Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout

	Percentile
	98
	overall

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

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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Ratings	Average	Score	Seasonal	ABV	Style Pctl	Serve in
954	3.89/5.0	3.88/5.0	Winter	8.1%	78.2	Snifter

Commercial Description:
Big Bear, as the name implies, is a hefty, black, Russian Imperial-style stout. This strong stout boasts a rich, caramel sweetness lavished by a robust, deep-roasted heartiness you can sink your teeth into... Big Bear's bold flavors are produced using a blend of Belgian and English roasted barley and crystal malts. Some unique flavors come forth in the malt character...Louisiana sweet molasses and dark brown sugar. This dark brew is well hopped with Chinook and Cascade hops, which are somewhat, masked by the malt. This is a balanced strong brew boasting an ABV of 8.1% that can creep up on you, "so don't get mauled". It has a dry roasted quality that masks its high alchohol content, so drink responsibly.

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troopie (879), USA

4.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.5	7/10	5/5	9/10	5/5	19/20

Dec 31, 2007

Draught. Pooured bear black with tan head. Much lacing. Lekker toasty malt aroma. Full mouth flavour with chocolated coffee notes, toffee and malt. Lasting tonguey finish. very drinkable stout.

decaturstevo (1997), decatur, Tennessee, USA

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Dec 29, 2007

A dark almost black pour with a light tan head. Aroma of coffee and chocolate. Rich semi sweet chocolate flavor with a hint of coffee as well. Palate is smooth rich and full with good carbonation. A very very solid IS. Thanks c.shubert for this one from a long ago trade.

Angeloregon (2025), Portland, Oregon, USA

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	7/10	5/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Dec 28, 2007

On tap at Concordia Ale House--Poured a deep black robust opaque hue with a fluffy off-white head. Floral and grainy. Chewy and tasty. Genuine coffee and chocolate flavors. Awesome! Thanks to Joshua for sharing his treat with us. This beer is so smooth it made me want to cry.

Optigon (562), Bloomington, Indiana, USA

4.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.1	6/10	4/5	8/10	5/5	18/20

Dec 27, 2007

Pours black with a fine, moderate, white head. Aroma is mildly hoppy, with a little bit of a malt backing. Mouthfeel is somewhat light for a stout, but definitely not bad. Tingly mouth feel qualities. Flavors of chocolate, coffee, and hops come through with a clean finish. Very good. Not too far off, in some small ways, to Old Rasputin.

franksnbeans (265), Columbus, Maryland, USA

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Dec 24, 2007

Pours a dark opaque black with a chocolate milk head that takes its sweet time. Smells of hops for a stout, roasted nuts, coffee, chocolate. Dry in taste, coffee grounds, bakers chocolate, nuts and some hops. Finishes bitter with alcohol throughout. Feels medium in the mouth with minimal carbonation. Drinkability is medium. A delicious offering from Bear Republic.

MrYuk (21), Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, USA

3.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.4	8/10	4/5	6/10	2/5	14/20

Dec 20, 2007

Strong aroma, very very dark brown, medium body, slightly alcoholic, mildly roasty, mildly sweet. Couldn’t drink a ton of these. Good, not great.

gotohelunc (473), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	8/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	16/20

Dec 20, 2007

Bomber. Thick, black beer with a nice, long lasting tan head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass. Roasty aroma with hints of molasses. The flavor has a lot of molasses as well, but not so much as to make it thick or hard to drink. Quite crisp and clean for an 8.1% alcohol stout and a really good winter beer. The flavors are more muted than most imperial stouts, but I’d call it more of a really nice winter stout anyway. Good stuff.

Illini08 (528), Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

3.6	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.6	7/10	4/5	7/10	3/5	15/20

Dec 18, 2007

Had this a few times and just never rated it. Black pour with a very small mocha colored head. Very sweet aroma. I actually always thought this was an oatmeal stout. Some molasses comes through in the nose as well. Nice flavors of roasted malt and some hop bitterness. Kinda sweet as well. As everyone else has mentioned, the palate is a bit thin, esp. for an Imperial Stout.

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