Heavy Seas - Siren Noire Imperial Chocolate Stout - Heavy Seas Beer

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz. bottle served at 48 degrees in my Old Stock snifter. Poured the color of cola with a half-inch, loose, tan-colored head that quickly dissipates into a frothy band and a swirl of foam. Nose reveals cocoa, lactose and some licorice. Closer to a Milk Stout than an American Double in my opinion. Taste consistent with nose, but a charred quality comes out in the middle and the lactose sweetness lingers between quaffs. Mouthfeel is medium-light in consistency and mildly carbonated, with a slightly oily quality. Easy drinking and flavorful with a well-hidden abv. Not the biggest or the best, but very solid and easy drinking for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 01:08:57 | More by Jwale73

morebeergood

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at American Craft in Brookline. Served in an 11 oz glass. Dark brown color. Slight lacing. Great toasted malt smell. Taste was exceptional. Definitely had a roasted coffee flavor, but also a very pronounced dark chocolate aftertaste. Delicious. Mouthfeel was great, thick for a stout but smoother than normal. Only negative note is that it is very sweet for an imperial stout. Would not desire to drink a lot of this beer at one time, but would be an excellent after dinner beer or paired with a chocolate dessert. One of the better chocolate stouts I have tried.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2010 16:39:41 | More by morebeergood

metter98

New York

4.38/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: It poured dark brown with hardly any head
S: There are faint aromas of roasted, burnt malt
T: There are mild chocolate flavors with only a slight amount of bitterness
M: It's medium-bodied with some creaminess
D: It would be very easy to drink more than one of these in a single sitting

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2010 17:32:17 | More by metter98

Casey10

Maine

3.78/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this at bootleggers in Thopsham, ME this one is okay while not bad it's nothing that really impresses either. Perhaps I have been spoiled by southern tier chokolat.

THe appereance is dark wispy head.

S - light chocolate fragrence.

T - okay a little dark chocolate in the back notes.

M somewhat creamy okay.

D - its good there are som many stouts these days that not sure if this would be my first or second choice but I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2010 01:38:23 | More by Casey10

claytri

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer poured black with a nice tan lace. The aroma was of sweet malt with a hint of prunes. The taste was of malt and dark fruits, but it was all muted, and had a slight alcohol burn in the finish. The feel was heavy and wet. I grabbed this one at the Judge
s Bench with no idea what it was suppossed to be other than dark. It was an interesting beer, very soft flavors and a bit unusual. I was shocked to find it was suppossed to be a chocolate stout as I detected no hint of chocolate about it. An OK beer, but not one I'll be seeking out in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2010 16:26:12 | More by claytri

far333

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep mahogany with ruby highlights and a low head of wispy beige foam. Low aroma of espresso and vanilla, some floral notes.

Flavors of cocoa and caramel, hints of smoke, root beer and leather. Some roasty malt tones. Wooden oakey notes linger. Subtle hoppy flavors ride beneath. Slight metallic note.

Slightly thin mouthfeel, but somewhat creamy. Average for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2010 15:17:44 | More by far333

lightindarkness

Indiana

3.8/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bomber of the 'mutiny fleet' series. Amusing label art and beer description on label, though what should I expect from a beer that touts itself as alluring as the Sirens? - attractive yet evilly deceptive?

Pours a dark and slightly murky brown with a thin wispy khaki head that doesn't hang on too long. Dark though, and attractive.

Nose is somewhat unique and interesting. Not a lot of aroma or much complexity, but heavy on the chocolate with an almost toasted cocoa smell. Some grainy burnt dark stout aromas are in there too, but not a whole lot else to discern. Maybe a tinge of concentrated alcohol when I try it from a snifter, but otherwise not really notable.

Taste is strong on chocolate, but still plenty big on stout. Thankfully, not anywhere near being overly sweet, but rather a straight up blend of full stout and loads of chocolate without all the sugar. Dry toasty grains and an almost snowy flavor combine with rich cocoa and chocolate bar goodness. Not the most delicate chocolate flavor (less dark chocolate and more run-of-the-mill milk chocolate candy goodness), but pretty enticing and satisfying.

Feel is about what I think I'd want from this beer. Appropriately smooth and semi-full bodied with just a nice touch of carbonation. A little thick at the finish, but never overly full or dense, and also never seeming too thin.

Drinks fairly well, but to play on the bottle description of the Sirens, it's the attraction that gets you there, but not necessarily all the fulfillment of what you want to find. Certainly this beer isn't as deceiving as the Sirens, but once I get into it, I find myself content pretty early on and not needing a lot more of it to satisfy what I'd hoped for. It's not really as delicate or intriguing as it would need to be for me to want a lot more of it. Drinks nicely for the style, a strong representation of chocolate flavor in a beer, and nothing to scoff at. Worth the try if you're a fan of chocolate and stouts.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 17:06:36 | More by lightindarkness

hosehead83

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz. bomber into a standard pint glass
Dark brown/black in color, with a big tan head of foam that quickly dissapears.
Aroma-Chocolate milk and coffee notes
Taste-Roasted coffee, subtle chocolate, sweetish, with a bit of an acidic finish.
Overall, very drinkable, but a bit thin-bodied for an imperial stout.-Could have used a little more of everything.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 13:47:03 | More by hosehead83

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle with pirate-themed black label. Skull and crossbones with two mermaids and the skull has hearts for eyes and a "heavy seas" logo on its pirate hat. kinda cheesy.

Pours black and opaque like a stout should decent finger and a half head raises up but disappears quickly like that of a bottled root beer. no lacing to speak of. bit of a let down.

nose is malty, a little chocolate, very sweet smelling but would probably be more fragrant if the head stuck around more than 30 seconds.

Taste at first is a little black licorice and anisette, followed by the very sweet malt, very little bitterness from hops. aftertaste gives a hint of bittersweet chocolate that dries the tongue. not as much chocolate as described on the bottle, but enough to notice, even though its only on the back end.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin for the style. lacks some body. carbonation is ok despite the lack of head.

Drinkability is ok. Not as much going on here as I would have liked. It goes down easy enough, but leaves a lot to be desired at the same time.

Its an OK stout. If they didnt put the word chocolate on the bottle three different times maybe I wouldnt have expected it as much. at (only) 8% abv and with such a thin mouthfeel, it doesnt stack up to what I want out of an "Imperial Chocolate Stout" not very Imperial, not very chocolaty. but, it is an ok sweet stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 01:29:41 | More by silentjay

MrStark

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into s snifter glass.

Appearance is dark brown almost black with a small tan colored head that dissipated fairly quick. Very little if any lacing.

Smell is is somewhat light, but I could detect some roasted malts and coffee in the aroma. The chocolate did not seem to be particularly noticeable.

Taste seems to be of bitter, almost dark chocolate followed by semi sweet malts and hints of coffee. The chocolate flavor is there but is a little less than what I had hoped for. However the flavor has a nice balance of sweet and bitter making it still pretty good. The alcohol was also well hidden.

Mouthfeel is fairly medium bodied with a mild carbonation that seems to go away as it warms up a bit. The taste lingers on the tongue for a little while.

Drinkability is pretty good. It isn't the most complex and flavorful for the style but it is still pretty good. I feel its certainly easy drinking as its now overpowering. I wouldn't mind having one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 00:46:27 | More by MrStark

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle. Served in a nonic pint glass, the beer pours dark brown with about a half inch cola-like tan head that went away quickly. Not much lacing at all. Aroma is milk and bittersweet chocolate, roasted malt, and some coffee. Taste is pretty much the same as the aroma, but with the addition of a little bit of cherry. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and coating, but I think it's thin for a stout. Also has moderate carbonation. Drinkability is good, it's smooth and goes down easy. I think it's a good overall brew, I'd pick this up again in the future. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2010 22:19:27 | More by bluejacket74

ShadesOfGray

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Portsmouth tulip. Pours a medium black, relatively light as it pours. Deeper black once it fills the glass. A very late head forms about half a finger, darker tan...and it dissapates just as quickly. Light and fizzy/watery lacing.

Aroma is light, but good. Sweet-chocolate mostly, and malty. Very faint booze smell.

Wow, this is an interesting stout. It starts off, when cold...very carbonated, fizzy...light in the flavor, but a definite under lying potential. I knew this would get better. Let this warm up quite a bit. The chocolate really takes a bigger part, and the carbonation really goes down(from what it seems). Very good beer! A little light for a stout, but by characteristic...it fits.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2010 04:07:11 | More by ShadesOfGray

lackenhauser

Maryland

4/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pitch black in color-not a lot of carbonation but a slight tan ring all the way around the top of the beer. Mild dark chocolate aroma here. Very solid dark chocolate flavor without being overly done. Nice easy blend of roasted grain and chocolate. Has more of a stout characteristic then just being a "chocolate beer". Somewhat sweet then fades into a drying finish. Decent enough body to offset the flavor. Overall a good beer-not too much of a dessert beer that you couldnt enjoy it anytime.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2010 00:48:18 | More by lackenhauser

nukem5

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: HOLY SMOKE, Beautiful black pour with loveley head of creamy foam which sadly lasted only half the beer.

S: Rich chocholate and coffee assualt nose on first contact traces of molases and lite nuttiness.

T: First sip was an awakening of senses, flavors lite up all over the tongue, massive amounts of coffee and chocolate.

M: nice full body light carbonation and thick

D: very drinkable if you like stouts you should love this one, from start to finish exelent beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2010 02:51:32 | More by nukem5

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Served with a deep brown body and a small light brown head that disappeared very quickly...there wasn't much head to speak of after a few minutes but there was some lace that clung to the glass

S - A nice, roasted malt aroma...the chocolate wasn't dominating but it was rather a pleasant aroma

T - The chocolate part of this stout really sticks around on your palate...the flavor is bittersweet...it can't compete with the heavy roasted flavors of the malts though...the other malts are roasted and almost borderline burnt...but the flavors play well with each other

M - Medium bodied...smooth with a touch of creaminess

D - Nice chocolate and malt flavors...not a bad chocolate stout and a nice addition to the Mutiny Fleet...I love the new beers Clipper City keeps producing

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2010 22:16:33 | More by thain709

MacDaddyJ

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This American Imperial Chocolate Stout is the newest release in Heavy Seas "Mutiny Fleet". It pours a dark black with some dark brown highlights and a small tan head. The aroma gives off lots of semi-sweet chocolate and coffee, with a hint of cherries on the end. The flavor follows through pretty well on the promises of the aroma. This stout comes off pretty sweet as well, but has a nice spice in the background that along with a faint hop bitterness work to balance the sweetness from the malt and chocolate. This beer finishes nice and smooth with some residual chocolate and coffee lingering on your palate. Siren Noire is surprisingly easy to drink despite the 8.0% abv

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2010 20:29:49 | More by MacDaddyJ

Gmann

New York

3.88/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a black color with brown highlights, smallish tan head that settles into a light ring. The aroma is of semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa powder and a light roasted malt. Not very strong I needed to pull to get the aromas. The main flavor is chocolate but it is not over the top. The flavor is of milk chocolate with a little bit of bitter chocolate, kind of a bready characteristic which seems strange for a stout and finishes with a nice roasted malt flavor. Full bodied, good carbonation - perfect for a stout, smooth, finishes with a nice balance, perhaps lightly bitter. A good stout, drinks easy, ABV well hidden but very light on flavor for an imperial stout. More sweet than roasty. I appreciate the sweeter flavor but does seem a bit weak for the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2010 06:07:41 | More by Gmann

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours a blackish brown color with pretty good head retention and lacing. The nose is very nice, consisting of chocolate, coffee and cherry. It also doesn't smell particularly boozy, which is a relief. The flavor profile replicates the nose in this fairly sweet stout, though there's some underlying spice as well that is attractive. Also, I get a touch of hoppy bitterness in the finish, which helps to coutner the sweetness a bit. Mouthfeel is rich, full and pretty long. I'm thinking this beer will be fantastic on cask. Drinkability is also very good, with the 8% abv. well disguised.

Quite delicious. At least for me, this is by far and away the most enjoyable mutiny fleet beer I've had yet from Clipper City. Very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2010 20:33:40 | More by johnmichaelsen

jgasparine

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured from the cask into a pint glass with virtually no head at all; yet, there were some faint traces of proteinaceous lacing throughout the drink. The body was a completely opaque black color, and showed no visible signs of carbonation.

S- Smells of dark chocolate, roasted malts and very faint trace of hops. The cask was prepared with pieces toasted oak, but oaky aromas were not detected on the nose.

T- Tastes of semi-sweet chocolate and roasted malts, as expected. The chocolate flavor was mild to moderate, and this created a nice little nuance to remind you that it wasn't just an Imperial Stout. Finishes a little bitter with an echo of burnt dark fruit. Again, nothing on the palate to indicate the presence of oak.

M- A medium bodied stout with a fair amount of unattenuated sugar; a little slick on the tongue. A little less carbonation than I would like to see, even from a cask, but decent mouthfeel overall.

D- The drinkability of this beer is what really impressed me. I was unaware of the alcohol content until my third pint, and then I realized that I have been quaffing this thing too quickly. Goes down very smooth.

Serving type: cask

02-24-2010 17:06:59 | More by jgasparine

bonbright7

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I enjoyed drinking this stout without a chill to it as I was hoping the nuances would come through in a greater way. The dark drown to black ale had an aroma of roasted nuts that enticed me to dig right into the cream head. The resulting taste reminded me of a few other American made stouts in a balanced approach.

Yes, there was a chocolate element to the enjoyment of this stout that I liked and I wondered what a milk stout version of this would be like.

It has a good drinkability without the hotness one might expect from an 8% ABV. I credit the brew masters for that element as the other ales Clipper City creates do the same thing.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2010 14:44:57 | More by bonbright7

Pabs311

Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-pours very dark brown, with no light coming though. a rich creamed coffee colored head. leaves way to some lacing

S- alot less chocolate than what i was expecting. more roasted malt and some coffee nose with some bittersweet chocolate to it. was a little weak as well compared to what i was expecting.

T- Same profile as the nose on this beer. a little disapointing as well. i was hoping for alot more chocolate and a much stronger flovor.

M/D- i was also expecting a heavier mouthfeel on this beer for 8% ABV. it was medium bodied towards the lighter side for a stout of this magnitude. it was very easy drinking and smooth.

i might buy this one again but was unimpressed with the chocolate characteristic of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2010 05:19:32 | More by Pabs311

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A challenging Chocolate Stout that favors heavy roast to milk chocolate.

The beer begins with a very dark brown color, no light, and thinly laced tan foamstance. Very light carbonation yeilds to fuel the head and the alcohols quickly take it down.

Strong aromas of cocoa powder, Columbian coffees, and alcohol fill the nose, not leaving much room for secondary notes or more subtle aromas to identify themselves.

Again, very strong with the roasted grains provide a nearly burnt flavor that sets the stage for the rest of the session. A quick follow up of bitter cocoa and coffee grounds give a bit more complexity to the roast but probably amplify the roast rather than compliment it. Burnt currants and licorice start to round out the beer with esters but these flavors have a difficult making a meaningful impact.

Full up front but as the beer settles, the powdery and acrid ashyness of the roasted grains begin to take its toll on the mouthfeel. Add in an abundance of rum-like alcohols and the beer proves to be quite harsh in the end.

The beer is very flavorful but the high roast character without the proper supporting maltiness and complexity make the beer's balance tilt too much toward the harsh side of things.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2010 01:13:29 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The new "Mutiny Fleet" beer to the line.Poured into a imperial pint glass a deep but not opaque black,some ruby highlights came thru the light,almost no head to speak of even after a rigerous pour,thin and wispy with minimal lace.Nice mix of deep roast and chocolate in the nose,a tinge of dark fruit as well.Again highly roasted but with enough chocolate sweetness to keep it balanced and enjoyable.Outside of the pour this is really a really nice offering, its very balanced,as it warms the alcohol comes thru.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2010 23:16:33 | More by oberon