The Devil's Invention
4 Hands Brewing Co.

The Devil's InventionThe Devil's Invention
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
4 Hands Brewing Co.
 
Missouri, United States
Style:
American Stout
ABV:
7%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.08 | pDev: 7.35%
Reviews:
37
Ratings:
180
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 09, 2021
Added:
Jan 21, 2016
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  26
The Devil's Invention is a full-bodied stout brewed with coffee. Inspired by one of the early nicknames for coffee, "the bitter invention of Satan", this stout has a bold, chocolatey aroma with complex notes of coffee and a smooth, sweet finish. The Devil's Invention pours black in color with a tan head.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by KShophead:
Photo of KShophead
Rated by KShophead from Kansas

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

May 08, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12 oz can from Cullen
No legible date (thanks 4Hands!)
Into THAT! NE IPA snifter.

Deep black with a tall brown head of 2 fingers, even in this medium-sized brandy taster. Lots of lace left in sheets as it recedes slowly to a half finger.

Aroma from the can is coffee, coffee, and more coffee. With a slight blackberry note. The coffee seems to be a mix of off-brand ground coffee, name-brand ground coffee, and slight fresh oily bean. It's about medium grade. Aroma from the glass is chlorine, cardboard, and coffee.

Flavor brings roasted malt, chlorine (maybe cheap coffee), good coffee, and a hint of chocolate dust. Hints of cream. It's for sure a coffee-lover's beer.

Feel is oily, slick, mildly sticky, fluffy, creamy, mildly carbonated, with a dry finish and no alcohol anywhere. It's super smooth.

Overall, run of the mill, but tasty nonetheless. Some of the fresh coffee gets lost in the flavor, but I'm not sure how old this can is anyhow. I'm still docking it because 4Hands should be dating their cans. A fair to decent coffee beer.
Jan 09, 2021
 
Rated: 4.59 by jmbeerdude91 from Arizona

Dec 09, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Elicoleman from Colorado

Jun 10, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by Corburk from Pennsylvania

Apr 12, 2019
Photo of brureview
Reviewed by brureview from Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very rich coffee stout brewed with Sump’s coffee. Darker full roast flavor. Nice dark dark chocolate brown color with a 3F head. Good MF, Perhaps a bit light for the style. Malty, no bitterness. Quite enjoyable! Always different beers from this St. Louis brewery.
Apr 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by Benish from Utah

Mar 08, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

3.99/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
"Best by 7/2/17"; drank 2/19/17 @ the Yarchives.

Black appearance.

A violent pour yielded a HUGE, noisy dark tan head; minimal lace.

Medium roast coffee bean, cream, chocolate syrup & faint fresh earth notes in the nose.

Thick, chewy mouthfeel.

Medium roast coffee bean & cream flavors up front; chocolate syrup & dry earth notes on the finish.

Sweet, but there's enough balance to make this palatable. A nice coffee stout.
Mar 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4.35 by kyleondrums from Illinois

Feb 26, 2019
Photo of MacBrewin
Reviewed by MacBrewin from Illinois

2.41/5  rDev -40.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
What coffee? Smells of raisins, tastes of raisins. A bit on the sweet side, zero coffee smell or taste. Medium mouthfeel. Would not buy again. I've found 4 hands stouts to be consistently disappointing.
Feb 25, 2019
 
Rated: 4.23 by bigpoppa67 from Wisconsin

Feb 23, 2019
 
Rated: 4.05 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Feb 14, 2019
Photo of EMH73
Reviewed by EMH73 from New York

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours an extremely dark brown with a two inch fluffy beige head that dissipates fairly slowly to a thin ring that leaves few spots of lacing. Smells of dark roast coffee, chocolate and roasted malts. Tastes of espresso, dark chocolate, roasted malts, slight sweetness (I think it's toffee), a bit of char and nuttiness. Just shy of medium bodied, soft carbonation, light creaminess to the mouth feel, dry and moderate bitterness on the finish.
Jan 13, 2019
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.07/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
They say that the devil its in the details. But at the 4 Hands brewing company, he's in the brew kettle as a big and bold stout is born and then blended with the finest coffee they could find for a deep, dark and roasted taste that can only be described as devilish.

Nearly straight black, the brownest of brown The Devil's Invention builds a tall mocha froth and lures in the nose with dark chocolate, dark roast coffee and sweeter toffee scents in an impressive mocha latte way. A fairly bold set of sweetnesses greet the front of the tongue with the malty likeness of toffee, caramel and cream.

Yet as the flavors unfold, the sweetness soon gives way to the roast. Deeply roasted coffee is that of French pressed character and a shade off of espresso. Bittersweet chocolates, black walnut and a faint drift of campfire trickles across the middle palate and into a late taste of woodsy bitterness and a fine kahlua spice.

Full but relaxed, a mild nougat-like creaminess pulls from the creamy taste and supports the generous coffee additions with an element of vanilla and malted milk. A finish of coffee bitterness is outlasted only by an aura of campfire and chocolate once more in a retro-olfactory action.
Jan 04, 2019
 
Rated: 4.21 by Mark-Leggett from Missouri

Dec 30, 2018
 
Rated: 3.87 by MI_beerdrinker from Texas

Dec 26, 2018
 
Rated: 3.58 by jcoleMA66 from Massachusetts

Dec 26, 2018
 
Rated: 3.84 by CanConPhilly from Pennsylvania

Dec 20, 2018
Photo of drunkenmess
Reviewed by drunkenmess from Michigan

3.99/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark chocolate blackish brown.
Decent darker tan head at 1st pour then nothing as beer settles. No lacing.

Smells of burnt cocoa and roast coffee.
Maybe alittle charred malts and slight tobacco. Really good nose.

Taste is bitter espresso upfront. Then followed by heavy chocolate, along with the charred malt on the finish.

Body is thin to medium. Carbonation is light. After taste and mouthful is slighty sticky and dry.

Another well done coffee stout. I'm a fan for sure!
Dec 14, 2018
Photo of Livyatan1996
Reviewed by Livyatan1996 from Missouri

4.31/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
these just dropped again and I instantly jumped on a pack. still cool on the shelf from being on the truck that morning i imagine. love the artwork. dumped a can into a tulip glass, big ol khaki head over some darrrk beer. mild lacing left. smell is a shot of espresso, and in fact everything about this beer screams morning cup of coffee. damn dangerous. taste has hints of char and chocolate that remind you it is in fact a beer. absolutely delicious. feels a tad thin for me but still coats the mouth enough and leaves you with a warming dryness. let's get this in some bourbon barrels.
Oct 09, 2018
The Devil's Invention from 4 Hands Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 180 ratings