Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout

Brewed by Bear Republic Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Healdsburg, California USA

’I’ll finish the dinner’, I tell the wife, ’you pour the beer.’ I’ve been anticipating this stout for a good couple of weeks now. Good God! It looks like flat cola! ’I poured it as slowly as I could so it didn’t get a head’, says the missus. After beer 101, I drink some (more of this later), agitate the bottle and create a creamy mocha head to top this onyx beast. What a difference a head makes! the appearance is exceptional, and will remain so throughout, leaving prodigious lacing. The aroma is nutty, chocolatey and rich, and after sipping I have to say that it is excellently matched to the drinking experience. My first impression on sipping is caramel - there’s a lot present and it lends a nice sweetness to the drink, which along with its heavy texture, reminded me of sipping on chocolate milk. Hidden behind this are flavours of roasted malt, café mocha and vanilla. The alcohol is extremely well-concealed, and only became apparently when I started nibbling on some Ghiaradelli dark chocolate while drinking. It turns out that the sweetness performs a function. The finish is smooth and creamy, but also shows the impressions of a nice hoppy bitterness. This experience really felt like dessert in a glass. I would gladly repeat it.

Poured from a 22oz bomber and served in a snifter. This beer poured a deep, dark brown with a few mahogany highlights sneaking through around the edges of the glass. A very thin, tan head quickly settled into a small, lasting cap of foam, leaving behind a small amount of faint lace. The aroma of the beer was made up of nutty dark malts, mild bittersweet chocolate, and sweet molasses. The flavor consisted of charred malts, chocolate, and a lasting, dry coffee bitterness. The mouthfeel was full-bodied with a high amount of fairly aggressive carbonation. Definately not a bad beer, but with so many other high quality imperial stouts readily available, this one doesn’t stand out.

Dark black with a creamy tan head that quickly fades. Sweet fruity licorice aroma quite similar to red licorice rope. Flavor is sweet, light, smoky, with a bit of roast and chocolate. Quite smooth, easy drinking.

Bottle - Deep brown colour with a slight baileys colour head. Caramel - honeycomb aroma with milk chocolate in there too. Nice big coffee and chocolate flavour too with some cinnamon and toffee also, alchohol is disguised quite well and it has a creamy yet bitter finish. I could imagine sitting by the fire supping this. Excellent

[Bottle, thanks Guerde] Pours nearly black with a tan head. Aroma is roasted malt, brown sugar, some chocolate, light hops--very sweet overall. Taste is about the same. Thin, decent finish. This is a really unusual imperial with the hops pretty subdued and the taste really sweet.

(bottle) Pours dark brown with a light tan head. Very sweet aroma of chocolate, light coffee, roasted malt, and cocoa. Taste of dark chocolate with a bitter coffee finish. The taste wasn’t as pronounced as the aroma. The mouthfeel was somewhat thin, but the finish was fairly long lasting. Not too bad.

on tap. black pour with a small khaki head. thick malts and chocolate on the nose. mmmm chocolate and coffee taste.

Cellared since early 2003. Enjoyed on 19 feb 05. See through black color with a fleeting , brown one finger head. Strong chocolate malt and roasted nut smell. Medium-full bodied and lightly carbonated. Tasty chocolate syrup and blackened malt flavor with a hint of vanilla. Finishes slightly dry with a nice alcohol bite.