Barley Island Black Majic Java Stout

Brewed by Barley Island Brewing
Style: Stout
Noblesville, Indiana USA

Pours a dark mahogany brown that shows slightly translucent on the edges. A small, foamy, khaki colored head dissipates quickly, leaving a minimal ring around the edge. Virtually no lacing noted. The nose is strongly roasted, comprised primarily of bitter, dark baker’s chocolate and intense coffee notes. Likewise, the flavor is very straightforward. Bitter chocolate and coffee are all the really come through. Medium bodied and smooth, this one makes for easy drinking, but lacks fullness. Finishes with a lingering, intense roastiness coating the tongue. Overall, a pretty nice, sessionable coffee stout.

Bottle thanks to Acknud!!! Black beer nice dark brown head. Smells of coffee. Beer has a nice mouthfeel with some good stout tones, but finish tastes like the old coffee grounds that you throw away once you are done brewing coffee. Just too bitter and strong old coffee flavor. Even so it is pretty decent.

Tasted 4/17/08. 12oz bottle. Dark pitch hue. Finger width of beige head. Base oatmeal chocolate and anise in the nose. Mild aromas of brownies and toffee and, yes, coffee. Medium bodied with big malts. Coffee and toffee flavors. Smooth tootsie roll malts followed by acidic coffee bitterness. All malt driven. Faint hop presence. Finishes mildly sticky with a nice tingling effervescence coating the tongue. Pleasant rolling palate. Hits the tart and bitter nicely. Touch of a dark fruit ester. Solid brew!

12 oz bottle pours opaque, dark and inky. Small tan head sticks around and laces well. Aroma is dark roasty malt notes. Dark chocolate and burnt coffee. Body is medium with subdued carbonation. Taste mirrors the aroma, as dark roasty notes dominate. Decent but not stellar.

Bottle thanks to kramer17801: Pours an opaque black with a effervescent airy dark tan head. Aroma of roasted malts and fresh coffee with a touch of earthy dark chocolate. Starts lightly sweet with some dark caramel notes and bittersweet chocolate balance before a thinner roasty finish. Pretty smooth and drinkable, but I wish the finish had a little more fullness to it.

12 oz thanks to tytoanderso. Pours brown black with a tan head. Nose is roasted malts and coffee grounds with a little chocolate. A slight creaminess to the flavors that are roasted malts, coffee grounds, nuts and chocolate. Drinkable and decent. But nothing special.

Soothing aroma with a nice kick of coffee taste. Infusing coffee with a good model brew is a classical way of describing such a great drink. Seriously, I think I’m drinking iced coffee here, quite nice.

Bottle thanks to StFun, thanks man. Poured an inky black color with a thin tan head that slowly disappeared. Aroma is dominated by coffee, some roasted malt, and some light chocolate. Nice sweet chocolate entry that leads into a roasty, coffee middle with light, sweet hints of fruit and a lingering coffee finish. Full and smooth on the palate, but not real thick. Really solid low alcohol stout, if it were available around here I wouldn’t mind keeping a few in the fridge. Thanks again StFun.