bitterness. It's damn smooth and rich. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a delicious beer. As far as stouts go, this one is in my top ten.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2010 20:18:12 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a tulip. Beer is black but its red at the corners. Big brown head falls away and leaves no lacing on the glass. Head breaks quickly and gravitates toward the glass.

Aroma is strong and almost porter like with a lot of smokiness and roast in there. Some hops and some sweetness. Slight alcohol in the nose.

Beer is thin to medium in body, sweet with a slight aftertaste. Lots of roast in the back of the mouth and it finishes a little dry. There is some alcohol in the palate and some carbonation that helps to carry the flavors through the palate. Its pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2010 22:56:20 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark brown to black color with a tan head. The aroma is chocolate and roasted malt. Pretty straightforward, but very inviting. The flavor is roasted malt, alcohol, chocolate and some bitterness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Very nice, and I am glad I have another bottle of this to try.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 05:53:35 | More by Mora2000

metter98

New York

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: It poured very dark amber (near black) in color with a thin layer of mocha-colored bubbles on the surface.
S: The nose mostly has aromas of dark, roasted malts along with some notes of chocolate and coffee.
T: Like the smell, there are lots of flavors of dark, roasted malts along with chocolate and coffee. There is also some bitterness, particularly in the finish.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied and somewhat creamy on the palate. There is a little dryness in the finish.
D: The beer is relatively easy to drink. I would definitely try another one of these.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2010 23:52:00 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Best by date of August 2005, Sampled June 2006
Pours a deep black color with a frothy, chocolate-cream colored head that is initially a finger thick. The aroma smells of burnt raisins, burnt cherries and burnt figs as I pour this beer into my tulip glass. As I go in for a deeper draught of the aroma, I start to get notes of chocolate and roasted espresso beans underneath the concentrated burnt fruit notes. A hint of alcohol rounds out the aromatics and gives this an almost fruit brandy sort of note. I really like how the roast notes mix with the fruit aromatics.

The taste is sweet, yet not cloying and an immediate sense that reminds me of cocoa powder hits my taste buds; a solid chocolate note as well as a bit of a chalky note that I get from cocoa powder. The finish has a certain roasted note that picks up an acidity similar to that in an espresso. This beer has quite a burnt grain character to it as well; adds a certain dryness to this beer that in combination with the acidity helps to balance the sweet notes. There is a nice compound bitterness here as well, a combination of both the roast grain bill and a solid hop level. Maybe this is a touch thinner than I like, but it definitely works on a hot day like today.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2006 03:48:33 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.4/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Acquired via trade from biegaman, so a big "Thank You" goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz. bottle with a into a US tumbler glass.

A: The beer is a deep black color with a short beige head that fades very slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is full of chocolate and roasted malts along with some coffee and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste is typically RIS malty up front with a strong flavor of bitter-sweet dark chocolate, however, this beer isn't quite as thick or heavy as many big stouts. There's a very mild hops presence which is to be expected given the style and the fact that this beer is over 2 years-old. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky but clean for the style.

D: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, strong kick, very good representation of style, this is a really good big stout to drink for a long time especially with some age on it.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2009 03:34:17 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew poured out as a black rich looking liquid. The head was creamy and brown in color. The lacing looked good on the glass. The smell of the beer was roasted with some coffee and chocolate on the nose. I slight amount of dark fruit in there too with some booze. The taste of the beer had a good strength to it, lots of chocolate upfront and bad a burnt toast flavor in the back end. The flavor wasn't as strong as some of the Russian Imperials out there. The mouthfeel was thick and full bodied. Overall I found this beer to be damn good and would enjoy having it again one day.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 17:57:14 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.68/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to joe1510 for this one, this is one I've been hoping to try for a decade! Tasting based on notes

Pours chestnut/mahogany with 2+ fingers of mocha head, Above average lacing & head retention

S: Coffee, cocoa & some booze when warm

T: Rich dark chocolate & a hint of coffee up front. Slight boozeyness & chicory as this warms, plus oaky vanilla, a bit of herbal hop bitterness, & charred grains. Finishes sweet, chocolatey & a bit boozey

MF: Chewy with moderate carbonation & nice smoothness, plus some stickyness

Very easy to drink, the flavor in this beauty would make ignore the the ABV if available in quantity here. Well put together RIS!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2008 12:02:14 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

3.43/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle,

A: Black body, with thick tan head which quickly dissipates to leave little lacing.

S: The smell is the best part of this beer. It is very good, smells of dark fruits, roasted barley, thick dark chocolate, some soy sauce and molasses.

T: Roasted barley predominately, a bit too boozy, hop biterness evident at the end.

M: I'm missing the heft and body of a traditional RIS. Feels like a porter, not a 9% stout. Not going to completely bash it since it feels good beerwise, just a bit too thin.

D: It's allright, not the best RIS out there for sure. I guess I expected more from it being in the top 100. A good beer, it tastes good, would have it again, it just didn't live up to my expectations.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2007 05:31:41 | More by Halcyondays

emerge077

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cellared 2005 bottle.

Super midnight black body, topped with a tan cappucino tinged head of foam. Spindly spots of lacing ring the glass. Looking good for a two-year old brew.

Slight sweetness to the aroma, banana esters, almond, caramel malt are all present.

Hops are still there, but way in the back. Subdued bitterness results, meshing well with the charred malts in the middle. Earthiness lingers well into the finish, with a mild coffee bean presence. Dark baker's chocolate runs through the whole experience, very tasty and satisfying. Nutty and dry in the finish, which lasts for a good while. Any notion of alcohol heat has been subdued, but it still packs some strength. Creamy feel to it...easy to get lost with this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2007 01:23:05 | More by emerge077

Gavage

New Jersey

4.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: black in color with a short 1/4" head that breaks apart quickly.

Smell: huge roasted malt, bitter chocolate, a hint of cofee, and alcohol create a great aroma for the nose.

Taste: big malt profile. Loads of roasted flavors, bitter dark chocolate, coffee, prunes, and a hearty bitterness. Alcohol is definitely noticeable but fits into the flavor profile nicely.

Mouthfeel: heavy in body. Smooth at the start, smooth and velvety at the finish. Some dryness arrives late. Aftertaste is very long as the flavors linger in the mouth for a while.

Overall: a well balanced RIS that is slow sipping but extremely satisfying. A very enjoyable beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2012 21:30:20 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pitch black with a thin tan head that descends to a swirling covering.

The smell is of roasted coffee, chocolate and dark fruits. A hint of alcohol comes through, but is non-interfering.

The taste is of robust chocolate-covered coffee beans enveloping sweet, dark fruits. A mild alcohol taste acts in a warming, supportive fashion. A mild bitter hop presence takes the edge off some of the sweetness, though the latter remains appropriately solid. As it progresses, a smokiness develops in the background.

It is smooth and rich. It takes great self-control to sip it rather than down it, as it is so delicious and easy to drink. Slightly drying. The flavors hold on tight for quite some time.

Rich and complex, it easily ranks among one of my favorites of the style. I wish that it was available in my area!
Thanks to BuckeyeNation for this one!

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2006 04:06:08 | More by jwc215