 Muggus69 (566), Sydney, Australia
| 4.3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 5/5 | 9/10 | 5/5 | 16/20 |
Nov 9, 2009
Rate number 500!
I’ll briefly take a break from my Eurotrip beer ratings to get the big five-double ohh out of the way in style with something big and dark.
375ml green bottle with a plastic cork, as is expected with Mikkeller. Serving straight from the cellar. BB 01/07/12, but I can’t wait. Cork proves quite difficult to get out, and a small pop upon opening might explain why.
Regardless, i’m presented with a sinfully dark beer in my goblet. A centimetre of coffee-milk brown head sits atop a pitch-black body...no light gets through this one! Legs cling to the glass, almost like a port.
There’s alot going on on the nose, several layers of complexity; sharp citrusy American-style hops bring lots of bitter orange and grapefruit rind, roasted malts percieved as very rich dark chocolate, tar, espresso. The alcohol is not shy and adds another layer of complexity with pepper and vodka undertones. And there’s still backnotes of dried fruit, sherry and rich earthy spice that want to break free, but they might require time to evolve.
The body is joyous, luciously rich, thick like a milk-shake yet sticky like a late-harvest dessert wine. And then it all dries out with a counterbalancing roasted malt and alcohol drying astrigency. Low carbonation is quite welcome; I have a feeling any higher might destroy my taste buds!
About the flavour, it is VERY sweet. Parrallels between a sticky dessert wine come to mind, especially with notes of honey, citrus rind and raisin hitting the front of palate hard. Of course, that’s just the tip of the iceburg; 85% cocoa chocolate, rum, espresso, mollases, charred wood, prune, nutmeg, dark cherry. Anything that is dark and sweet, it’s in there. Alcohol gives a nice warmth to the belly. Very highly bitter coffee-like finish, feels like i’ve had some sort of liqueur coffee.
Dessert white wine meets espresso? That might just be my comparison for the time being; two of my favourite beverages together! Probably not as smooth as other RIS, but geez, this really is tasty stuff isn’t it!
BoBoChamp (1410), Gent, Belgium
| 4.3 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 9/10 | 4/5 | 18/20 |
Dec 25, 2009 38cl, Danish brewery, from Slijterij van Bergen Eindhoven, very complex sweet Stout, very balanced, cloudy, nearly no head, a topper!, yet expensive
gyllenbock (314), Stockholm, Sweden
| 4.6 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 9/10 | 5/5 | 9/10 | 4/5 | 19/20 |
Dec 25, 2009 Bottle.
The beer looked wonderful in the glass, black as sin with a very small but creamy foam. The aroma was very inviting. Roasted tones, a lot of coffee, chocolate, sweet malt. Oh, what a wonderful aroma!
The taste was also exceptionally pleasant. Coffee but not as much as in the aroma, chocolate. A lot of raisin and dark berries, vanilla and roasted malt. The body was not screaming heavy but medium plus. Not very carbonated. Very nice beer to drink, there was a lot of other flavor nuances that are difficult to really describe. Blackhole felt surprisingly soft in the mouth. Yes, a real treat that reminded of port wine.
RichardGretton (3156), Leicestershire, England
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 3/5 | 9/10 | 3/5 | 15/20 |
Dec 18, 2009 Bottle. Still looking thick black beer with little to no head. The aroma is sugary sweet malty, and the flavour is very rich but also very, very bitter with a port wine like body. Overall a complex beer maybe a little too strong at times.
blklab2007 (976), Connecticut, USA
| 3.8 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 3/5 | 8/10 | 3/5 | 16/20 |
Dec 17, 2009 bottle poured a deep brown bordering on black with a little ring of brown head. aroma has tons of rich malt, dark bitter chocolate, coffee, light cocoa sweetness, a touch of hops, and very light alcohol considering what a big beast this is. mouth feel is super chewy with little carbonation making it a bit thick. flavor has a hefty dose of malt, coffee, bitter chocolate, light roast, molasses sweetness, and some hops lying underneath. plenty sweet but has a nice contrasting bitterness.
awiseman01 (375), Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| 4.5 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 10/10 | 4/5 | 9/10 | 4/5 | 18/20 |
Dec 9, 2009 Going full circle with this rating. Bottle from downtown crown. Pours unfiltered deep brown with oaky edge and light layer of tan head that bubbled on the pour and then faded to a thin covering. Nose is brilliantly rich molasses, elegant dark malts, luscious chocolate, one of the nicer noses I’ve gotten off a beer. Flavor, oh man! Sweet, smooth, silky chocolate cream-spice, wonderful molasses and mouth watering raisin/plum hints. I passed this one too many times; it’s time has come and thus I’ve gone full circle (rating #360).
mastabass666 (69), California, USA
| 3.9 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 7/10 | 4/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 17/20 |
Dec 7, 2009 black hole sums up the color of this brew. no head. coffee, roasted malt, dark berry aroma. flavor is predominately coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruit, some alcohol in the back.
BierBauch (650), Cape Coral Waterfront Wonderland, Florida, USA
| 4.2 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 4/5 | 8/10 | 4/5 | 18/20 |
Dec 3, 2009 11.7oz Bottle fom Total Wine. Pours black and extra dark like 85% cocoa. No head but none expected either. Just a light swirling layer floating on top. Smoky, roasty aroma with espresso and bitter chocolate. A faint hint of vanilla appears as it warms. Medium to full body that is a bit syrupy. Flavor is a fantastic blend of smokey roasted malt delights, dark chocolates and vanilla bean. This is an outstanding Imperial Stout. Delicate and classy decadence in a bottle. Completely impressed!!!
MrManning (1655), London, Ontario, Canada
| 3.7 | Aroma | Appearance | Flavor | Palate | Overall | | 8/10 | 3/5 | 7/10 | 4/5 | 15/20 |
Dec 2, 2009 Bottle 1 of 2- This one thanks to Hogtownharry. Cellared for about a year. Very dark pour, black, letting no light in. Pours a thin mocha foam that leaves a constant ring around the glass. Nose is all out coffee and dark chocolate, mildly fruity, with an earthy undertone. But really, it just smells like fresh black coffee. The taste was not as coffee oriented as I suspected. Mild roasty coffee with pit fruits, some licorice, sweet burnt sugar, woodsy and earthy. Quite bitter with a good dose of hops. Finishes dry, astringent, good. Thanks Harry!
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