 JorisPPattyn (4262), Antwerpen, Belgium
Jan 7, 2006
Specification #46
Black beer, well carbonated, with thick, heavy & creamy greige head, not persistent. Initial nose of pure coffee - or the coffee-based and -containing chocolates popular in Belgiums high-brow confiseries. Aroma of cigarette or even cigar ashes. The fireplace the day after. The breath of that love that used to smoke a package a day.
Take a cup of cold coffee, and mix in the contents of last evenings’ ash trays. Put in some burnt caramel. Then add some essence of hops, and then the blackest scrapings of crème brulée . I do not know if this makes up for deadly sin, but it sure sounds lethal. But it is not Péché Mortel , for new things arrive. Try to imagine tree fruit as chestnuts, horse chestnuts and acorns, stripped of their most forbidding adstringency, and lightly roasted, further sprinkled with black sugar. This needs to grow on you, certainly if you, like me, don’t like coffee and never drink the stuff; and stopped smoking cigarettes before turning 20. There are hints of dry chocolate powder, as covering chocolate truffles, but it is harsh coffee essentialy.
Warming up, I have a little hint of pistaccio, which doesn’t spoil anything. On the topic of texture, suffice to say I have to refrain myself taking up a spoon, and start stirring.
I had been warned. Being weaned on gueuze and trappist hardly counts me to the weak-hearted, but cold coffee is a high cliff indeed. I recognise the greatness of this beer, yet it is not my cuppa... coffee.
Important to signal is that my sample was not the ubiquitous US import, but an in-pub bottling of the real stuff. O_MTL, grand merci.
southamptonsam (45), New York, USA
Aug 20, 2008 This is one great beer. A terrific Imperial Stout with that beautifully balanced addition of coffee. I could drink this every day.
unrulythings (65), Portland, Oregon, USA
Aug 19, 2008 pours an oily black with a thick light brown head. aroma is sweet and balanced of coffee and chocolate. first sip is strong of coffee, but as the beer warms, there are more noticeable flavors of hops, chocolate, a little bit of pepper, and spice. mouth is close to perfect, simply smooth on the tongue. I’m a big fan of coffee stout so when I saw this at Whole Foods and immediatly knew it had to be a winner.
smith4498 (332), Miami, Florida, USA
Aug 19, 2008 Bottle courtesy of growler. Pours deep black with tan head. Strong burnt malt aroma. Lots of coffee and roasted malt flavors. Full body with minimal carbonation and a very smooth mouthfeel.
Soonah (483), Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Aug 14, 2008 Poured nearly black into a snifter. Not quite viscous. The head was tan and offered up some lacing. The aroma was as much coffee as I can remember in a beer. Like Breakfast Stout without the chocolate. Like Juan Valdez’s nutsack. The flavor was coffee, roasted malt, chocolate and some dry hoppiness. Nice thick mouthfeel and a succinct finish. Very good, just kind of one dimensional.
HalifaxNick (4), Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
does not count  Aug 13, 2008 Pours coal black into a pint sleeve. Thick rocky head lasts long and laces the glass.
Aroma of coffee really comes through.
Excellent example of imperial, This stuff is royal. Full bodied imperial stout flavor and a glass of espresso to boot! Beautiful beer.
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