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Lightning Bug
5 Stones Artisan Brewery

Lightning BugLightning Bug
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
5 Stones Artisan Brewery
 
Texas, United States
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
6.7%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.93 | pDev: 12.21%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
18
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 09, 2020
Added:
Nov 07, 2014
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of HoodviewBrew
Reviewed by HoodviewBrew from Texas

3.84/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Take a milk stout, IPA, and candy bar and mash it into a beer and that is Lightning Bug. Other reviews were correct. I didn't get an overdone head, instead it was about 2 fingers high and dark brown. The beer itself is close to black. You can smell chocolate, char, and lime in that order. The taste is pretty even between a slightly bitter stout, medium/strong citrus and pine taste, and then a fairly evident sweetness at the end. It's weird. I do have one ding on the taste and that is that the oiliness tastes a little like dish soap. Not enough to ruin the beer but you definitely notice it. I wouldn't get this in my regular rotation but having a few throughout the year just for its uniqueness is not out of the question.
Sep 09, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by npendres from Wisconsin

Jun 30, 2018
 
Rated: 3.63 by GarbageMan10 from Texas

Jul 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3 by Karibourgeois from Texas

Apr 14, 2017
 
Rated: 3.58 by ExaltedNecrosis from Texas

Nov 24, 2015
Photo of Shafaegalo
Reviewed by Shafaegalo from Texas

3.53/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A really gorgeous beer to look at...once you get past the volcano type head that poured in my glass. Even with a side pour this overflowed my glass with foam for a good 2 minutes. The head wouldn't subside for another 5 to 7. Smell was muddled to say the best. Couldn't really pick up the roastiness I like in a Black Ale but then I couldn't pick up on the lemon, lime or oranges either. Taste followed the smell with it being very muddled. No nice roastiness or chocolate and no citrus either...just bitterness. Feel was adequate. I'm hoping I just picked up a bad bottle. From reading the other reviews this one sounds great at its peak.
Oct 05, 2015
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Undated bottle at 42 degrees into snifter
Aroma of malt and lemons, lasts
Head large and firm (seven cm, aggressive pour), light brown, creamy, slooowly diminishing to irregular three to 25 mm ring and partial heaped creamy layer
Lacing fair ā€“ thick drag foam across from where Iā€™m drinking, but not much around the rest of the ring
Body dark brown, opaque
Flavor thick chocolate malt with a long hang time, followed by a burst of lemon; no alcohol, no diacetyl
Palate full, creamy, lively carbonation

Appearance 4.5, Aroma 4.5, Flavor 4.5, Palate 5, Overall 4.5
Oct 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by OKFine from Michigan

Dec 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Tayloraphilips from Texas

Dec 05, 2014
Photo of Smakawhat
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from the bottle into a Spiegelau IPA glass.

Big deep and perfectly controlled cocoa tan brown head. Creamy on the fill with a good four fingers and not out of control but aggressive. Thick and foamy cap, clumping retention, scattered lacing, thick and hanging. Deep dark walnut black body, with a nice faint hint of red, and some ruby highlights in the light. Just an awesome looker.

Good solid aroma, hints of mild roasty milk chocolate, with a cocoa powder dark sense. Mild hints of citrus fruit, some hop oils, and slight herbal grass and airy character. Hints of zesty oils of fruit rind nicely too. So far this is pushing all the right buttons for me.

Palate is very unexpected. Hop front comes with, a fruit added wash of citrus lemon and lime. Really sort of not in the classic IPA vein, but expected with the additional fruit. Big oily finish and character, with lots of roast, mild char, and a washing peanut butter rinse on the end. Fruited citrus peanut butter it seems, with an oily hop coating, Much more roast bitterness comes out with warmth, but is totally tolerable.

Another beer seemed destined for greatness, but sort of takes a wild turn on the palate. Still a fun interesting brew though.
Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Dogleg from Pennsylvania

Dec 01, 2014
Photo of Severdali
Reviewed by Severdali from Texas

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%
Pours jet black in color with a two finger head. leaves a slight lace in the tulip, however that slight lace manages to stay stuck to the glass for quite a while. Smells of citrus, and slight red fruits. A nice aroma but falls a little more flat on the taste end. The lemon/lime aroma is highly evident in the smell, although, and very nice.

Earthy/pungent/slightly bitter/ has a very slight oat/citrus /citrus rind/dark ale profile to it. Fairly creamy mouthfeel with a slight bitterness, I would say the best thing about this beer is the mouthfeel. The citrus overpowers the ale itself too much and winds up tasting like citrus rind too much for me to become very enjoyable.

A decent effort from 5stones that needs some tweaking. It is highly drinkable, that and the fact that the mouthfeel is very nice are the best parts of it, along with the fact that they tried to incorporate fresh fruit into the beer and it comes out in the aroma. But the flavor is confused.
Nov 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Nov 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by XicanoBeerRun from Texas

Nov 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Tiernan from Texas

Nov 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by htdoerge from Texas

Nov 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by greenspointexas from Texas

Nov 15, 2014
Photo of JohnK1366
Rated by JohnK1366 from Texas

4.75/5  rDev +20.9%
Terrific Black IPA. Not overly bitter, but nice hop flavor in a dark IPA.
Nov 07, 2014
Lightning Bug from 5 Stones Artisan Brewery
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 18 ratings