Reviews by Birdlegs:4/5 rDev +1%Birdlegs, Feb 08, 2013More User Reviews:4.27/5 rDev +7.8%look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4Appearance  This beer is black as night and has a beautiful nitro head. It comes up like Mt. St. Helens on a bad day and is very dark.
Comments  I would have had to pretend to like it anyway since skyhand was sitting next to me and wouldnt shut up about how great it is, so it was a real bonus that I liked it so much.★ 1,114 charactersRoyalT, Sep 27, 20044/5 rDev +1%look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #46 (Nov 2010): Slow-moving brown bubbles form a tight, well-retaining head. Stout black; nope, no light coming through here. Big chocolate nose with a spiciness layered within. Silky, creamy, smooth full-bodied brew. Cocoa powder, hint of charcoal, spicy rye and some coffee make their mark on the taste buds. Hops provide a great backup for balancing out the malt sweetness. Vague dark berries and a nutty yeast in the semisweet finish. Roasty bliss. Hefty, non- hyped Stouts are hard to come by these days, and this is one to seek out.★ 580 charactersBeerAdvocate, Feb 04, 20114/5 rDev +1%FadetoBock, Mar 08, 20144.15/5 rDev +4.8%look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25BCborn, Apr 13, 20154.34/5 rDev +9.6%look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25juicebox, Aug 14, 20153.75/5 rDev -5.3%HoppySeb, Jun 07, 20144.75/5 rDev +19.9%AnEscapedMind, Nov 08, 20133.5/5 rDev -11.6%switzer, Mar 10, 20123.88/5 rDev -2%look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4I got this one on tap at the brewpup, and I quite enjoyed it. This selection was on nitro tap, and was served to me black as night, with a luxurious tan head that looked creamy and persisted through the entire experience. The smell was nice, sweet molasses maybe and roasted grain. It was not a particularly strong aroma, though. Taste was a good balance of malt, chocolate, roasted grain, with mild hops underneath all the other well-balanced flavors. Nothing in this stout was overdone.This stout was velvety smooth and felt great in my mouth and going down my throat. It was extremely pleasant and easy to drink, especially for such a big, bold stout. Definitely something I'll get again.★ 693 charactersWonderfulSam, Oct 06, 20074.27/5 rDev +7.8%look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5Thanks to weefishheads for this opportunity.
This is a solid stout made for the purist.★ 536 charactersIntriqKen, Jan 09, 20074.13/5 rDev +4.3%look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4A 16oz Yankee pint on nitro draft at Henry's Tavern in downtown Portland, from their '99 beers on the wall' (or something of the sort) concept. Why the hell not, my girl is still stuck browsing in Powell's, I'm sure of it.This beer appears a solid, non-forgiving black void, with the slightest of basal cola highlights, which allows two fingers of tightly foamy, and playfully bubbly milk chocolate brown head, which renders a vista of three-dimensional mountain profile lace around the glass as it gently fades away. It smells of lightly roasted caramel malt, softly sour ash, medium bittersweet baker's chocolate, some middling dark fruit, and earthy, leafy, and somewhat piney hops. The taste is soft chocolate-ensconced caramel malt, a further dry breadiness, sour cream, subdued black fruit, oatmeal grain, and laid-back earthy, dead leafy hops. The carbonation is very low (natch), yet pleasantly coddling, the body silky smooth, and dead to rights creamy. It finishes in kind, the now soft, and strangely smooth caramel malt and cocoa persisting above all.A sexy American beer bar offering, if there ever was one. Chocolate, cream, malt, and a somewhat off-balance sourness, that eventually wends its way through your acceptance gates. Oh, and the nitro: from beginning to end, this special serving slides down like butter, but tastes way, way better.★ 1,366 charactersbiboergosum, Jul 08, 20113.76/5 rDev -5.1%look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4A: Interestingly the bottle was almost filled to the top of the brown bomber. Poured rich and viscous, very dark and safe to say "black as night" on this one. Rim of the glass holds bourbon colored hues. Creamy mocha colored head with adamant lacing. Good look and my interests were sparked!S: sweet tart fruits, dark malts, and chocolate...smells different than expectedT: unique mixture I must say. Astringent sweetness, deep chocolates, roasted malts, crusty breads. Fruits are tart and of sour cherries and lemons, takes away from the overall experience. None the less it is quite unique...I'll give it that. Malts sit in the back and chocolate pushes its way in the finish to a semi-sweet chocolate chip feel...I do not pick up on much hops...M: for a stout it is great! heavy body but very light on the tongue, soft and creamy. Borderline silk feel even with just a pinch of carbonation in it. The finish is dry, has grains, and makes me puckerD: easily drinkable, I know that I will drink this one again, I am just having a hard time getting over the fruity sour-like characteristics. Not as if they are overpowering, but they are teasing this beer from being a awesome stout.★ 1,191 charactersMagpie14, Dec 09, 20083.75/5 rDev -5.3%MADPolo, May 07, 20134.47/5 rDev +12.9%look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5Poured from the 22oz bottle into a pint glass. Body is a deep rich black hue topped by an inch of thick, creamy tan head. Beautiful aroma of sweet, rich roasted malt, with notes of vanilla and milk chocolate. Palate is rich and sweet - tons of rich roasted dark and chocolate malt, with notes of vanilla, mocha, milk chocolate, and a very mild hop bitterness. Finish is smooth and well-balanced between the rich malt and the subtle hop profile. Body is thick, smooth, and creamy, just wonderful. Goes down very easily for a strong stout. I'm a big fan.★ 552 charactersElGordo, Apr 03, 20073.61/5 rDev -8.8%look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5Thanks to psiweaver for this one by way of IS BIF 2. Poured from a 22oz. bomber into a Blue Point Snifter. A: Viscous pour yields a solid, 2 finger dense, milk chocolate head with stubborn retention. Beer is an opaque black. Lacing is outstanding. Great legs, frothy, and with excellent cling. S: Aroma is heavy on the liquorice and roasted coffee beans. In fact, those are the only initial flavors I detect. A bit of subtle roasted malt lingers in the background but not much else. Aromatic but simple. T: Opening is much like the nose. Liquorice, roasted malt, and coffee in the back. A slight hint of chocolate sweetness emerges in the background as this one warms up a bit. Bitter roasted malt is predominant throughout. Finishes with bitter chocolate. Aftertaste is oily, slick, and bitter. M: Medium bodied with a solid amount of carbonation. Feel is oily and viscous and goes down real smooth. Drinks bigger than its ABV. Finish is accented and aftertaste lingers. D: What this beer is, is a really good representation of its style. Flavor is very balanced and nothing really sticks out. Feel is appropriate and real heavy (in a good way) for its ABV. Drinkable too, as it goes down very smooth and silky.★ 1,222 charactersSpeedwayJim, Sep 28, 20104.25/5 rDev +7.3%CWVegas, Jul 03, 20133.5/5 rDev -11.6%look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.522oz bomber, split, served as base for some experimental musselsappearance: served in ommegang chalice, ebony body, light bubbly rim, some garnet huesmell: smoke, roast, rye, cocoataste: dry, moderate roast, bitter cocoa, spicy rye, smoke, char, some light green hops, espresso. Not very memorable, but worked well with the shellfishmouthfeel: uncharacteristically thin, creamy but lacking depth overall: bizarre stout - quite drinkable but doesnt really fit the bill for the style★ 491 charactersdirtylou, Jan 07, 20124/5 rDev +1%Ciocanelu, Sep 12, 20134.75/5 rDev +19.9%karlhelser, Jun 17, 20144.15/5 rDev +4.8%look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5Split a bomber with friends. Nothing surprising about the appearance, big and black with a tan head. I really enjoyed this stout because it wasn't the usual thick, chewy stout. Instead it was a touch lighter, like an export stout should be, with two dominant characteristics: dry roasted black malts and sweet cocoa chocolate. Heck of a beer, checkthis out.★ 357 characterstempest, Apr 25, 20104.5/5 rDev +13.6%look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5Poured into a pint glass; black with a thick inch of tan head.Smells like chocolate, roasted malt and more chocolate. Great balance.On the tongue: bitter chocolate, toasted malt, grippingly bitter with a caramel aftertaste.Soft and creamy body with light carbonation... quite perfect.Overall a simply amazing drink. Drinks like milk, only better for you.★ 362 charactersFatehunter, Apr 07, 20114.12/5 rDev +4%look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4Had a pint at Alameda BreweryA: Black with a dark creamy foam head about 1 inch thick. No carbonation.S: Smells like chocolate and caramel, with a hint of coffee taboot.T: This stout was very fantastic. Tasted like a chocolate milk shake, with coffee overtones added. Not very hoppy, but at 50 IBU's it did taste a smidge bitter.M: Very smooth, just like how a Nitro stout should be. Went down very easy. D: I would prefer drinking the Nitro tap over the non-nitro. I would def. drink this beer again. It went very well with the Nachos I was eating.★ 559 charactersbradleyp, Jan 04, 20114.26/5 rDev +7.6%look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4Oh man, I can tell why this got the gold medal at GABF in 2003. Apperance - gorgeous! It has a nice thick brown nitro head and is a very deep black color
Overall - an excellent beer that once I had one I had to have another even though I wanted to try some of the othere from this establishment★ 457 charactersElemental, May 01, 20043.53/5 rDev -10.9%look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5Took a flyer on this on my bottletrek order...Pours ebony with a sliver of mocha head. Nice viscous look, above average head retention & lacing S: Coffee & cocoa powder, prunesT: Lactose notes & sour cherry, plus some roasty malt character up front. Slight brown bread flavor, plus rye, oakyness, cherry stone dryness, plus a touch of cocoa as this warms, plus dark fruit & tannins; this verges on a Belgian feel. Finishes with baker's chocolate, bone dryness & prunesMF: Dry, medium bodied, with moderate carbonation & stickynessDrinks kind of slow, if your into very dry with Belgian influenced tendencies. This isn't my back, but I could see where some folks would love this★ 687 charactersrusspowell, Nov 22, 2008