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Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout

Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout

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 Percentile 
98
overall
An Imperial Stout brewed by
Bear Republic Brewing Company

Healdsburg, California USA

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in  Advanced 
7793.92/5.03.92/5.0Winter8.1%75.7Snifter P  Stats

Commercial Description:
Big Bear, as the name implies, is a hefty, black, Russian Imperial-style stout. This strong stout boasts a rich, caramel sweetness lavished by a robust, deep-roasted heartiness you can sink your teeth into... Big Bear's bold flavors are produced using a blend of Belgian and English roasted barley and crystal malts. Some unique flavors come forth in the malt character...Louisiana sweet molasses and dark brown sugar. This dark brew is well hopped with Chinook and Cascade hops, which are somewhat, masked by the malt. This is a balanced strong brew boasting an ABV of 8.1% that can creep up on you, "so don't get mauled". It has a dry roasted quality that masks its high alchohol content, so drink responsibly.

Most RecentTop RatersHighest Ratings Who's Rated This?
 tsarman (794), Northern, New Jersey, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/514/20

Jan 5, 2005  
Similar to the Victory or Black Chocolate though a little more subtle. A big beer/bear and a cheap one. Cali here I come.

 islay (406), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/104/516/20
Oct 11, 2008  
22 oz. bottle. Consumed on 10-5-08. Pours dark brown (nearly black) with an amber hue and a large amount of thick, bubbly, slightly uneven, soft tan head. Complex aroma features chocolate, plum, and rose as well as lemon and pine from the hops. Roasted malt flavor features mahogony, leather, dark chocolate, mocha, raisin, and prune juice elements. The hops produce citrus-like effects (lemon and lime especially) as well as pickle brine and a touch of salt, but not in a bad way. Delicious at first, but the taste grows somewhat tiresome and overly sweet upon multiple sips. Tarry, toasty, burnt malt aftertaste. Surprisingly easy to drink and refreshing in the palate.


 Pawola22 (101), Kansas City, Missouri, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/515/20
Oct 10, 2008  
22oz bomber. Pours a lighter looking black with a runny/watery look to it. Big, dark brown, fizzy head that dissipates slowly leaving a lot of lacing on the glass. The aroma is very sweet, dominated by malts. Not too complex overall, with hints of nutty roastiness, chocolate, brown sugar, and orange/citrus. Smooth and medium body with lots of carbonation. Taste is initially slightly sweet and then quickly dries. Turns to a roasty, coffee, and chocolate middle. Finishes with a hint of citrus, very dry, and coffee bitter. Overall, I guess this is supposed to be a dry imperial stout, which it does a good job at portraying. Not quite as thick and rich as I like, but I do like the added bitterness this beer brings. Not bad.


 Maverick34 (483), New York, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/104/513/20
Oct 6, 2008  
Pours black - tastes black. A bit on the mild side for an I Russian but pretty good nontheless.


larryLSB (17), La Selva Beach, California, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/516/20
Oct 5, 2008  
Bomber poured into a glass, big dark tan head. Aroma was sweet, maybe bittersweet chocolate, maybe molasses. This brew goes down very smooth, and as the brewery says, can sneak up on you!. Overerall a great beer!


 jjuf1853 (211), Land O Lakes, Florida, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Oct 1, 2008  
Bottle pours a pure black color with a thick tan head. Aroma is bittersweet dark chocolate. Wondeful medley of flavors that include tobacco, roasted caramel malts, licorice, and dark roasted coffee. Nice amount of hop bitterness in the aftertaste. Quite nice!



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