Jester King Black Metal Review (Farmhouse)

Brewery: Jester King Craft Brewery | Beer: Black Metal (Farmhouse)
Style: Russian Imperial Stout | ABV: 9.3% | IBUs: ~60
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into tulip glass

We just took a look back at the original Black Metal, one of Jester King's first releases. After a year or so, the original recipe of Black Metal gave way to this farmhouse version when Jester King switched over to their farmhouse yeast strain as part of their larger plan to develop into a proper authentic farmhouse-style brewery.

The same move was made with the other Jester King original lineup beers. While the brand moving to farmhouse style across the board matched with the original vision, I imagine the inherent risks of brewing the old recipes without risking contamination in a brewery filled with the new yeast also contributed to the decision.

Some bemoaned the loss of the original beers that established the brand, while others saw it as a necessary step in the larger journey of creating a very special kind of brewery right here in Texas. Looking at what Jester King have transformed themselves into today, the choice seems to have been a rather good one.

Jester King describe the finished farmhouse product as:

[A] cruel and punishing beer fermented by the sheer force of its awesome will. Black Metal is dry, roasty, and fermented with farmhouse yeast.

I absolutely loved the original formulation of Black Metal, so how will the transition to the farmhouse change things? Let's find out.

Appearance: A loud hiss as the cap is cracked (even louder than the old version). Pours a inky pitch black body that lets no light escape. Up top, well over three fingers (even more than the old version; almost a full hand) of fluffy and bubbly tan head featuring brilliant retention (though it burns out a little quicker than the old version) and patchy lacing.

Aroma: Dark fruit, leather, peppery spice, vinegar, chocolatey dark malt, and a good amount of booze (especially as it warms). A little more potent (though less boozy) than the version this replaces.

Taste: Up front, it's all about the leathery, chocolatey, coffee-like, licorice-like, nutty, earthy, smokey, and astringent malt. Dark fruit and mild citrusy hops fade in a little later, keeping everything balanced. There's a vinegary component running through it (though it's much less apparent than in the nose) that I'm not a fan of here. Bitter hops, roasty malt, leather, and mild booze in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and creamy with medium-high carbonation and a drying finish. Nice slickness and burn from the alcohol throughout (though a tad less than the old version).

Drinkability: Unsurprisingly still not a speedy beer, this drinks just about as you'd expect given the alcohol content and style.

Verdict: Farmhouse Black Metal keeps the homebrewed vibe of the old version alive, but it's not quite as charming here. The vinegary streak running through this just kind of ruins it (compared to the old version) for me. I'm not sure if this is all due to the recipe change, or if something else went wrong here. While this is a solid Imperial Stout, I sure wish it was possible to bring back the old metal!

Grade: B (3.8 out of 5 stars)

Review by Christopher Hunt

Jester King Black Metal Review (Original)

Brewery: Jester King Craft Brewery | Beer: Black Metal (Original)
Style: Russian Imperial Stout | ABV: ~10.0% | IBUs: 60
Serving Method: 750ml bottle poured into tulip glass

Located on the outskirts of Austin, Jester King is the most exciting brewery in Texas today. "Dedicated to wild ales and spontaneously fermented beers", they have a fascinating deep portfolio of farmhouse style beers that run the gamut from delicate fruit sours to bruising wild-hearted stouts.

Black Metal was Jester King's first beer to be bottled way back in 2011, before Jester King meant wild yeast brews. An Imperial Stout designed as their Winter seasonal, Black Metal is the beer that put Jester King on the map for many people.

Here's how they described the beer:

Pitch black with huge notes of chocolate, roast, coffee, burnt malt and alcohol balanced by aggressive hop bitterness.

After a year or so, this original version was supplanted by a new farmhouse version as Jester King evolved into the farmhouse charmer it is today. Bottles of the original formulation are still sought out today.

Let's hop in the time machine and visit the metal of old, shall we?

Appearance: A loud hiss as the cap is cracked. Pours a inky pitch black body that lets no light escape. Up top, well over three fingers of fluffy and bubbly tan head featuring brilliant retention and patchy lacing.

Aroma: Vinious dark fruit, ripe banana, chalky and roasty dark malt, and a lot of booze (even more as it warms).

Taste: Lots of chocolatey, coffee-like, licorice-like, nutty, smokey, and astringent dark malt up front. Vinious dark fruit and citrusy hops showing up a little later to keep everything balanced. Lots of spicy booze throughout. Bitter hops, roasty malt, and spicy booze in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied and creamy with medium-high carbonation and a drying finish. Nice slickness and warmth from the alcohol throughout.

Drinkability: Hardly a speedy drinker, but it drinks faster than the double-digit alcohol would suggest (given you aren't shut down by a little burn).

Verdict: Black Metal is an enjoyable Imperial Stout and it's great to see more big beers coming from right here in Texas. At the end of the day though, this feels just a little homebrewed (not necessarily a bad thing) and not quite dialed in. Looking forward to seeing how this matures; maybe everything is going to come together in time as it mellows. Compared to the Farmhouse version that supplanted this brew, I have to say I much prefer this recipe; Jester King giveth and Jester King taketh away. Hopefully I can hold on to the case I've squirreled away for a while.

Grade: A- (4.1 out of 5 stars)

Note: While this review is being published in 2014, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in 2011.

Review by Christopher Hunt

Saint Arnold Bishop's Barrel No. 3 Review

Brewery: Saint Arnold Brewing Co. | Beer: Bishop's Barrel No. 3
Style: Russian Imperial Stout | ABV: 11.5% | IBUs: 49
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass
Here we have the third release in Saint Arnold's Bishop's Barrel series, and already we're seeing some retreaded ground.

Like the first release in the series, this is a Russian Imperial Stout aged in Woodford Reserve barrels. The differences being that it was aged for 12 months instead of 10 and that the house Saint Arnold yeast was used in place of the less estery yeast in the first release.

I was a fan of the first release, though wanted a bit more body. Sounds like I may just get my wish here.

Saint Arnold use the same description for this as the first release:

A pleasant sipping beer with the bourbon both present but not overpowering as you work your way through the glass. Oddly easy to drink for a beer this strong.

Let's jump back in and see what has changed.

Appearance: An inky black body with hints of red around the edge. Up top, just over a finger of tannish head that fades slowly, leaving good lacing.

Aroma: Bitter chocolate, cola, molasses, a hint of something lactic, booze, and lots of bourbon barrel character with a balance of oak and vanilla.

Taste: The base features dark chocolate, dark coffee, dark fruit, and well-toasted dark malt, but is on the lighter side as far as intensity goes for the style. There’s lots of barrel character on deck to compliment, with lots of vanilla, oak, and bourbon character. Taking a small nip of Woodford Reserve while sampling, it’s clear to see the influence here. Everything meshes well and it’s well balanced. The booze is apparent throughout, but never imposes. Dark malt, oak, and bourbon in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and creamy with silky smooth medium carbonation and just a little warmth from the booze. Doesn’t have the same thinness issue as the first release.

Drinkability: Drinks a little faster than the double-digit alcohol content and style would suggest.

Verdict: Plenty of deja-vu here, to be sure, as this is rather close to the first installment of the series. The yeast change is noticeable, making things a bit more full-bodied and creamy. However, that extra two months in the barrel hasn’t made much of an impact. The base beer is still just a little bit less intense than I’d prefer, but the barrel again comes through beautifully.

Grade: A

Note: While this review is being published in November, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in May.

Saint Arnold Bishop's Barrel No. 1 Review

Brewery: Saint Arnold Brewing Co. | Beer: Bishop's Barrel No. 1
Style: Russian Imperial Stout | ABV: 12.0% | IBUs: 49
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Saint Arnold has been busy substantially increasing its portfolio substantially over the last few years. Along with new year-round and occasional brews, they've created two new series to accompany their Divine Reserve series. The first is Icon, originally conceived as a series of new beers iconic of their respective style. The second is Bishop's Barrel, a collection of inventive small-batch beers that have been graced with a period of barrel aging.

For now, Saint Arnold is releasing Bishop's Barrel via bars and restaurants. I've heard the logic is that this will help reward their loyal on-premise accounts and cut down on hoarding. Luckily for me some of these accounts chose to sell their bottles to-go and I was able to scoop up the first release after lining up outside Petrol Station here in Houston with a bunch of other beer geeks.

First in the Bishop's Barrel series is a big Russian Imperial Stout aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels. It was brewed in December 2011, racked in January 2012, and finally bottled in October 2012. Only 48 barrels were aged, resulting in just 948 cases, hardly enough to satiate the Saint Arnold army.

Saint Arnold describe the finished product as:

A pleasant sipping beer with the bourbon both present but not overpowering as you work your way through the glass. Oddly easy to drink for a beer this strong.

Let's crack open the barrel and see what lies inside.

Appearance: An inky black body with the subtlest of red highlights around the edge. Up top, half a finger of tannish head that fades in average time, leaving good lacing.

Aroma: Dark chocolate, molasses, licorice, booze, and a hell of a lot of barrel character with plenty of oak and vanilla.

Taste: The base beer has a decent amount of the typical dark chocolate, dark coffee, and dark malt Imperial Stout flavors, but is on the less-intense side. Again, there’s lots of big barrel on the edge (vanilla, oak, and full-on bourbon). Everything meshes well. The booze is masked well; it’s apparent throughout, but kept in check considering the amount here. Dark toasty grain, oak, and a hint of booze in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with velvety smooth medium carbonation and just a little warmth from the booze. Lighter in body than most of the style.

Drinkability: Drinks just a little faster than the healthy double-digit alcohol content and style would suggest.

Verdict: As a showcase for barrel aging, Bishop’s Barrel is off to a strong start with number one, as there’s heaps of barrel character all around this beer. I’m in love with the barrel character, but the base beer is just a little too thin in flavor and body for this to get absolute top marks. Can’t wait to see how this ages and what’s up next from the series.

Grade: A

Note: While this review is being published in 2013, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in 2012.

Samuel Adams Imperial Stout Review

Brewery: Boston Brewing Co. | Beer: Samuel Adams Imperial Stout
Style: Russian Imperial Stout | ABV: 9.2% | IBUs: 50
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Somehow, I never got around to posting a review of the star of the Sam Adams Imperial series, the Imperial Stout. Allow me to remedy that real quick.

Brewed in the Russian Imperial Stout style, Imperial Stout is one of the biggest and baddest brews Boston Brewing Co. has ever brewed up.

The malt bill is huge, calling for a combination of Two-Row Harrington, Metcalfe and Copeland pale malts, Caramel 60, Munich, Special B, Smoked Malted Barley, Roasted Unmalted Barley, and Malted Wheat. East Kent Goldings are the exclusive hop used and everything is brought to life with the house ale yeast.

Here's how Sam Adams describe the finished product:

Huge roasted malt character with smoky, chocolate, and coffee aromas and flavors balanced by an earthy English hop bitterness.

Sounds about right, so let's dive in.

Appearance: A solid black body with a big dark caramel colored head that leaves nice lacing. It certainly looks the part.

Aroma: Rich and complex: bananas, dark fruit, bitter chocolate, sweet roasted malt and alcohol.

Taste: The malt body is massive, bitter, and very roasty (almost burnt at times). Still getting some strong banana and general dark fruit flavors. Definite dark chocolate and coffee notes in the mix too. Plenty of alcohol to compliment everything, but never so much to step on anyone's toes. The aftertaste is big and roasty.

Mouthfeel: Full and velvety body with low carbonation. Dries nicely in the finish.

Drinkability: A sipper, but perhaps a little bit quicker than average for the style.

Verdict: Imperial Stout is another solid beer from the new Samuel Adams Imperial Series. Miles ahead of the Imperial White, and a shade better than the Double Bock, this is my pick from the collection. Well done Jim, this is great stuff.

Grade: A

BrewDog Rip Tide Review

Brewery: BrewDog Ltd. | Beer: Rip Tide
Style: Russian Imperial Stout | ABV: 8.0% | IBUs: 65
Serving Method: 22.4 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

As much as I was looking forward to trying BrewDog's offerings, I wasn't exactly a fan of the first I tried, their Hardcore IPA. Luckliy it had an friend on the long trip from Scotland, an Imperial Stout called Rip Tide. Hopefully we have some better luck this time around—I'm optimistic.

Not the same beast as the Imperial Stouts we're used to in America, BrewDog describe Rip Tide as"a contemporary Scottish take on an age old Russian classic style." The first thing that tipped me off to that was the eight percent alcohol content, relatively weak for anything with the word "imperial" on the bottle. The ingredient list is hardly some wilting flower though.

First Gold and Galena hops provide bitterness, while the backbone is built from Maris Otter, Dark Crystal, Caramalt, and Chocolate malt varieties along with and roasted barley. What BrewDog list as the "twist" in the mix is dark muscavado sugar—an unrefined brown sugar with lots of molasses flavor. Here's how BrewDog describe the result:

A strong, silky smooth imperial stout with a deep, dark ruby appearance. Mocha, bitter chocolate, liquorice and dark cherry flavours prevail, before the balanced, warming and encapsulating finish.

Well, it's time to dig in. BrewDog recommend you enjoy this beer with "an air of aristocratic nonchalance," so I'll try to keep that in mind.

Appearance: A dark and murky brown body with no distinct highlights. The head is slow to form, taking shape only after pouring is finished. What does manifest is half a finger tall, tan, and quickly fades to a thin skin that leaves little lacing.

Aroma: Dark fruit over moderately dark, chocolaty malt. There's a nicely bitter streak around the edges, giving it additional complexity.

Taste: The focus is a rich malt profile featuring great coffee and bitter chocolate notes. It's not all about the malt though, as there's a good dose of balancing bitterness coming from the hops. Some mild alcohol towards the end, but nowhere near what you'd expect from a bigger beer like a Russian Imperial Stout (the same can be said for the malt profile, too). The aftertaste is roasty and slightly bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full bodied and velvety with light carbonation. There's the barest burn alcohol at times, but it's deceptively smooth. Dries in the finish.

Drinkability: About middle-of-the-road, just watch out for the alcohol content.

Verdict: Certainly an improvement over my first experience with this brewer, Rip Tide is somewhere between a regular and "Imperial" Stout, making it a bit of a unique proposition on the shelves. This is enjoyable, but I'm really looking forward to seeing what these guys can do with an all-out, ten percent Stout.

Grade: B+

Stone Imperial Russian Stout 2009 Review

Brewery: Stone Brewing Co. | Beer: Imperial Russian Stout 2009
Style: Russian Imperial Stout | ABV: 10.5% | IBUs: 90+
Serving Method: 22 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Stone's Imperial Russian Stout is one of the large class of beers I've been wanting to try for years that finally showed up on Houston shelves this year. First brewed back in 2000, this release marks the beer's tenth anniversary—a nice round number on which to start my experience with the beer.

Many people have described Stone Imperial Russian Stout as one of the finest examples of the Russian Imperial Stout style, and it consistently shows up on "best beer" lists. Bitterness is provided by Warrior hops, and though Stone don't disclose the list of what malts are used, they did mention in a blog last year that they added more amber malt to this vintage. Here's how the describe the resulting brew:

Intensely aromatic (notes of anise, black currants, coffee, roastiness, and alcohol) and heavy on the palate, this brew goes where few can - and fewer even dare try.

I've waited a long time to get my hands on a bottle of this, so let's crack it open and see if it lives up to the expectations.

Appearance: An opaque black body capped by a generous three fingers of caramel-colored head that sticks around for a long time and leaves good lacing. Top marks.

Aroma: An intense blast of dark roasted malt with plenty of dark chocolate, dark fruit, and dark coffee notes (notice a trend developing here?). But as big as the malt body is, this is not just a one-sided affair, with decent pockets of hops and alcohol to be found amongst the malt.

Taste: Just as strong as the nose promised, the complex malt base absolutely dominates and features notes of bittersweet chocolate, dark fruit, molasses, and dark roasted coffee. The hop character from the nose shows back up towards the end to offer a little added depth. While the alcohol content certainly lets its presence be known, its deceptively smooth, feeling closer to about eight percent. The aftertaste is roasty and chocolaty with wisps of alcohol interspersed throughout.

Mouthfeel: A thick, creamy full body with only mild carbonation cutting through and a dry finish. After your sip, there's enough of a coating left in the mouth to keep everything alive for a long time. The alcohol leaves some warmth and slickness, but not as much as you'd expect with it weighing in at a hefty 10.5%.

Drinkability: Quite the sipper, which is no surprise given the style, alcohol content, and IBU rating. A brilliant beer to savor after a meal.

Verdict: Certainly worth all of the the hype, Stone's Imperial Russian Stout is a damn fine beer that is well worth seeking out for any Stout fan. As good as this tastes now, I can't wait to see how this ages.

Grade: A

Note: While this review is being published in January, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh last June.

Victory Storm King Imperial Stout Review

Brewery: Victory Brewing Co. | Beer: Storm King Imperial Stout
Style: Russian Imperial Stout | ABV: 9.1% | IBUs: 75
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass

Two Victory beers, HopDevil Ale and Hop Wallop, have been reviewed thus far on PintLog, and both garnered very high scores. Those brews were similar styles (India Pale Ale and Double India Pale Ale respectively), so it remains to be seen if the amazing quality they exhibited carries through the rest of the range. Hopes are high then for Storm King, their Russian Imperial Stout.

Storm King has become a heavyweight in the American beer scene, consistently showing up in "best beer" lists and winning the title of "Best American Beer of the Year" from the users of BeerAdvocate in 2003. The beer has a reputation for being more hop-focused than most Russian Imperial Stouts, and with how well the brewers handled hops in the beers I've tried already, that bodes very well.

Here's how Victory describe Storm King:

With a huge, Pacific Northwest hop aroma & character upfront, Storm King subsides into massive, roast malt complexity. More flavor than mere words can adequately describe. Rich and substantial, it will warm your heart.

Sounds pretty damn appetizing—let's see how it measures up, shall we?

Appearance: Just about solid black with a two finger tall caramel head that leaves great lacing. It certainly looks the part.

Aroma: Lots of roasty malt, as you'd expect. But unlike many stouts, there are definite hop notes to be found here.

Taste: Huge roasted malt body with lots of big semi-sweet chocolate and roasted coffee notes. Definite hop splashes at times, a very welcome addition. The alcohol is hidden rather well under the big malt body, but raises its head from time to time. Lots of coffee and some nice hop bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: A very thick body, almost reminiscent of a milkshake. Perhaps a little chalky at times, but it works. Medium carbonation with nice alcohol warmth in the mouth.

Drinkability: As you'd expect from a Russian Imperial Stout, this is firmly in sipper territory. A beer to be savored.

Verdict: A very solid Imperial Stout with a unique hop flourish that really sets it apart. Well worth the hype, this is a beer that delivers (especially at this price point). As hard as it is to not drink them now, I'm cellaring a few bottles to see how it ages and how the hops hold up.

Grade: A

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Review

Brewery: Oskar Blues Brewery | Beer: Ten Fidy
Style: Russian Imperial Stout | ABV: 10.0% | IBUs: 98
Serving Method: 12 oz. can poured into tulip glass

Believe it or not, after over sixty reviews here on PintLog, I've yet to review one of my absolute favorite styles: the Russian Imperial Stout. Well, that changes today.

The Russian Imperial Stout style dates back to late 1700s, when British brewers started to brew up an incredibly hoppy and potent version of Stout for export to Russia. Fortified to live up to both the journey to Russia and the tastes of it's resident, these were some big beers. They were said to be quite popular with the Russian Imperial court, hence the name. Recently, there's been a big resurgence of the style in the American craft brew scene. Much like Double IPAs, they work well as an no-compromises showcase for a brewer's talents and are one of the beer community's absolute favorite styles.

So, what Russian Imperial Stout to start with? While there are plenty on the market here in Houston, I was extremely excited this past Winter to find cans of Oskar Blues' legendary Ten Fidy on the shelves. With tons of buzz in the beer community and constant mentions on top beer lists, I've been waiting to try this beer for a long time now. Ten Fidy is a full-blown Russian Imperial Stout with ten percent alcohol by volume and almost 100 IBUs. Here's how Oskar Blues describe Ten Fidy:

It's the beer equivalent of decadently rich milkshake made with malted-milk balls and Heaven’s best chocolate ice cream.

How can you not like that? Let's pop a can open and see what lies inside.

Appearance: My God, it looks like motor oil as it pours out of the can. Blacker than black and thick as molasses, this is without a doubt the darkest beer I've ever seen. It's like a black hole, absorbing all light it comes in contact with. In the glass, it pours a very minimalistic deep-caramel head with half-decent lacing and retention.

Aroma: If you melted a bar of dark chocolate and mixed it with a few drops of pure hop oil and a shot of ethanol, this is what it would smell like. Powerful is somewhat of an understatement.

Taste: Pounds of dark-roasted, bittersweet chocolate malt condensed down into an aluminum-wrapped twelve ounce serving. But don't be fooled into thinking this is just a one-dimensional beer. Somehow, the maniacal brewers have found space in the can for a big wall of hops. How can a beer as big as this seem somewhat balanced? Madness. As you'd expect for a beer in the double digit ABV realm, the booze likes to raise its voice. As it warms, it kicks your ass more and more.

Mouthfeel: I've compared other beers to milkshakes before, but they all seem like water compared to this. This is simply massive and smooth as all hell. The booze makes itself known in your throat.

Drinkability: You'd have to be some sort of God/lumberjack hybrid to be able to throw this back with ease.

Verdict: Ten Fidy is an experience, to say the least, and the best Russian Imperial I've tried yet. A massive body with a brilliant malt profile and a nice flourish of hops. If you like Russian Imperial Stouts whatsoever and can find this in your area, buy it. If you can't find it in your area, move.

Grade: A+

Note: While this review is being published in June, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh last Winter.