Blackout Stout
Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Blackout StoutBlackout Stout
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From:
Great Lakes Brewing Co.
 
Ohio, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #185
ABV:
9.9%
Score:
93
Ranked #2,907
Avg:
4.2 | pDev: 8.57%
Reviews:
1,278
Ratings:
3,694
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 06, 2024
Added:
Nov 30, 2003
Wants:
  492
Gots:
  735
Turn off the lights and turn on the flavor, because Blackout Stout is back and as dark as ever. Inspired by the infamous 2003 blackout that briefly left some 55 million people without power, the bold flavors of our Imperial Stout will light up even the darkest nights. Black malt and roasted barley cast notes of chocolate, dark fruit, and coffee, while earthy hops put the lights out on this shadowy brew with a pleasantly bitter finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by beerad666:
Photo of beerad666
Reviewed by beerad666 from Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Pours a near black with the head vanishing quickly leaving a thin tan ring of bubbles. The aroma is roasted with chocolate, vanilla, cherry a hint of hops and nice light alcohol burn. After my first sip I was hooked on this beer, it is incredibly balanced. Toasted and roasted, with light chocolate and not overly sweet. Finished by a bit of hops to round it all off. I was just happy to not see this overly sweet as so many other RIS are. I could be drinking this beer all the time if I could. I had a couple on tap and loved every sip of it. Great beer!
Mar 16, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.9 by Whyteboar from Michigan

Jan 06, 2024
 
Rated: 4.25 by Iggy88 from Ohio

Dec 31, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Nyoder

Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.19 by DrewTheBrew from Ohio

Nov 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Oktoberfest from Ohio

Oct 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.16 by not2quick from Missouri

May 04, 2023
 
Rated: 4.17 by shelby415 from Oregon

Mar 10, 2023
 
Rated: 3.77 by O-Meg from New York

Mar 02, 2023
 
Rated: 3.66 by Arg914 from New York

Mar 02, 2023
Photo of CarolinaCardinals
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina

4.12/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Picked up a single from the Blue Door Bottleshop in Hendersonville 10-7-23 for $4.25. Best by 7-15-23; consumed 2-26-23.

Beer poured blackout black with a nice light tan white head.

Nose has notes of heavy roasted malts and dark chocolate.

Taste is a heavy roasted malt base that gives a nice dose of dark chocolate and coffee in my aspirations. Finishes with a nice roasty and hoppy bitterness but it is not astringent.

Mouthfeel is very nice, medium to heavy bodied and very smooth.

Overall a very enjoyable RIS. Glad to have finally tried this classic!
Feb 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.38 by axxe from New York

Feb 11, 2023
 
Rated: 4.28 by lsudduth from Ohio

Feb 04, 2023
Photo of defunksta
Reviewed by defunksta from Wisconsin

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Pours a completely dark, black color with a strong tan head. SRM of 24. (4.00)

Aroma: Strong aromas of dark chocolate, rich chocolate, coffee, cream, and roast. Rich and chocolate. (4.00)

Flavor: Strong flavors of rich chocolate some Cany sugar gives a sweet Belgian chocolate and tongue tickle in the middle, before a rich and smooth chocolate finish. Malty and sweet, but then an uprising roasted bitterness ends up lingering. (4.00)

Feel: Heavier-bodied, average to stronger carbonation. Sweet, but then also an uprising of roasted bitterness that lingers. (4.00)

Compared to Bells Expedition Stout 2/2023: Pours similar, lighter head. Similar aromas. More bittersweet chocolate and coffee roast. Less thick and heavy chocolate with complex malt flavors of bread pudding and caramel. More bitter, roasted, and dry.

Overall: A fantastic Russian Imperial Stout. As usual Great Lakes fashion this one packs together a great array of rich chocolate flavors with a rising roasted bitterness. Balance is the name of the game here, and it does it very nicely. 9.9% makes it feel like it's lighter, but make no mistake it's still 10% and incredibly and dangerously drinkable. (Rating: 4.05)
Jan 08, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by carolinabeerguy from North Carolina

Jan 04, 2023
Photo of NiceTaps
Reviewed by NiceTaps from New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 ounce bottle in a fine snifter.

Toasted dark brown color with a nice 1f dark tan cap. Semitransparent. Various light lacing.

Dry barley out front. Dark chocolate and roasted coffee aromas, anise and liquor soaked dark fruit.

Belgian dark chocolate and roasted coffee flavors. The dry barley comes along.

Palate friendly smooth medium body. Dark roast and a touch of hop bitterness blend together.

A good Xmas Eve stout pick that ends the evening nicely. All around good Imperial stout that I’ll have again.
Dec 25, 2022
 
Rated: 4.43 by soarinsteven from Illinois

Dec 16, 2022
Photo of BitteNochEinWeissbier
Reviewed by BitteNochEinWeissbier from Pennsylvania

4.02/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle
Date: 06/11/2019
Consumed on: 17 Nov, 2022
Glass: Snifter
ABV: 9.9%
Serving Temp: 54.8 F


Look:
Deep and opaque black with a thin tan head. The head dissipates to a ring and a thin film over most of the beer. Lacing is good.

Smell:
Very rich dark bittersweet chocolate with some notes of dark fruits in the background. Some char (which blends into the chocolate aromas) and faint notes of espresso and black licorice. Some earthy notes are in there as well.

Taste:
Dark malts and chocolate start things off and then the dark fruits and some molasses (like blackstrap) take over for a short time. The sip really sweetens up with perhaps some brown sugar coming thru. Then the earthy notes and the somewhat bitter char take over, which help bring back some chocolate and also some dark roasted coffee. Things finish bittersweet and roasty and somewhat dry (for an Imperial Stout). The alcohol is fairly well hidden, though not completely.

Feel:
Smooth and creamy with some warmth from the alcohol. The body is medium. With a slight lean towards medium-full.

Overall:
A very good (Russian) Imperial Stout. Not overly bitter for the style, this tends towards the sweeter side but not overly much. Very drinkable, and perhaps dangerously so.

This beer has aged well over the 4 years that I have had it. I think that things have smoothed out over that time and blended quite nicely. What does seem to have suffered is the head/carbonation and the body (which is a tad light for my preferences for an RIS). But that's OK. I never found this beer to be overly hoppy/bitter when fresh, so I wasn't sure how it would handle this many years. I can say that it handled that time just fine.
Nov 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.33 by RichRubes610 from Pennsylvania

Nov 16, 2022
Photo of dd53grif
Reviewed by dd53grif from Michigan

4.18/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a black color with a minimal head that disappears quickly. Aroma of coffee and roasted malts. Taste is black coffee and roasted malts. Finish is hoppy bitterness.
Oct 27, 2022
Blackout Stout from Great Lakes Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 3694 ratings