Brooklyn Black Ops

Brewed by Brooklyn Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Brooklyn, New York USA

Bottle Batch 1. Thanks to MCLK for sharing! Poured black with a thin brown head. Very interesting nose, lots of chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, roasted malt, smells more like a chocolate liquor than beer. Flavor is huge, bitter chocolate, hard roasted malts, bourbon. Very smooth roasted finish.

750mL brown glass cork-finished. No date. Appearance: Poured into pint until half-full, greyish-tan head cascades out almost filling the glass the rest of the way. Head settles but is very fluffy. Beer is opaque black. Nose: Lots of sweet black vanilla bean, dark brown sugar, nutmeg, roasted coffee beans, some alcohol is noticeable, but not overpowering. Smells like a bakery/coffee shop. Palate: Medium- to full-bodied and surprisingly low carbonation (might have all escaped during pour). Some acidity is noticeable and a little hot from the whiskey. Dark black coffee, vanilla extract, some hop bitterness, cocoa powder, dark chocolate (80%) and some almost burnt sugar. Finish is long and focused like a great sip of perfectly brewed coffee. Notes: Seriously good...but of course, that is only if this beer exists, which it does not. But if it did exist, I’d say that it’s one of the best beers that I’ve had from Brooklyn. I would like a little more body, though, to support all the flavor. Other than that, great.

CBF09. Bottle. Creamy lightbrown excellent fully lasting head. Black colour. Heavy malty and moderate hoppy aroma. Fantastic flavor. Vanilla and chocolate notes together with strong bitterness. Long exceptinal great finish. Creamy palate.

Corked bottle and served in my Stone IRS snifter: Pitch black and topped by a frothy deep tan head which left good lacework upon the glassware. The powerful aroma has notes of prune, black currants, molasses, anise, burnt peat, oaky bourbon, leather, hint of chocolate, toasted barley, and freezed dry coffee. The taste starts with a dark fruit and coffee supported by a heavy note of unabashed whiskey and oak (what I am not getting however is much "vanilla" like sweetness from this which is surprising considering they used Woodford Reserve barrels). The finish displays coffee and light spicy notes with a minerally and almond twang. The mouth feel I must say is a tad thinner than I would expect, seems washed out by the barrel aging. Still aggressive and brash overall. This also gets chalky after a while, another bummer. One thing for sure, no one will ever say that this BA Impy is too sweet, in fact it is too earthy and woody dry IMO. Too much barrel and not enough sweetness, perhaps the Champagne yeast ate too many of the sugars? Worth a try but temper your expectations.

75 cL bottle, courtesy of Garret Oliver. Pours black with no head,chocolate brown head. Aroma is smooth fruity and with distinct bourbon barrel notes. Smooth bourbon flavoured. Distinct roasted malt with dark chocolate. Smooth malty flavoured into the finish mixed with a light bourbon accent.

Bottle at the rake, tasting thanks to harry. Alround rating: Very bitter dark chocolate, like we’re talking 85% or above here, alc is present and peppery, its quite drinkable all the same.

Garrett Oliver beer dinner in Hillerød. Black with a lasting tan head. Roasted aroma, mostly chocolate with coconut/bourbon oak notes. Rich and intense dark flavour of dak chocolates and coffee. Bourbon notes and a good bitterness. Very elegant beer

Bottle. High and lasting creamy light brown head. Pitch black body. Roasted malt aroma of coffee choccolate and a hint of the bourbon. Powerful coffee choccolate flavor with bourbon but strangely I could not taste the wood. Fair amount of hops bitterness. Alcohol well hidden. Low carbonation, long aftertaste.