Brooklyn Black Ops

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

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: FEB 16, 2012 Bottle # 3178 (or maybe 3187), 2008 Batch; Sampled October 2011
The beer pours pitch black in color and it is quite opaque when held up to the light with maybe a hint of brown showing in its black depths. A vigorous pour produces a three finger thick, darkly browned head. The beer smells strongly of Bourbon as I pour this beer and a more focused look makes it seem a touch softer with more of a focus on vanillin, toasted coconut, dark chocolate, coffee liquor as well as notes rich, deeply toasted nuts that have been aged in umami laden richness; this last isn’t really soy sauce, perhaps a touch of teriyaki, but this is contributed by some oxidation of the malt character. The oxidation at this point is just adding richness rather than detracting with unwanted notes of cardboard and overly oxidized. There is a substantial backbone of roast malt that provides burnt and roast notes that manage to remain quite smooth and well integrated with the other notes. The Bourbon barrel seems to accentuate fruit notes of cherry and perhaps a touch of raisins.

Smooth and creamy textured a touch sweet (though perhaps not quite as much as I was expecting), and the beer is also a touch lighter bodied than I was expecting, but it is still quite rich and definitely a sipping beer. The flavor finishes with bitter hops and roasted malt notes as well some spicy Bourbon notes, a drying toasted grain huskiness and some alcohol. There is a fruitiness to the Bourbon character that reminds me of cherries somehow and perhaps like a touch of apple jack. The roast character is pretty well tamed here, it does contribute some roasted / toasted notes, and touches of cold coffee. The beer is quite a bit thinner than I would prefer, though it isn’t horrible. The dominant Bourbon contributes definite notes of vanillin, woody oak and perhaps a touch of buttery character.

Not a bad beer, its biggest flaw is that the body makes it seem too thin; the flavors are pretty well spot on and I really like that the Bourbon barrel did not end up being too overwhelming for the base beer flavors and they remain pretty smooth. As the beer warms up it seems to get a bit thinner and a bit more Bourbon dominated, neither of which really helps things.

2012 Bottle from Wegman’s Collegeville. Thanks to Kevin Wilk for telling me. Pours black with slight head that fades. nose is black malt, fruity ketones including plums and figs, with some coffee and too boozy at the end of the nose. first sip is huge brown malty flavor but a little thin. flavors of irish whiskey and bourbon with a slight oaky overtone: finish is grade school chocolzte milk and seltzer. I had a bottle of this with about 3 years on it and it sucked. This is pretty good fresh.

Pours black with a thick brown head. Bold roasted aroma with dark chocolate, nuts, espresso, hint of bourbon. Silky smooth body. Flavors of dark fruit entertain the palate at first and then moves to a more bitter flavor with chocolate and coffee. Finish is an touch boozy and bitter-sweet. Very pricey bottle, but a damn fine beer.

Tried at Josie Bones Beer Lunch. Black body with dark brown head. Notice the use of the bourbon aging making this Imperial Stout seem a bit boozy but pleasantly so. Notes of chocolate, coffee, vanilla and bourbon.

Serving: 750 ml. bottle from Whole Foods Reston. It pours an inky black with a thick, dark brown head. The nose is a mix of bourbon, mocha, and dark dried fruit. The flavor is more mellowed and balanced than I thought it would be and that’s a good thing. The bourbon is there but on the lighter side. It plays well with notes of dark chocolate, dried dark cherries, and very light espresso notes. Full bodied and rich with soft carbonation and a warm, lasting finish. Nice brew.

2010 vintage drank in April 2012. The beer pours a deep, inky black color with a tan head. The aroma is very complex. I get a ton of chocolate, bourbon and raisins, as well as some roasted malt notes. The flavor is just as great, with some additional notes. The bourbon is front and center, with some chocolate, dark fruit, raisins and alcohol thrown in. As the beer gets a little warmer, I get some oak, vanilla and maple notes. The beer is fairly sweet and boozy, but it is still very easy to drink. Thick, full mouthfeel and low carbonation. Glad I got to try this one.

Awesome and useful caramel notes given from the bourbon barrel aging, almost minty aroma, with a fantastically dark pour, caramel can tend to overpower the rest of the beer, but overall very delicious and highly recommended .

Pours black with a dark brown head that fades. Aroma is very sweet,notes of vanilla bourbon and oak, not really any chocolate or coffe notes. Taste is also quite sweet, rich, as others have stated, its kind of like a flat jack and coke, I was expecting more from this, but its not bad.

Shared by Mike12da. Huge bourbon vanilla nose with cola. Wat too much gas on this one, and it’s pretty thin too. Bourbon takes over the flavor, with a berry-like tanginess. No roastiness at all. Actually not much like a stout at all, just a Jack-and-Coke. Pretty disappointing.

Nearly black with very little head. Modest nose of chocolate, bourbon, caramel, booze, confectioners sugar. Body is thinner than I would have expected for the style. Carbonation seems misplaced. Tastes of cola, chocolate, bourbon, cherries...much more watery than it should be. Generally underwhelming.

750 ml corked bottle, at a tasting with Garrett Oliver. ABV is 11.3%. Black colour, brown head. Aroma of oak, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, hints of fusel alcohols. Lovely smooth flavour, vanilla, chocolate and bourbon. Very enjoyable.