Nectar Ales Black Xantus

Brewed by Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Paso Robles, California USA

Bottle… This beer rocks!… Pours nearly black (crimson when held up to light) with a small, creamy, off-white head. The bouquet is too subtle for me to pull much of it from my skinny, plastic tasting glass, but with much effort I am able to pick it apart a bit – burnt grain, tobacco, charcoal, espresso and bourbon. Full-bodied and very creamy with tingly carbonation. The nicely balanced flavor provides blackstrap molasses and vanilla along with a generous share of hop, alcohol and black patent malt bitterness. The lengthy finish is acrid, carbonous and bittersweet. Thanks to kiefdog for popping the top on this bottle of top-notch beer!

Bomber. Poured deep brown with a nice cap of beige head. The aroma picked up earthy and floral hops plus bright, prickly alcohol over rather non-descript black malts.. seemed to lack direction and balance. The flavor had a lightly tart opening with overly sweet black malts falling in behind.. earth and floral bitterness plus dry peppery alcohol surrounded.. hot and sugary-sweet with lots of residual sugars on the finish.. not so great. Medium-plus bodied, sharp, and bitter on the palate.. very warm at the end.. I’ll give this another shot if the price is right (someone else brings a bottle over ;).

Bottle thanks to ericandersnavy. The look is brown to black in color and does not have too much head. The smell is malts, dark fruits, sweet, coffee, and chocolate, and good. The taste is malts, chocolate, coffee, and sweet. Nice.

Tap at Blind Tiger: Opaque pour with a light tan ring of head. Big aroma- hoppy presence with resinous earthy qualities (definitely those high AA N/W hops) mesh with some licorice, tobacco, and some dark toffee sweetness. Fluffy feel on the palate. Huge body with a boozy note, but dry with some woody notes (white oak) along with licorice, black malt, raisin, sweet tobacco and some mild bourbon burn. Fairly rounded for it’s size. Well done.

Bomber, relatively fresh. Pours a dark cola-mahogany hue, appearing nearly black upon a quick glance. A tall head of light brown foam slowly fades away, leaving just a thin rim at the edge, skinny trails of lacing following behind. The nose is very much based in dark chocolate and softly roasted coffee, with a surprisingly staunch grass hop billing providing aromatic bitterness. Hints of dried cherry and other dark fruits emerge, perhaps a nod from the wine barrel, while subtle vanilla also stems from the charred oak. There’s even a touch of sweet pipe tobacco thrown in for good measure, completing a complex and pleasing aroma. Flavors too show the grassy hoppiness, working with the coffee roast to add balance to the semi-sweet dark chocolate malt. Bourbon is subtle, but distinguishable, and a touch of dark red fruit lends complexity. The palate is a little thinner than expected, yet still substantial, transitioning from creamy to semi-dry and slightly ashy on the lingering finish. Though it shows very little alcohol presence for such a big beer, I’d prefer a little oiliness here in place of the drying, vinous finish. Overall, it’s a very, very good brew. I love the application of the wine barrel for everything except the mouthfeel. This tasty stuff is a few tweaks away from greatness.

Lovely pour resulting in a rich blanket of light brown head. Aromas from the wood are adding a wonderful balance of vanilla and sweet toffee candy. It reminds me of deep caramel. A delight to meditate on. Light to virtually no roast, only a slight astringency from the dark grains. The medium body allows the beer to quite digestible, lacking the undesired cloying that can reside in a less attenuated Imperial Stout. Bitterness is not overwhelming but brings enough balance to compliment the alcohol and add a very fine spice in the aftertaste. I am very impressed.

Tap at Blind Tiger VSK. Deep black pour. The nose is really intense. Lots of rich, sweet intense roastiness behind a massive wall of sweet bourbon. Lots of vanilla, caramel and sweet bourbon as well as a little bit of oaky astringency. The malts show a little bit of cocoa but even these are dominated by the bourbon character… if you like bourbon, you’ll like this. Sweet, rich and maybe a bit one-dimensional, but despite that, I like it.

courtesy of kiefdog pours black, tan/mocha head. aroma, of caramel, chocolate malts, grainy, coffee, light barrel, vanilla sweetness. flavor, malty with hints of bitter hops, caramel and chocolate, some dark fruits with possible tobacco/smoked malts coupled with some roasted / coffee. Light vanilla, coupled with the bourbon though it retains some light bitterness. Tasty brew.