Bitter End Happy Jack Black Imperial Stout

Formerly brewed at Bitter End Bistro & Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Austin, Texas USA

Serve in Snifter

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Thick and oily black, with a short tan head quickly dissipating. Sticky bubbles. Chocolate sweet bitter marshmallow. Carbonized sugar and charred risidual flavours. Bittersweet roast with some mild fruit toppings. Sweet vanilla finish with some wood, herbs and earth. Has piles of potential.

Wasn’t even aware that I had other than the delightful Happy Jacks I recall so fondly until seeing Chad’s review and noting the variation. Perhaps not huge, but certainly quite noticeable. Dryer and lacking the amazing mouthfeel of its counter part, but still good enough to make me miss Bitter End for all the amazing beers and times it provided.

Tap. This, my friends, was the last beer that I will ever drink from Bitter End, may she rest in peace. As of tonight, the most awesome brewpub that I have ever been to is no more. There were only two beers on tap there on December 31st, 2005: the ’04 barleywine and this fine effort. Opaque black, small tan head, and mighty fine looking in the snifter glass that qualifies as "proper glassware" in Texas. The aroma comes strong with some bourbon, hazlenut, and chocolate. Warming alcohol presence in the body and flavor, with chocolate being the strongest of the flavors present. Very thick mouthfeel with a sweet and slightly milky finish...or was it a milky property in the flavor? Dark and mysterious. What a finish for BE’s great run as the best brewpub in Texas.

(Growler, well cared for and apparently in quite good condition) Beautiful dark cream lacing on pitch brown body. Vanilla and hazelnut comes through after the coffee and dense chocolate aroma. There is a strong roasted bitterness, producing a notable astringency in the finish. Not super-significant alcohol presence.

(Growler, courtesy of Lumpy) Pours a black body with a medium tan head. Aroma of roasted malt, bourbon, chocolate, and vanilla extract. Flavor of roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate as it warms up a bit. Bitter finish.

from a growler at the local imp tasting, thanks to lumpy for bringing this. pours black with a dark tan head. alcohol nose with a strong chocolate roast flavor with rich dark chocolate and a fruity note. bitter finish, strong alcohol flavors, rich and complex. nice lingering vanilla flavor. warm chocolate, very good.

On draught. Light brown head over a black beer. Oooh, roasty aroma. The chocolate and roast are very intense in the flavor. It’s amazing how the flavors work through your palate as it goes down, then through the aftertaste. It’s like more beer than one in a single swallow. Excellent.

Clear black with a red tint and a creamy tan head and silky lacing. Serious roast, chocolate, coffee and alcohol in the nose. Big chocolate and coffee in the flavor. Creamy texture. Great mouthfeel. Very hot. Nice beer.

Tap. Usual Impy body with beige head. Taste-perfect CO2, just the right amount of bitter. Tongue coating with out being syrupy. Tannic, dry coffee bean like notes. Perfect amount of roast, toast, and tannins. Excellent in every way. A great Impy without being in your face and overwhelming. This beer is very complex in its simplicity.

black, tan bubbles. aroma of soy, liquorice, chocolate, malted milk and caramel. flavours of coffee, chocolate, roasted malt ans sponge toffee. tart dried fruit in the finish. not an overly complex impy, but very tasty

Deep dakr brown. Nice beige ring. Big nose of tobacco, oat, light alcohol and heavy chocolate. Well balanced in mouth, the oats and chocolate are rich and velvety while the cereals and blackberries add the necessary depth. Perfect bitterness level to my palate. Medium bodied, soft carbonation. Textbook well brewed impy.