Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout

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

Bottle from saarlander. Thanks! Poured black with a sudsy, big bubbled tan head. Nose is coffee, molasses, cocoa, and roasted malt. Flavor is heavy on the coffee, but also very smooth cocoa, brown sugar, and hoppy flavors assert themselves. Hops are more subdued than the usual Bear Republic brew. Alcohol modest (at 8.1%) and well controlled. Overall, a very nice and enjoyable stout.

Black beer with a molasses aroma and a creamy brown head. Flavor is heavy with hops, yet the malt, and a slight bit of chocolate sweetness, remain. Finish is a nice balance of bitter and sweet, with a bit of coffee.

Nice tan head on top of deep blackness. Mellow roasted maltiness aromas. Flavors of subtle hops and coffee. Smooth and rich flavors with a long pleasant finish. very good.

Pours a thick black color with a thin tan head. Rich aroma of roasted malt, and some hops. Very good tasting beer, chocolate coffee. A bit thinner than some other imperial stouts i’ve had. A very enjoyable Imperial Stout, especially considering the price point (only 2.99 for the 22 oz bottle in the picture). Another great offering from the Bear Republic.

Rerate 1-6-08 bottle at tasting
Smells rich and malty. Black in color, with a decent head. Bitter bite with a smooth finish. No strong sticking aftertaste - surprising. It finishes so calmly - not what I expected. Texture is heavy. Taste gets better and less bitter and it goes through the mouth. I appreciate the progression of this beer - a bit light on the flavor though

Pours a dark black color with a nice brown creamy head. Smells hoppy, which surprised me, and of roasted malt and a litle sweet scent as well. A very good tasting Stout, which aren’t my favorite style of beer. Another really good beer from Bear Republic.

Bottle courtesy of alexanderj, shared with kleyland. Pours a thick, dark motor oil with a nice tan head. Aroma of dark chocolate with a roasted feel. Pretty smooth mouthfeel that finishes with a bit of a hop kick.

On tap at the Vintage Estates in Boardman, thanks Ron. Chocolate mousse head. Dark and attractive body, looks like used shovelhead motor oil. Sweet candy and slight roasty aroma, quite attractive. Initially I think to myself that this is not quite as bitter as most impy stouts. Comes across rather well behaved. This is friendly, almost like a sweet stout. After a few sips the typical offensive impy stout bitterness begins to evolve, but it still never gets as rough as a new impy stout such as Bells Exp. The offensiveness is present but it seems to be more controlled. Roasty bitterness build in the finish and lasts for many minutes after the session, yes I guess it is an imp stout, just took some session time for it to set in. I did not sense the hops in here that other reviewers did. Almost as enjoyable as Old Heathen and on par with Stoudt’s Fat Dog. IMHO certainly much more enjoyable and smoother than Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, Oskar Blues Ten FIDY, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Thirsty Dog Siberian Night Imperial Stout, North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout and Victory Storm King. However, keep the fact in mind that I am not an impy stout lover.