Brooklyn Black Ops

Brewed by Brooklyn Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Brooklyn, New York USA

Serve in Snifter

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650ml bottle poured into an English pint. BBO pours... wait for it... black. Yup. It pours black. It also happens to have a brown medium-to-large head with large rocky bubbles that leaves a very think curtain of lacing. The aroma is bourbon and oak. After reading another rating I might admit to vanilla but it is not something I picked up on my own. The flavor has quite a bit of woody flavors in addition to the expected bourbon. flavors. I am absolutely NOT a fan of bourbon but I must admit that this has a nice flavor of balanced bourbon, wood and carbonated beer. Of course I have had quite a bit of high octane beer tonight so my judgement is seriously off. The finish is dry and pleasant. All in all, for a bourbon beer (which I hate) this is pretty decent.

Bomber at Jerry’s. Black with fair, creamy brown head / Big roast & winey nose / Medium body, fizzy, with good balance and finish / Deep, rich flavors of semisweet chocolate, dark roast coffee, vanilla, and mellow bourbon (thanks Woodford Reserve) / Not spectacular, the fizziness especially detracts, but the deft bourbon touch is very well done.

Bottle at Mekong on 01/01/2009 for An’s New Years Eve Party. Clear very dark black body with a medium creamy light brown head. Bourbon and dark chocolate malt aroma with some caramel, vanilla and molassas. Sweet vanilla and bourbon flavor with chocolate and roast. Medium full body with moderately low carbonation.

Bottle generously shared by emacgee. Thanks Ethan. Another big and over the top barrel aged imperial stout. The champagne yeast seems to dry it out a little bit which is a welcome and unique change from the norm. Pretty well balanced all things considered.

Another one that lived up to the hype. Brooklyn is solid but has never blown me away, and the price tag on this puppy seemed high. Tasty brew, though. Black pour with big fluffy light brown head. Mild chocolate, toasty vanilla, and subtle bourbon aromas and flavors. Just a really well-balanced BA stout. Nothing too dominant or overbearing. Surpringly good.

Pours black with a foamy, dark brown head. Aroma is of wood, dark fruit, chocolate, roasted malt, and bourbon. Taste is of roasted malt, bourbon, wood, chocolate, and dark fruit. The bourbon isn’t overpowering, and blends very well with all the other flavors. It aids the beer immensely. Very light mouthfee, despite the big taste. This a very drinkable stout. Light, sticky mouthfeel. Ten dollars less, and I’d buy this regularly.

Bottle, courtesy Gilliard. Pours pitch black, with very dark tan head and lacing. Aroma of hot licorice, currant, roast, bitter chocolate, raisin, and a dash of peach. Flavor is big on roast, raisin, caramel, dry wheat, some dark fruit in the finish. Very good disguising of the alcohol, all things considered. Medium-bodied. Enjoyed it.

750 mL. Pours a nearly pitch black with a small, dark tan head that slowly fades and leaves good lacing and a nice protective layer over the beer. Aromas of milk chocolate, roasted malt, bourbon, and vanilla bean. Taste is vanilla bean with semisweet chocolate but starts with a powerful whiskey-like bite of warming alcohol. Wow. Aftertaste is dry and clean.

50th rating of this beer, my 2200th rating. 166th Imperial Stout. Numbers numbers numbers. Bottles from Hoppymeal, Goldtwins, and Turdegerfergueson. First I had none and now I have much. Pours big and black with a light brown head. Nose is sweet, bourbony with a nice vanilla nose, very nice and strangely airy, maybe its the champagne yeast. Taste is nice and smooth, balanced bourbon components. High levels of carbonation and overall nice mouth feel. This is a damn tasty imperial stout, perhaps over hyped perhaps not, I’d like to see what happens to a bottle over the next few years.

Very interesting BA RIS. Sits dark black and allows some light on the pour. The head is two fingers and chestnut brown. The nose is mildly sweet, chocolaty, roasty, very nice subdued yet established bourbon and oak character. The flavor shows a very very well balanced barrel character, allows the IS to stand out and yet features a very well defined bourbon and oak feel. Warming on the mouthfeel with a bakers chocolate and dark grain bitterness. Nice warming alcohol on the palate with a tannic bite. Could be a little thicker. Very very nice and interesting brew.