Great Lakes Blackout Stout - Great Lakes Brewing Company

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.23/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- exactly as the title suggests, black. Dark and creamy tan head that reduces to a skimming layer with awesome thick lace that surrounds the glass.

S- bittersweet chocolate with a bit if coffee and just a hunt of hop, some smoky malt notes as well.

T- sweet dark chocolate, notes of coffee and toffee, slightly smoky with some warming alcohol on the back end, finishes sweet and malty. After it warms up a bit, it develops a bit more heat in the finish

M- heavy bodied with low carbonation and a velvety mouthfeel and warming finish

O- so rich and complex, this is deniably a sipper. Luckily I've sample this on tap and in the bottle. I think I prefer the on tap version just a bit more.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2012 23:46:04 | More by Treyliff

rlee1390

Indiana

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

A-Clear brown when pouring, black in the glass, one finger tan head

S-Lots of roasty notes, some coffee and chocolate. Molasses is present as well. And a tad bit of vanilla.

T- Starts extremely roasted, but not burnt, malt heavy. Coffee and Chocolate are there for some balance.

M-Medium to heavy, not much carbonation, a tad creamy.

O-A wonderful all around stout, the roasted malt is prominent and spot on.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 23:37:41 | More by rlee1390

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

And yes, I did let the beer warm as so stated on the label.
The beer looks thin when poured into my glass. The color is dark with glinting high lites of ruby chestnut. A tall deep beige head sits on top.
Aroma is dominated by roasted malts, deep almost burnt. I like that. One can also pick up very sutle hints of cocoa and coffee.
Taste seems a bit one dimensional in that really the only thing I can taste is a rich roasted malt flavor.
Feels basically smooth on the palette but thin. The body has some ashen graininess but thats normal and have no problem with. Warming alcohol in the aftertaste.
All in all a good beer with good flavor but think it lacks depth as compared to others in this style.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 13:12:24 | More by micromaniac129

yamar68

Minnesota

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

2012 vintage:

Not quite "blackout" judging by appearance alone - dark brown/near black body produces a healthy finger of light beige head, which laces and retains very well.

Smooth chocolate character, nutty, roasted malts, pretty tame as far as the style goes... nice though.

Roasted almonds, milk chocolate, honey, maple syrup, nothing sharp and overpowering at all... well-rounded, reminiscent of Old Rasputin in this regard.

Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 20:02:49 | More by yamar68

martyl1000

Wisconsin

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

A beautiful pour into a tulip glass, black absence topped by a finger of tan lightweight head. The aroma is a bit one-dimensional, as in iron-hemoglobin.

In the mouth that tinny aroma morphs into hop bite, levened by a somewhat watery mouthfeel and a lively carbonation. There's burnt coffee of course, roasted malt (or is that rye?) and fresh dinner roll. That bready flavor is like the plain dough of an apple poptart (without the apple). But where's the sweetness?

I'm very glad to try the legend. But it's far from being one of my favorite Russian imperial stouts.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 06:29:30 | More by martyl1000

DaveAnderson

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Great Lakes Blackout Stout is not the darkest imperial stout I've seen, but it does produce a very rich, dark crema that leaves thick, sticky lacing.

There are a lot of roasted smells in this glass -- coffee and chocolate are dominant among them. There's something smoky and sweet in there, too. No hops announce themselves.

This certainly has some mocha qualities. It's a sweet-bitter-chocolate-coffee melange. Creamy, too. This is a seriously thick beer. Carbonation is light. The flavors really stick around in the mouth, especially the bitter and roasted notes. The alcohol is very well masked.

I could drink a few of these. They go down a bit too easily. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 06:11:48 | More by DaveAnderson

starrdogg

District of Columbia

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

Beer pours black with a big fluffy tan head - a much bigger head than your average imperial stout. Smell is fairly subdued, but has a combination of roast and caramel malts, chocolate, oats and a little sweet. The roast doesn't overwhelm in the nose and instead plays a complementary role with the other things going on here. The flavor here is REALLY nice. It's not your average hit-you-over-the-head big roasty stout and instead does something a little different. It's a little bit sweet, smooth and chocolate-y up front, but brings a nice amount of roast in the finish to balance it out. It's incredibly easy-drinking for such a big stout. Mouthfeel isn't super thick for a big stout, instead it's more medium-full bodied with nice carbonation. Overall, this is one of my favorite non-BA imperial stouts because it's not the same as all of the other big ones out there. It actually reminds me a lot of Hill Farmstead Everett, a porter, more than any other big stout I've had.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 23:46:15 | More by starrdogg

pschul4

Illinois

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

Poured into my Schlafly snifter courtesy of FTowne, thanks Mike!

A- Pours a dark brown and sits damn near black in the glass. Small amount of head that falls back to a ring around the edge of the glass

S- Sweet malts and some lactose in there. Coffee and chocolate round this beer out beautifully

T- Holy cow! Way sweeter than I was imagining. Definitely like an imperial milk stout. Lots of cream to go with the coffee on this one.

M- Could be a little thicker but no complaints

O- Very very enjoyable. Highly recommend to anyone who has access to this beer

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 03:41:53 | More by pschul4

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into a snifter.

Appearance
Pitch black with 1 finger of tan head that dissipates quickly.

Nose
Milk, milk chocolate, coffee and creamer. Really, really milky.

Taste
Tons of milk. Milk chocolate and Coffee & cream. Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme. Some French vanilla and caramel. Towards the finish it gets a little more bitter with cocoa nibs and notes of espresso.

Mouthfeel
Medium-full bodied, creamy and smooth.

Overall
This is incredibly sweet and milky. Tastes much like an Imperial-ized Milk Stout. This is an awesome Imperial Stout and it really sets itself apart from the rest of the bunch.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 21:27:45 | More by justintcoons

rappmann

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a growler the day after purchase into a pint glass. Reviewed from notes.

A - Dark black, no light is getting through, one finger of dark tan/mocha head, that doesn't stay long.

S - Dark chocolate, smokiness, maltiness. A hint of coffee in there somewhere too.

T - Bitter chocolate, nicely balanced, but it's a bit hot in the finish, good on a cold winter night.

M - Heavy and thick, this beer is a sipper, and thankfully I had a friend to split the growler with.

O - a good beer, but not an outstanding beer. Glad I got to try it, but for me it didn't quite live up to the hype.

Serving type: growler

12-08-2012 17:09:14 | More by rappmann

Powderhornphil

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark with light, fluffy khaki head. Not a lot of lacing.

Smell sweet malt and a faint chocolate. Not the most complex nose by any means.

Taste is sweet milky chocolate. Some caramel sweetness. I think the tastes is quite enjoyable although it lacks the character to push it into a top tier stout.

Mouthfeel is smooth but not as silky as I want for the style.

A nice stout here but in the competitive Imperial stout field there are better options.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 00:58:48 | More by Powderhornphil

chanokokoro

Illinois

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

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Great Lakes Brewing Company branded snifter

Pours a very dark motor oil brown capped with a one finger beige fluffy head. Moderate to little retention, no evident lacing. Bakers chocolate, espresso, hints of smoke and roasted malt. Dark chocolate initially, joined by hints of plum and roasted grain. Finishes dry with espresso notes, anise, some smoky, roastiness, very evident hop bitterness and phenol alcohol. Full bodied with moderate carbonation, slick and oily. A solid Russian imperial stout that will please most. Unique as the hop presence is more dominant in this brew than most others in the style, however it works. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 05:57:27 | More by chanokokoro

herman77

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours near black with a light mocha colored head. Fairly bubbly. Decent lacing.

S: Smells more like a porter. Lots of roasty-chocolaty notes. Some coffee and sweet cream. Some smokiness lurking as well.

T: Fairly smokey. Lots of roasted malts, a bit of coffee, bittersweet chocolate. A hint of sweetness, dark fruits. A bit of hop bitterness. Finishes with a bit of alcohol presence.

M: Very light body for a RIS. Feels a little thin. Somewhat higher carbonation too. A tad creamy.

O: Decent drinkability. ABV is noticeable. Not one of my favorites for this style. A bummer since I like almost everything else this brewery does and thought I was really gonna like this. Can't judge a book by it's cover I guess and sometimes that goes in a negative way.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 00:41:10 | More by herman77

nicnut45

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12 oz bottle poured into Sam Adams perfect pint glass. Enjoy by date of 4/20/2012. I think this beer is perfectly accpetable to enjoy a few months past its freshness date.

A-Pours jet black. A decent head upon pouring. Head fades to a wispy patch in the center.

S-Soy sauce upon first whiff, an excellent Dark roasted black coffee smell.

T&MF-Nice Roasted flavors with a strong bitterness and a bit of sweetness to balance it out. Perfect carbonation for the style. Feels about as thick as whole milk.

O-Let this beer warm up to 55 f. as the label suggests. Delicious. I really like the mild sweetness they gave this beer. I find a lot of these imperial stouts are are a bit too bitter for my liking. Not to say that this wasnt bitter, but the sweetness made it all the more better by balancing things out. Nice work.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 06:48:25 | More by nicnut45

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 Oz poured into a snifter

A- Pours black with a quarter finger of a khaki head. Light alcohol legs.

S- Very roasty smelling. A fairly sweet smelling beer. Slightly bitter and some chocolate.

T- A somewhat bitter stout. A plethora of roasted malts and dry roasty flavors. There is a bit of a hop flavor in this beer that probably wont last long. It's quite sweet. A lot of bakers chocolate. A very well made stout. Simple is better.

M- A thick and hardy beer. What you would expect from it.

O- This is up ther with STONE IRS and Narwhal in my opinion. A solid and very well done stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 02:16:11 | More by TwelveOunces

ToasterChef

Maine

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

A chilly bottle poured into a tulip glass.

The beer is an opaque dark brown liquid. On top there is a finger thick layer of brown foam. Patchy brown lace is left behind.

The beer has a big roasted alt aroma. There isn't much sweetness here, just a few hints of chocolate. There is a good amount of coffee bitterness.

The beer is quite tasty. It has a lot of bitterness; some of it reminds me of coffee beans, but there is also a hop oil component. The malts impart flavors of licorice, coffee, and maybe a touch of toffee as soon as the beer hits my tongue.

The beer is a little sticky, but it's hard to avoid that when you brew a RIS. A decent blend of bitterness and malty flavors remain in the coating. My lips are a bit stickier than I like.

This is a very good Imperial stout. It looks like this is a seasonal beer available in four packs, which isn't as good as year-round, but enjoying this beer during the winter months is something I can see myself doing. Too bad it's not distributed around here. If you find some near you, I recommend you pick some up.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 01:19:13 | More by ToasterChef

vandemonian

Maryland

4.48/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great Lakes Blackout Stout is a deliciously subdued Russian Imperial Stout. Yum Yum.

A: Black colour and a 4 mm head that faded to lacing. 4

S: Sweet malt and smokiness. 4.5

T: Malty with some subtle roasted fruit some subdued smoke. Everything is subdued and very well combined. 4.5

M: Foamy. 4.5

O: 4.5

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 02:38:13 | More by vandemonian

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle, best before date of 3/18/13, poured into a snifter.

A- Pours pitch black with a thin khaki head that recedes to a collar, leaves spotty lacing.

S- Very assertive roasted grain aroma, also loads of coffee and chocolate, there's some subtle vanilla and molasses and maybe a bit of spiciness as well.

T- Lots of roast, coffee and chocolate, a bit of fruitiness and vanilla in the background.

M- Medium-bodied, actually a bit lighter than I expected, has a smooth feel with a slightly dry, roasty finish.

O- A very solid stout and a nice addition to Great Lakes' seasonal brews.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 09:08:18 | More by WillCarrera

Justin_Neff

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Cigar City snifter

A: Really dark pour. Not quite motor oil-ish, but very dark. Disappointed with head retention and appearance. Thin and not very fluffy - little lacing on brew and virtually none on the glass.

S: Smells of strong pine and some hops. Roasted chocolate malt and barley. Perhaps the strongest woft is java - love the smell of this.

T: Taste does not let down too much from the awesome aroma. As smell would suggest, the pine is pretty strong leading to a high amount of bitterness - almost like drinking black coffee. Sweet chocolate tastes underbelly the whole drink and it compliments the bitterness nicely.

M: Perfect full bodiness but doesnt make you feel like you are drinking straight booze. Has a great creamy feel to it. Feels nice and sticky on the roof of your mouth.

O: Not overly impressed with anything Great Lakes does, but this definitely doesn't hold true to that thought. Though I was disappointed with the initial pour appearance, everything after that led me to wanting more. As I mentioned earlier, the ABV is well hidden and this is surprisingly drinkable. Though there is different meaning behind it, the name could be used to describe the end of a night of having several of these for how easily they go down.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 19:28:46 | More by Justin_Neff

Thickfreakness

New York

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

A- Pours pitch black with a fluffy, yet thin tan head. Lots of thick drippy lacing oozes down the glass.

S- Raosted dark malts, dark Belgian chocolate, vanilla, subtle kona coffee, and sweet cream. Some subtle undertones of dark fruit. Figs, cherries and charred wood. Nice depth, without being overwhelming.

T- Very nicely done! Great blend of coffee, chocolate malts, vanilla, dried fruit and roasted nuts. Has a subtle creamy sweetness that blends so well with the bitter coffee/cocoa. Everything opens up and blends seemlessly as it warms.

M- Wonderful creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is just noticeable but not distracting. Nice bitter char mixes well with the subtle sweetness. Not oily at all, but somehow it completely coats the tongue.

O- I really wish I could get this near me. I would also love to try a barrell aged version... I think that could be brilliant!

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 02:45:49 | More by Thickfreakness

tdm168

North Carolina

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

Thanks to Hoyt for this one.

A - oil black with a big, brown head with decent retention

S - roasted malts, coffee, maybe some faint chocolate

T - roasted malts, coffee, licorice, chocolate

M - full bodied, warm, perfectly carbonated

This is a solid RIS. The ABV is well hidden behind a very easy to drink, rich flavor profile. The flavors are well balanced. I'm very pleased with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 01:29:36 | More by tdm168

theHoff77

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm just going to start off by saying this is like a cross between a heavier Edmund Fitzgerald and a weaker Founders Breakfast Stout. The smell and taste are very similar between those two beers for me. Coffee on the nose, and I get more coffee and chocolate in the taste. Black in color that pours a dark tan head that dissipates quickly. Has a medium body and I get some bitterness about this which seems to come from cocoa. My general opinion is that this is okay. I was expecting more heaviness, and I don't think the taste separates itself enough from Edmund Fitzgerald for me to really care much for it. Founders Breakfast Stout is very similar to this beer but executed better in every way.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 02:14:19 | More by theHoff77

freystout17

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I bought a 4 pack today. A little disappointed in that it tasted a little "thin" to my palate. However, to be fair, I drank this after having had a Sierra Nevada Narwhal imperial stout.
This stout is a little more complex than a contract-brewed Guinness Extra, and has a little more burnt coffee taste. Otherwise, I would not rank this with the better imperial stouts I have tasted (i.e. Ten Fidy, or Narwhal, or Rasputin RIS or Bell's Expedition [IMO the best stout you can buy]). It is a decent brew, and priced reasonably, albeit in the middle of the pack. This would be a good "beginners" imperial stout...on the thin side, and not overwhelming. It can't touch the Bell's for complexity, however. That is good or bad depending upon ones tastes, obviously.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 02:00:31 | More by freystout17

patpbr

Ohio

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

I bought this beer for my friends on thanksgiving. I knew it was going to be a night of good food and needed a good beer. I bought it on a hunch that, a 9% abv stout would be noticed. A malty,creamy character I want from a stout, with the perfect amount of hops to accompany the flavour of the alcohol until the next drink. Great lakes is good. Sharing it with friends is great.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 02:48:24 | More by patpbr

warrenout330

Ohio

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

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a delirium snifter

A- pitch black pour. full khaki head, dissolves to a slurry over the beer....sticky lacing

S- roasted barely, chocolate malt... anise, coffee, smooth leather

T- bitter sweet chocolate, roasted coffee, anise... tobaccoo lingering

M- smooth and creamy, hop bite balance... lingering chocolate taste

O- one of my favorite offerings from great lakes... not much of it around in Warren but when its here its here and its officially stout season for me... oh how I love this stuff....

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 02:58:19 | More by warrenout330