Cuvée Noire
Brooklyn Brewery

Cuvée NoireCuvée Noire
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From:
Brooklyn Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
ABV:
10.6%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.9 | pDev: 11.03%
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
179
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 18, 2022
Added:
May 13, 2014
Wants:
  16
Gots:
  53
Brooklyn Cuvée Noire starts with a solid base of German malts, builds color and flavor from British and American roasted malts, gains rum notes from Mauritius raw sugar, grabs a hint of citrus from sweet orange peel, and then ferments under the flag of Belgium. Our Belgian house yeast lends the beer a gentle spiciness on a dry, brisk palate displaying notes of chocolate, coffee and citrus. Then follows six months in oak barrels, which marries all the flavors while adding overtones of vanilla, coconut, and flowers. Finally
the beer is bottled completely flat and undergoes a full refermentation in the bottle.

Malts: Weyermann Pilsner, Simpsons Chocolate, Crisp Black, Breiss Black Barley
Additions: Sweet Orange Peel
Hops: German Perle, Slovenian Aurora
Yeast: Our special Belgian strain
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.25 by EMV from Pennsylvania

Apr 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by hopley from Massachusetts

Oct 08, 2019
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

4.12/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Cork and wire sealed 750 ml bottle with a Q2 2014 date served in a goblet in December (Q4) of 2018.

Pours near black with a fizzy beige head that lasts longer than the fizzy appearance suggests.

Aroma: raisins and other dark dried fruits, bourbon, alcohol esters, bourbon barrel, light coffee and faint spices.

Flavor: dark dried fruits including raisins and dates; bourbon and woody notes from the bourbon barrel; orange peel; faint yeast, chocolate and spices. ... a well balanced and harmonious mix.

Feel: lively, medium body.

Overall: apparently, this has aged very nicely: tasty and complex with minimal alcohol heat given over 10% ABV.
Dec 17, 2018
 
Rated: 4.19 by ummswimmin from New Jersey

Dec 24, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Jul 12, 2017
 
Rated: 4.32 by zombles222 from New York

Jun 26, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

4.35/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This was poured into a snifter. The appearance was a black color with a one finger white foamy appearance that dissipated within a good minute. Light foamy edgy lacing strings around the glass nicely. The smell starts off with a sweet sticky milk chocolate, and then a light ample amount of dark chocolate. A little bit of fudge runs in with a slight sticky sweet orange pulpiness to balance it out delicately. The taste was a nice sweet to semi-bitter and somewhat roasty flavor strolling into a sly sticky sweet chocolatey to sweet orange aftertaste. There’s a light sweet to semi-bitter finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a fairly decent sipping to sessionable sort of feel to it, maybe because it was aged - unsure. If anything, holy wow, what a sessionable sweet smooth feel over my tongue. Overall, for a Double/Imperial Stout, this was done extremely well.
Jun 20, 2017
 
Rated: 4.41 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Jun 05, 2017
 
Rated: 4.18 by JakerLou from New Hampshire

May 03, 2017
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Reviewed by CHickman from New York

4.26/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
2014 vintage, it pours pitch black color with a small beige head that faded slowly and left minimal spotty lacing. Thanks to "Boccu" for the bottle share.

Smells of red wine, yeast, mild agave or tequila, syrup, caramel, malt, toffee, orange peel, dark fruits, coffee grinds and cocoa powder. Interesting combo that's malt driven with some minor oaky and earthy notes mixing in for nice complexities.

Tastes like it smells with red wine, chocolate, brown sugar, funky yeast, oaky notes, faint bourbon, citrus notes, orange peel, sweet malt, cocoa powder, coconut water and lingering sweet malt. Really smooth and complex, syrup and caramel trail and seem like candied sugar and give the Belgian essence and more depth. It starts off like a stout but morphs into a unique a bold Belgian style ale.
Apr 27, 2017
Photo of Boccu
Reviewed by Boccu from New York

4.13/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours blackish brown with nice big brown head with a nice brown head that fades slowly. Aroma is rum tones. Taste is a bit Winnie, rum, light bourbon tone vanilla, coconut and flowers. Not my style but well made.
Apr 27, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by npala86 from Florida

Feb 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.73 by Reich90 from Wisconsin

Dec 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Oct 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.66 by Stoutsman from Kansas

Aug 01, 2016
Photo of ssm462
Reviewed by ssm462 from Florida

3.96/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Looks very toasty dark thick and smells like a black ops. Has a similar Belgium style flavor that makes black ops such a cult classic. Unfortunately it's a little watery and doesn't have that rich creamy flavor you'd expect from its look. Slight head forms that dissapates quickly a rich malty smell with a little sour after taste. Overall was not worth the price tag I payed for it - 25 bucks.
Jul 17, 2016
Photo of Jadjunk
Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
"Once a 'Ghost Bottle' That we only made for ourselves, Brooklyn Cuvee Noire finally journeys beyond our walls. A stout-like blend of German and British pale and dark malts, this beer is fermented with Belgian yeast and then spends more than six months in Kentucky bourbon barrels. Dry, brisk, and complex, showing notes of chocolate, coffee, citrus, vanilla and coconut, Cuvee Noire is refermented in this bottle with Champagne yeast. It is a most excellent accompaniment to dinner." Brewed in the style of a Belgian Strong Dark Ale, available in limited release 750 ml. bottles.

Poured from a 750ml. bottle to a snifter glass.

(Appearance) Pours a crisp, foamy head of an ecru tan over a very dark brown body. Retention is above average and lacing is light and patchy. 3.75

(Smell) Pale, bread malts, caramel grains, chocolate and biscuit build a rich, complex malt aroma. The impact of bourbon is very notable in the aroma, with slight alcohol heat discernible and the subtleties of toasted oak and vanilla creeping through. Spicy and drying yeast nose generates unusual fruity and citrus notes for an unusual spin for both a dark Belgian strong and a stout. Slightly lighter in perceived body than a stout, but moderately potent. 3.75

(Taste) Complex but lightly bodied malt characters of caramel biscuit, bread malts, trace chocolate, pale and light roast with a reserved sweetness and a starkly dry delivery. Bourbon creeps out a bit more boldly than anticipated, with a larger bite of alcohol and lesser oak and vanilla, by this point it only complicates things. Finishes light, dry and peppery spicy with a sharp ethanol pinch. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, lightly creamy, softly tangy, very dry. Carbonation is moderate, generating a moderate frothiness and a moderately crisp finish. Body is medium+ for the style, medium/heavy overall. Balance is tangy, acidic, grainy and boozy alcohol over sweet. Alcohol presence is light and there are no off characters. 3.75

(Overall) A highly experimental brew project that may find some appeal, but to me it waffles between styles without really bringing any of them together. Coupled with a flavor imbalance and a very exposed alcohol bite, it doesn't work out well for me. I don't like being disappointed by these expensive bottle reviews, but I can't say this is worth trying in this format. Maybe a sample on draft to see if it's worth it to you. 3.5

Brooklyn Brewery's
Cuvee Noire
3.6/5.00
May 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.82 by Elpadrino42069 from New York

Apr 24, 2016
 
Rated: 4.18 by stompilator from Texas

Apr 04, 2016
 
Rated: 4.37 by k8kruk from New York

Mar 09, 2016
Cuvée Noire from Brooklyn Brewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 179 ratings