2012 Black Ale - Stevens Point Brewery

Winter

Wisconsin

3.83/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The appearance is near black in color with a tan head. The nose is fairly light with a vinous aroma, along with that of soy, feint chocolate, and alcohol. The mouthfeel is medium in body with soft carbonation. The taste starts off with a light, roasted maltiness. Caramel emerges midway, followed by some soy flavor toward the back. Very lightly hopped, with a low bitterness. In fact, according to the brewery’s website it’s only at 9 IBUs.

2012 Black Ale is pretty smooth drinking and very mild. I recently had a few pints of this at a local downtown cigar bar. They didn't have any stouts on tap, so I opted for this at their only "darker" option, something I would hope would hold up to the mild cigar I was having. It didn't pretty decent job.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 18:31:10 | More by Winter

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.4/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle tried 22 Oct 2010. Served in the 0.5 L Adambrau becker.

Medium sized brown head. Well carbonated. Black, nearly opaque. Aroma is light, roasty and sweet. Lightly roasted and light chocolate to start. Touch of mocha. Becomes a bit more roasty towards the middle and finish. Some molasses and dried fruit in the aftertaste. Lingering roasty bitterness. Light body, light ethanol.

Not bad, but not clear exactly what style was the target.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 05:04:10 | More by htomsirveaux

billyzoom666

Wisconsin

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours black as night, not a bit of color in this one. The head is a chocolate, nice solid lacing. There's just a slight malt scent, it's subtle, tempting. I like that in women and in the smell of my malts. This has a little bit of a chocolate flavor to it. Nice smoky wooden taste kicks in the back. Almost porter like, but doesn't quite have the right texture to it. This is a perfect winter sipping beer. 2-3 of these is probably enough. It might be the best thing Point's ever done.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 23:14:35 | More by billyzoom666

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Stevens Point's 2012 Black Ale shows a first impression of Brown Ales, primarily American, but also the more tame characteristics of Schwarzbiers and German Dunkels.

The pour of dark brown exhibits highlights of ruby and garnet while establishing a creamy but thin lightly tanned head that leaves behind spotted islands of lace and fair head retention. All is par for the course though a froathier and more verbose head character would have impressed more.

slightly scorched caramel, malted milk, light chocolate and coffee play into the savory but understated aroams. Slight apple yeasty notes emit but don't interfere with the malt focus. Only a mild grassy hop note balances the promise of caramel sweetness. Fresh and toasty, the beer carries an overall appealing scent.

Moderate malty sweetness of caramel and toffee- both in a semi-burnt kinda way set the stage while true malt gives a lightly starchy taste that provides the base flavor for specialty malt flavors of caramel, toast, coffee, chocolate, and wanlut. Again, grassy hop flavor starts in mild fashion at mid palate and morphs nicely into a mild earthy bitterness in finish. Only a grainy flavor outlasts the malt and leads to a somewhat unsettled flavor in finish.

Medium bodied throughout, the beer carries a malty/creamy early palate that holds its structure well into finish where lightly warming alcohol, mild grain astringency, and hop dryness rise but never really close the beer with much confidence.

Expected from American Brown Ales in a bolder hop presence of citrus, pine, and/or grass. But those lack, whereas the fairly neutral yeast character and moderate malt dryness come through nicely if not timid. Very drinkable and enjoyable- if now underwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 06:01:15 | More by BEERchitect

tvv375ia

Iowa

4.22/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

first review for 2012 poured from 12oz bottle into pint glass

A-nice dark ruby colored with about a finger of head that faded to a small cap with some lacing

S-faint chocolate with some carmel malt and a little hops

T-sweet carmel malt with a little bit of some nuttiness before the hops on the finish

M-light to medium body with good carbonation

O-easy to drink and well balanced

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 21:27:41 | More by tvv375ia

PossumMunsen31

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this beer on tap. Pretty tasty. I've never been a big fan of dark beers but this one is pretty tolerable. Pours a pretty decent head. Roasty coffee notes with a clean finish. It was good enough to purchase a sixer. Not as good as some dark beers but better than others.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 15:44:49 | More by PossumMunsen31

tsauce2

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

P: 12 fl oz bottle in to a globe glass

A: SRM is dark brown. Head is tan, 1 in, dissipates to line the rim of the glass. Medium/light carbonation. Light lacing.

S: I believe this is Vienna malt, 2-row? Very malt forward, sweet notes of honey. Mild hop notes are present.

T: Light malt, some honey notes, slightly watery. Light hops. Aftertaste is slightly sweet and slightly malty.

M: Light bodied. Malts give a decent texture. Sweetness coats the palate just a bit. Hops add just a bit of complexity. Crisp and dry finish.

O: Nice beer. Overall, not overly impressed with anything, but this is a good beer. Nice overall balance of flavors. Cool label. I probably would not buy this beer again though. Also, they say the beer is themed on the Mayan calander, yet an Aztec calender adorns the label.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 05:58:31 | More by tsauce2

Illtryit

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours pitch black with a one finger tan head. Head dissapates rather fast but it does leave a ring around the rim with light lace.

You can smell roasted barley or hops. Trending towards black licorice.

Taste followxs the nose. Roasty flavor with just a touch of sweetness. No burnt toast flavor on this one.

Nice, sharp carbonation gives this black ale a crisp and refreshing feel. medium bodies and flavorful. Not a favorite, but I would recommend and I will definitely drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 03:15:08 | More by Illtryit

Airedoggie

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Deep black color with a weak light-tan head and moderate lacing.

S:Sweet fruit notes with a touch of caramel

T: Burnt caramel maltiness with hint of coffee. Sweet and the bitter.

M: Lighter than expected, nice carbonation and yet feels like a stout

O: Very pleasant flavorful beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 01:27:29 | More by Airedoggie

soju6

Missouri

3.4/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a black color with a small head and some lacing.

S: Aroma of roasted malt with some nut and caramel mixed in.

T: Flavor of roasted malt, some chocolate sweetness and nut. Just a mild bitterness and a dry finish.

F: Medium body, crisp, smooth a somewhat refreshing. Decent balance.

O: Nice beer, easy drinker. Nothing dynamic but not a bad offering from the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 20:46:39 | More by soju6

ferrari29

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer poured from can into a Nonic shaped pint glass

A - Beer pours with a nice chocolate shake colored head; about one to one-half finger in size; frothy and rocky in appearance; held pretty well; body is jet black, but has plenty of visible carbonation stick on the side of the glass; kind of pours with a motor oil consistency; good lacing around the glass

S - Nutty malt nose with a twist of lightly roasted malt; brown sugar oatmeal; dark fruit; licorice; toffee

T - Roasted malt flavor; moderately strong licorice taste; some coffee and some chocolate but faint compared to the burnt roasted malt taste; nutty

M - Kind of chewy with a medium body; slightly effervescent; clean and crisp; roasted malt aftertaste

D - Clean and refreshing black ale taste; I really liked this; had great roasted malt characteristics and the flavor stayed consistent, sip after sip

Serving type: can

11-27-2011 01:56:12 | More by ferrari29

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Black indeed, small 1" thin, active head

Dark wheat and oats, vanilla, dark chocolate, malty sweetness with herbs and dry earthiness, subtle rootbeer effect.

A lush dark-roastie malt with wheat, oats, dry herbal hops that is all in great balance.

A dry, crisp feel that really pops, nice complex feel, dry and snappy, light to medium bodied.

Low ABV, high complexity indeed.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 19:49:09 | More by GratefulBeerGuy

whendeathsleeps

Indiana

3.2/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A- Pours a deep black, hence the name "Black Ale", Khaki colored one finger head.
S- Big on the malts, citrus aromas.
T- Dark Fruits, roasted, as mentioned by many reviewers very cola like.
M- A little watery, medium carbonation.

Just an okay beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 03:46:14 | More by whendeathsleeps

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From the 12. fl. oz. bottle sampled on October 29, 2011. The pour is a rich black with a thin head but at the same time it is not completely blocked from light like a stout might be. The sweet maltiness kicks in on the nose right off with a slight cherry cough drop mixture. The overall body is medium but there is also a kind of sticky, heavier quality to it. The taste is full of sweetness and molasses. It is a likeable beer that works well in its own way.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 20:56:20 | More by puboflyons

secondtooth

Indiana

3.63/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pitch black, indeed. This one comes at you with a thick head of fine, tan carbonation. Lace is spotty, and unremarkable.

Nose is sweet and chocolate. A little nutty, as well. Appealing!

Tastes mild, with some lightly roasted malts coming through. I get a little burnt cocoa, too. This one seems simple and uncomplex. Still, definitely session-worthy, despite being a mite thin.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 04:02:26 | More by secondtooth

Brenden

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Black pretty much sums it up; this stuff lets very, very little light in just creeping at the edges. A beige head is pretty small and fades pretty quickly, leaving a little lacing in spots.
The smell is nice, malty with a bit of a hops presence to it but lots of caramel, some coffee, a bit of earth, a slight hint of nuttiness, and a touch of smoke.
All the preceding follows through in the flavor, with an additional herbal, leafy quality like from the hops (are Saaz used in here?) and coffee comes through more strongly into the finish.
The crispness pulls out but it's strained to do so. Smoothness is more accommodating. The body is about medium but falls slightly short of where it ought to be.
I was expecting a Cascadian Ale, Black IPA, whatever you want to call it, but this is a pretty good brown ale, anyway.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 01:42:44 | More by Brenden

chinchill

South Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle served in a pint glass

Pours near black with a short tan head that quickly reduces to a very thin top coat but leaves excellent lacing on the glass. Opaque but mahogany highlights and edges.

Aroma: a bit of over-ripe fruit coming from the bottle. This transforms into a more attractive fruitiness in the glass where the beer gives hints of both light and dark fruits, as well as toffee. Sweet with only light traces of hops and malt.

Taste: a nice, but not strong, spicy and fruity flavor; more hops and less malt flavor than expected for a "black ale", and the ABA category does seem more appropriate. Hints of caramel, vanilla, roasted nuts, licorice and, in the delicious finish, coffee. Excellent sweet/bitter balance.

M: medium-light body; semi-dry finish. Lighter than it looks, and a bit lighter than optimal, but works well with very good carbonation level.

O - more subtle than bold, this is a well-crafted beer worthy of attentive consumption.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 22:03:42 | More by chinchill

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.88/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 Black Ale pours a black, stout like color, with a very small white head. The smell was malty, and nutty. The taste was full, malty, with a bit of a nutty flavor. Very typical to a brown ale. Good full taste, no watery flavor that some brown ales might have, good carbonation. Overall this beer delevers on the most important factor taste, different for a brown ale in other catagories, but a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 03:01:52 | More by vette2006c5r

deebo

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Black as night with oily tan weak head.
S-Burnt sweet malt is dominant some molasses notes.
T-Toasted, rich caramel with molasses malt with a hint of smokiness.
M-Creamy mouthfeel, rather heavy yet very smooth-a great combination.
D-Very nice for what reminds me of a stout.
O-Really nice flavor that is smooth and easy to drink. Can't ask for anything more.

Point's beers seem to have improved a lot over the last decade. I will be getting more of this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 20:19:53 | More by deebo

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tan head bubbles up nicely on the pour over nearly black ale, as advertised. A very light mouthfeel is the weak point of the beer. Watery base has a light roast malt, but not overly complex or interesting. More coffee than roast in the nose, which is fine,and none of the Cluster, Saaz and Cascade hops listed in the brewery's website description. Overall, a serviceable beer for the night and a standard beer for Stevens Point.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 02:37:11 | More by FightingEntropy

Badbobx

Indiana

4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. This is a black brew with a thin head showing minor traces of lacing. The smell is of a rich dark roasted malt. I am tasting sweet coffee and a bit of pleasant nut flavor. The mouthfeel is full and pleasing with no dryness. This is an enjoyable session beer that I would happily drink again.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 03:03:00 | More by Badbobx

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pour - dark as pitch with only some hints at ruby red when the light hits it just right. A rather thin coffee-colored ring sits atop this pour. Dark and mysterious.

Aroma - coffee with lots of sugar, caramel, molasses, cocoa powder and chocolate cake batter.

Taste - roasty and toasty with a sweet and tangy finish that reminds me of bread dough a bit. Fairly light bodied despite it's appearance. This actually quite a refreshing beer with a nice malt profile, little to no hop presence and rather light carbonation.

Overall - this beer is more like a stout in some ways than a brown ale. It's got a lot more roasty flavors and an almost dry, espresso-like finish without the sweetness a brown ale usually brings. If there was an actual "Black Ale" style category this would fit nicely into it!

Would I buy more of it? - possibly. Although I'm not within their distribution range. This is a nice beer, nothing too fancy but solid. If you like dark beers with a lot of flavor but not too heavy this is a good one.

Serving type: can

08-08-2011 01:04:39 | More by indiapaleale

beer2day

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Definitely pours black with a nice, pillowy, 2-finger tan head. Moderate lace on the front half of the glass and faint retention.

Very light chocolate malt and even lighter citrus define the nose. Not much here, but what there is has a nice feel to it.

Taste is light chocolate, a tad bit of anise, very light citrus, and a mild malt finish. While not bad, not very inspiring either.

Very light feel. Perhaps too light for the style.

All that said, it's still a nice refreshing dark alternative on a hot summer night.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 01:53:38 | More by beer2day

witster18

Tennessee

2.88/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

points for originality here, but will probably be my last...

malty backbone and a strong graininess to this... a bit of citrus fruit tied in with a bit of dark fruits.. the blend is awkward... I finished the bottle but this isn't something that I would session. I'm not sure this beer knows what it wants to be... it says ale, but nothing about the abv, mouthfeel, or taste says ale... this is a cross between a cheap black lager and a hellas beer... with a really strong malt grain backbone.

a bit to sharp and light in overall taste - while at the same time not having enough taste... I mean the taste is busy... almost too much going on.. but the flavors are not strong... this reminds me of jomo lager... something out of the box that might appeal to a small group of devoted fans(yuengling too), but it just isn't a world class beer by any stretch of the imagination.

thank you sir, but you can keep the other.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 18:20:45 | More by witster18

jmvecchio1

Missouri

3.08/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer is dark brown with a light lacing that clings to the glass until the last sip.

At first it was hard to smell much off of this beer, but after letting the beer warm, a sweet raisin-y smell comes through.

The taste is very roasted and malty. Raisins and a very slight hint of chocolate comes off the taste and a semi-tart taste lingers - maybe from the raisins.

The beer is light in body - lighter than it looks like it would be.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2011 19:26:47 | More by jmvecchio1