Silent Nights
Kane Brewing Company

Silent NightsSilent Nights
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From:
Kane Brewing Company
 
New Jersey, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
12%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.1 | pDev: 8.54%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
132
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 13, 2022
Added:
Jan 28, 2012
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  17
American-style Imperial Stout. This is a hopped-up version of a classic Imperial Stout. Starting with Halcyon Pale, a traditional British base malt that adds a toasty, biscuity character to the beer, we add dark roasted and caramel malts for notes of coffee, chocolate, and dark fruits. Generous use of American hops, Simcoe, Chinook and Columbus, add bold but complementary flavors and aromas that bring everything together in a full bodied and richly complex ale for the quiet off season here on the coast.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750ml bottle poured into a tulip
I believe this is a 2016 bottle

A- pours jet black in color with a one-finger foamy dark khaki head that reduces to leave plenty of bubble around the edge of the glass

S- bold and dark aroma with notes of charred malt, dark chocolate, peanut brittle, anise, smoke, raisins, figs, black cherries, brown sugar, even some port-like notes

T- huge notes of bitter dark chocolate up front, followed by notes of black licorice and brownie batter. Mid-palate brings out dark fruit notes of raisin and black cherries, as well as some reminiscent notes of port. The finish gives more dark chocolate, as well as charred malt, which sticks around on the linger, along with faded piney hops

M- medium-heavy body with moderate carbonation leads to a silky mouthfeel that continues into a slightly creamy, warming finish

O- an outstanding, straight up imperial stout. No barrel or adjuncts needed, well done
Jun 13, 2022
 
Rated: 4.01 by Keananmichael5 from California

Mar 12, 2022
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.29/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Extremely rusty cap under the wax. Not holding that against it, but it did require some careful extrication and cleaning prior to pouring.

Very good head production and excellent retention. Beautiful imperial stout.

Huge, boozy, roasty, dark nose, from the pour and from a distance. More of an RIS on the nose, with tons of bitterness, char, burnt coffee, espresso, Baker's chocolate, earthy hops, prunes, raisins, and red grapes, along with caramel, molasses, toffee, licorice, semi-sweet chocolate, and brown sugar. There is absolutely no hiding the ABV on the nose; it easily matches brews anywhere from 10-18% in assertiveness.

Thick, creamy, chewy. An incredibly full mouthfeel up there with the very best in the style. Clearly boozy, but never in any way oppressive or aggressive.

On the palate, it's a big, rich, and fairly sweet beer, with a bit of a port wine aspect. Waves of brown sugar and chocolate, molasses and vanilla, raisins and prunes; caramel, toffee, and toast. Most of the roasty char and hoppy bite has aged off gracefully, with just a hint of oxidation. Nearly syrupy in the presentation of sweet tones.
Nov 27, 2019
 
Rated: 4.24 by ThatAmateurBeerDrinker from New York

Apr 26, 2019
Photo of IvoryFoxhole
Reviewed by IvoryFoxhole from Virginia

4.07/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2015 batch on tap at brewery 1/10. Giggity.

L: Dark black with very long lasting tan foamy head with lots of lacing.

S: Roasty with hints of chocolate and nuts. A bit muted.

T: Roasty and nutty with unsweetened chocolate. Surprisingly hoppy for a stout so an earthy citrus finish comes in.

F: Pretty full-bodied, light carbonation. Pretty nicely synthesized for the complexity. ABV nicely hidden.

O: It's good but not entirely sure what it wants to be. Aging worked out well.
Jan 10, 2019
 
Rated: 3.83 by srw from Virginia

Jan 07, 2019
Photo of Tony210
Reviewed by Tony210 from New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2015 vintage.
Pours pitch black, impervious to light. Thin mocha head that creates a ring around the glass. Aroma is mostly roasted malt, chocolate, coffee. Big roasted malt flavor, bitter espresso finish. Thick and viscous, rich and creamy, like it is nitro (but it is not). Overall a very well put together imperial stout, it aged nicely.

1/3/19
Draft at brewery, 2015 vintage
4.25 rating
Jan 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.23 by edthehead from Maryland

Jul 08, 2018
Photo of JerzDevl2000
Reviewed by JerzDevl2000 from New Jersey

4.31/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This might have been the first bottle on the Other Half line that was given to me by someone who was looking to get rid of his stash. Given that I enjoy Kane's offerings, this was a no-brainer to take and thankfully, I didn't have to let this sit very long before having it. Not a bad Stout but it was just a bit more basic than I would have liked. Quite smooth, the coffee and chocolate stood out more than anything else and the recessed alcoholic presence was welcome, but just a bit different than what I'm used to from an American Double / Imperial Stout.

Without a doubt, the pour was the best aspect of this beer. With a cola hue and khaki head, this had the appearance of liquid chocolate mousse. The bubbles lingered for quite a while in my Kane goblet as there were several well-defined soapy rings to be seen as I worked my way through this. Lots of milk chocolate and cocoa powder with some subdued hints of coffee and cream underneath that. The plum and currant came through in the taste along with everything else that was in the nose, as this was indeed full-bodied and roasted without being overly sticky or drowned out by coffee beans brought to warmth. Moderate in carbonation and with a recessed alcoholic taste, this *almost* felt like a Black IPA or an "Imperial Porter* because of the depth of body and roasted aspect...though this was indeed a Stout when all was said and done.

Not weak, this wasn't as strong as other Stouts that I've had lately. It ran thin like coffee but had the richness of chocolate with plenty of fruit notes thrown in, as this was nearly as good a dessert beer as something this dark could get. Really nice job on this as I enjoyed it while not having end my session at the same time. This beer was anything but silent in the end!
Feb 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by Jsalz21 from New Jersey

Dec 14, 2017
Photo of FriedSlug
Reviewed by FriedSlug from North Carolina

4.64/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Black with a light brown head that leaves a curtain of tiny specks behind. The smell is tons of coffee, burnt sugar with some roasted malt and chocolate. The taste is sweet and bitter. Lots of coffee, caramel, chocolate and roasted malt. Bitter hops and char finish with lingering sweetness. Fantastic beer.
Nov 29, 2017
Photo of bobv
Reviewed by bobv from Vermont

4.21/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Moderate pour yields a 3/4 inch tan head over a dark brown body. Nose of dark malt, chocolate, and slight dark fruit. Taste of milk chocolate, bitter chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, slight dark fruit, and black strap molasses. Nice velvety feel and overall, another dark Kane offering that I really enjoyed. Cheers!
Nov 28, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by Lucoli from New York

Nov 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by brpendergast85 from District of Columbia

Jul 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.02 by runeatdrink from New Jersey

Jun 16, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by JoeMans from New York

Jan 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by FightinIrish88 from New Jersey

Dec 29, 2016
 
Rated: 3.72 by mltobin from Connecticut

Aug 27, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by petermethot from New Jersey

Jul 25, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by atrocity from Virginia

Jul 25, 2016
Silent Nights from Kane Brewing Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 132 ratings