Flat Earth Black Helicopter

Brewed by Flat Earth Brewing Company
Style: Stout
St. Paul, Minnesota USA

Date: 08/09/2008
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, Great Taste

Appearance: black, big creamy beige head, layers of lace,
Aroma: rich coffee aroma,
Flavor: rich coffe flavor, lots of roasted malt, bitterness from the coffee and roast,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

(draft) Brown-black body topped by brown head. Aroma is medium sweet, coffee, light roast. Taste is medium sweet, watery coffee, decent roasty bitterness, light cherry. Light-medium body, low carbonation.

From the Jug at the GABF Colorado Convention Center, Denver 09/10/2008 Strong coffee aroma. Beige head. Black smooth on the palate and slightly fruity with some dryness in a crisp full coffee roast finish.

(750ml bottle, # 449/500, courtesy of rollinhard) Pours a black body (brown edges) with a small tan head. Aroma of strong coffee, roasted malt, and some charred wood. Flavor of coffee, roasted malt, dark chocolate, caramel, and a touch of vanilla.

Bottle 280/500 courtesy of MatSciGuy. Pours dark brown with a tan head. Smells of coffee, chocolate, roasted malt. Tastes of coffee, chocolate, caramel, some fruity hints on the finish. Full bodied.

On draught at the new Acadia Cafe location in uptown Minneapolis. Pours an opaque dark brown that is nearly black as the ace of spades with a thin and fast dissolving tan head that leaves behind a thin tan ring and no lacing. Aroma of mostly toasted coffee, light vanilla, toasted dark malt, a touch of lactose and oatmeal. Taste is medium to full bodied, very light carbonation with flavors of roasted coffee bean, some vanilla and a semi-sweet and toasted dark malt. Finish even has a touch of coffee remaining with a mild bitterness that really is memorable. Jeff’s beers are continuing to grow and becoming more in flavor and character. If you like real roasted coffee, this one is another hit!

750mL bottle. Poured deep brown with a creamy, uniform cap of beige head. The aroma picked up sweeter coffee, vanilla beans, and toasted dark chocolate backed by some black patent and fresh earthy character.. as it warmed up, a definite sour undertone came through. The flavor had a whole lot more of the metallic and lactic sourness the whole way through.. the same sweeter coffee was there, but it was masked by the sourness and milky sugars.. some cocoa powder and vanilla peeked through on the sour, dry, grainy finish. Medium-bodied and well-carbonated on the palate.. the acidity hurt the flow and muted some of the intriguing components.. this was either not well executed or it had a bit of infection.

Tap at Happy Gnome. Black color with a thin head. Solid aroma of coffee, chocolate and milk. Lots more of all of those in the flavor. The coffee turns slightly bitter towards the finish with some roasted malt quality, too. Something seemed just a little different (in a good way), but very hard to nail down. Maybe fruity? I’m sure it’s not meant to be overblown like Tyranena’s Brewers Gone Wild coffee beers; Flat Earth just doesn’t do that. It’s very well done.