6/10
Tried
on 16 Aug 2024
at 17:02
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Collab between Bang The Elephant, a brewery in Derbyshire, with the elusive Emperor's; a formidable pastry stout, thanks Craftmember for sharing. Thin and open, mocha-beige ring of foam dissolving completely over a black beer with waferthin burgundy edges. Aroma of Bounty candy, Nutella, walnut oil, cognac, mocha ice cream, fudge, date syrup, milk chocolate, candied figs, hazelnut paste, baked banana, touch bayleaf, vanilla, black pepper. Densely sweet onset, yellow raisins and fig jam, softish carb, full and viscous, 'fat' body; thickly chocolatey, fudge- and hazelnut paste-like core, toffee and cappuccino with a rich finish, unveiling a peppery hop note underneath, biscuit, almond and warming, bourbon-like alcohol. Very rich pastry stout in the typical 'overblown' Emperor's style - not sure what Bang The Elephant usually does, but Emperor's is certainly recognisable here. Over the top and decadent, but creating a 14% ABV stout and still making it feel like 10% ABV is a 'tour de force' of its own, I guess. Bold and beautiful - if sipped very slowly over the course of a chilly winter evening rather than in this time of the year.
Tried
on 10 Aug 2024
at 00:35
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Panda at home, thanks to Kenneth, 08/08/24. Moderately hazed deep orange topped with a just off white cap that thins to a swirl. Nose is grapefruit, orange peel, melon, faint coffee notes, mango. Taste comprises bitter orange, light booze tunes, melon, hop spice, guava, light stone fruits, hint of caramel, mango. Medium bodied with bite, soft carbonation, semi drying close spliced with juicy come resinous hop bitterness allied to a balanced rising boost. Tidy TIPA ... sips easy for 10% perhaps a touch too sweet to be in my top drawer for this sub genre.
Tried
on 08 Aug 2024
at 17:57
8.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 10
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
23/VII/24 - 44cl can @ Alengrin’s place, BB: VI/2026 (2024-598) Thanks to Hinke for sharing the can!
A little cloudy dark brown beer, small creamy beige head, unstable, non adhesive. Aroma: lots and lots of coconut, chocolate, a bit of a sugary impression, caramel, earthy, vanilla, more coconut. MF: ok carbon, medium to full body. Taste: very sugary, lots and lots of coconut, sweet, alcohol, some vanilla, bourbon. Aftertaste: sugary, soft roast, alcohol, lots and lots of coconut, sugary, nice stuff!
A little cloudy dark brown beer, small creamy beige head, unstable, non adhesive. Aroma: lots and lots of coconut, chocolate, a bit of a sugary impression, caramel, earthy, vanilla, more coconut. MF: ok carbon, medium to full body. Taste: very sugary, lots and lots of coconut, sweet, alcohol, some vanilla, bourbon. Aftertaste: sugary, soft roast, alcohol, lots and lots of coconut, sugary, nice stuff!
Tried
from Can
on 23 Jul 2024
at 21:45
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Cask at The Wellington, Birmingham. Poured a slightly unclear golden colour with a lasting frothy white head. The aroma is grainy malt, toffee, light tropical citrus. The flavour is moderate sweet, with a smooth, somewhat light, malt, toffee caramel, juicy citrus, light woody hop bitter palate and a lingering bitter finish. Medium bodied with soft carbonation.
Tried
from Cask
on 22 Jul 2024
at 20:22
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Gravity pour at the 1st Annual Beer Festival of the Pheasant Inn and Brewhouse, 20th July 2024. Black bodied, tanned crown on top. Sweet honey feel to this one, nice and uncomplicated flavoured Stout.
Tried
on 21 Jul 2024
at 08:48
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
3rd July 2024
Bottleshare at CBJ. Hazy gold beer, small pale cream colour head. Light palate, quite smooth, mild fine carbonation. Pretty sweet creamy malts. Hops bring light pine. Citrus peel. Savoury hop. Floral citrus. A little ripe tropical fruits. Light finish. Sweet but decent.
Bottleshare at CBJ. Hazy gold beer, small pale cream colour head. Light palate, quite smooth, mild fine carbonation. Pretty sweet creamy malts. Hops bring light pine. Citrus peel. Savoury hop. Floral citrus. A little ripe tropical fruits. Light finish. Sweet but decent.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Jul 2024
at 16:08
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
14th July 2024
Can. Citra, Motueka, Vista and Waimea hops. Hazy orange gold beer, tidy pale cream colour head. Airy smooth palate, good fine minerally carbonation. Airy pale malts, a fair amount of creamy sweetness but it's outmuscled by a jolly good savoury skunky hop show. Juicy fruity hops too boot, good tangerine and mandarin, Motueka, for once in 2024, not that dominant, a touch of Kiwi lime but Citra is the boss here. Vista and Waimea, well really lost in the mix for me. Finishes crispy with a mix of crisp pine, juicy fruity hops, savoury hops and quite the creamy malt. All the elements of a very good dipa here but, for me anyway, it's not quite harmonious enough to make the top division.
Can. Citra, Motueka, Vista and Waimea hops. Hazy orange gold beer, tidy pale cream colour head. Airy smooth palate, good fine minerally carbonation. Airy pale malts, a fair amount of creamy sweetness but it's outmuscled by a jolly good savoury skunky hop show. Juicy fruity hops too boot, good tangerine and mandarin, Motueka, for once in 2024, not that dominant, a touch of Kiwi lime but Citra is the boss here. Vista and Waimea, well really lost in the mix for me. Finishes crispy with a mix of crisp pine, juicy fruity hops, savoury hops and quite the creamy malt. All the elements of a very good dipa here but, for me anyway, it's not quite harmonious enough to make the top division.
Tried
from Can
on 14 Jul 2024
at 20:16
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
(Cask at Craft Beer Co Covent Garden, London, 11 May 2024) Cloudy golden colour with frothy, off-white head. Fruity nose with orange peel, apricots, tropical fruit and a touch of toast. Fruity, hoppy taste with notes of orange, peaches, grass, tropical fruit, pineapple, white bread and a gentle citric/grassy bitterness in the finish. Medium body, with a touch of sweetness. Fresh and tasty. Nice one.
Tried
from Cask
on 11 Jul 2024
at 20:37
8.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Can from Eltham Wines. Cloudy yellow pour with a white head. Humungous tropical fruit aromas, splash of pineapple, kiwifruit, peach. Rich warming flavours of mango, papaya, pineapple, guava, kiwifruit, peach, white pepper. Soothing alcohol warmth. Long hoppy linger, really leaves a mark. Very nice indeed.
Tried
from Can
on 08 Jul 2024
at 16:10