Category Archives: 4 – Good (buy)

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Modern Times Beer, Stout - Imperial, USA

Modern Times Mega Black House

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Brewery: Modern Times Beer
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 45 IBUs. Beer with coffee added. Malts – Two Row, Roasted Barley, Flaked Barley, Pale Chocolate, Crystal 60, Crystal 120, Munich, Oats, Dark Chocolate, Black Barley and Midnight Wheat. Coffee – 75% Ethiopian Hambela and 25% Sumatran Mandheling

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Mega Black House is a big, beastly version of our year round oatmeal coffee stout. It rocks a massive coffee aroma & flavor from the vast quantities of house-roasted coffee added to each batch (did you know that we’re one of the only breweries in the world to roast our own coffee in-house? You didn’t, did you? DID YOU?) It sports a complex & chewy malt body that explodes with mucho sabor on the palate before leading into a long, lingering coffee-drenched finish.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.25
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Dark dark brown in colour with a half finger dark tan head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, coffee, cocoa and chocolate.
Taste: Roasted malts, lots of coffee, some cocoa and chocolate with hints of caramel.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with low to moderate carbonation.
Overall: Nice coffee coming from the aroma and taste, but body is a bit light and carbonation perhaps a touch too much. Nevertheless, it was still extremely drinkable.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Evil Twin Brewing, Stout - Imperial, USA

Evil Twin Christmas Eve At A New York City Hotel Room

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Brewery: Evil Twin Brewing
Country: USA
ABV: 10%
Style: American Imperial Stout
Other Notes: Brewed by Evil Twin Brewing, Stratford, CT

Brewer Description: Could not find any real description about the beer.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 3.94
My ratebeer.com rating: 3.9

Intro: A 12 fl. oz. bottle with a Julian bottled on date of 23215, meaning it was bottled on 20th August 2015, so aged for about 2.5 years. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a half finger brown head that dissipated fairly quickly while leaving some sparse spotty lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, molasses, chocolate, cocoa, raisins and dark fruit with hints of char and leather.
Taste: Peppery spice and woody beginning, followed by roasted malts, cocoa, chocolate and molasses. There is a touch of dark fruit and hints of smoke on the finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate to low carbonation.
Overall: My first impression wasn’t so good, but the more I drank it, the more I grew to like it. Perhaps partly it was because it got better as it warmed.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Foreign / Export Stout, Garage Project, New Zealand

Garage Project Mutiny on the Bounty

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Brewery: Garage Project
Country: New Zealand
ABV: 11.2%
Style: Foreign / Export Stout
Other Notes: South Pacific Export Stout

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Come on a journey below the 45th parallel. Inspired by the ill fated expedition of the HMS Bounty, Mutiny is a very South Pacific take on an export stout, brewed with breadfruit, roasted plantain, coconut sugar, toasted coconut and Tahitian vanilla. Spirituous heat elegantly balanced with deep, rich coconut vanilla sweetness in an ebony black brew of intense complexity. A voyage to the true heart of darkness.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.46
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.4

Intro: A 650ml bottle with no clear bottled on or best before date. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a just over one finger tanned head that had decent retention and left some spotty lacing.
Aroma: Vanilla, coconut, roasted malts, chocolate, biscuit, bread and banana.
Taste: Roasted malts, sweet and creamy milk chocolate and vanilla, a touch of bitter dark chocolate and toasted coconut with hints of dark fruit and nuttiness.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, full bodied, light booze and low carbonation.
Overall: A very nice self described Export Stout. Breadfruit was used in the description, but I have no idea what this is meant to taste like. Nevertheless, this is a great sipper for a cold night.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Cerveses La Pirata, Spain, Stout - Russian Imperial

La Pirata Black Block Bourbon Aged

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Brewery: Cerveses La Pirata
Country: Spain
ABV: 13%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 72 IBUs

Brewer Description: (from website) Russian Imperial Stout Bourbon Barrel Aged. The “Bourbon” version of Pearl Pirate. An even more incendiary beer warms much heart and soul.

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.26
My ratebeer.com rating: 4.1

Intro: A 330ml bottle, bottled on 12th September 2017 and a best before date of September 2022. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with pretty much no head and no lacing.
Aroma: Nice bourbon, vanilla and liquorice with chocolate, cocoa, roasty malts and alcohol in the background along with hints of oak.
Taste: Lightly sweet beginning with bourbon, vanilla, raisins and dried dark fruits followed by a light roast, chocolate and cacao.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, medium bodied with low carbonation and a lightly boozy finish.
Overall: A very nice RIS with great bourbon flavours coming through. Body could have been heavier, but despite this, it was still very good.

4 - Good (buy), Beer Reviews, Stone Brewing Co., Stout - Russian Imperial, USA

Stone Imperial Russian Stout

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Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Country: USA
ABV: 10.8%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Other Notes: 2016 release. 65 IBUs. Hops – Warrior

Brewer Description: (from bottle) Stone Imperial Russian Stout is so thick, rich and, well, sinful, you might feel certain that you will be doomed to the fiery pits just for thinking about taking a sip. It almost seems evil. Rest assured, however, that our ever-faithful gargoyle has done his job well by successfully warding off all evil spirits. In fact, we guarantee that no sin was committed in the production of this seemingly pernicious brew. We will admit to using copious doses of decadence in creating the viscous beauty you have before you, but no actual sin.., you’ll have to add that on your own. Brewed in the authentic, historical style of an imperial Russian stout, this beer is massive. Intensely aromatic (notes of anise, black currants, coffee, roastiness and alcohol) and heavy on the palate, this brew goes where few can-and fewer dare even try. The style originated from Czarist Russia’s demand for ever-thicker English stouts. Expect our version of this mysterious brew to pour like Siberian crude and taste even heavier!

My rating: 4
My beeradvocate.com rating: 4.23
My ratebeer.com rating: 4

Intro: A 22 fl. oz. bomber, 2016 release, bottled on 23rd March 2016. Poured into a snifter glass.
Appearance: Black in colour with a just under one finger brown head that dissipated fairly quickly to a ring around the glass while leaving only sparse lacing.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate and coffee with some sweet dark fruit, plum, black currant and cherries.
Taste: Similar to the aroma with roasted malts, lightly burnt smokiness, dark chocolate and coffee, followed by dark fruit sweetness of plum and prunes.
Mouthfeel: Creamy, smooth, full bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: Great aroma and nice taste at the beginning, but perhaps feeling that it was a bit too sweet towards the end, after finishing a full bomber by myself. Alcohol is well hidden though, and it’s a great bottle to share.