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Black Diamond Imperial Porter
Black Diamond Brewing Co.
- From:
- Black Diamond Brewing Co.
- California, United States
- Style:
- Imperial Porter
- ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.88 | pDev: 12.11%
- Reviews:
- 15
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 31, 2015
- Added:
- Apr 16, 2009
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by DSkilling:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas
4.21/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from bottle into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a deep brown almost black color with a small tan colored head. The quickly fades, leaving just a hint of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the beer is huge of roasted malts, caramel, and sweet chocolate. Along with these aromas comes smells of vanilla and some cream, giving a chocolate bar like smell overall. A hint of coffee and some booze are there as well rounding out the aroma and creating a very warming chocolate bar like smell.
Taste – The taste begins with a heavy roasted malt flavor with some cocoa and coffee tastes upfront. There is a decent sum of caramel sweetness which grows stronger and stronger as the taste moves onto the end. All the while, the cocoa grows stronger and is joined by vanilla, giving a sweeter chocolate bar like flavor to the brew. Some more boozy scotch like flavors come to the tongue in the middle, with them growing stronger toward the end. With a bit of a grainy taste and some more cocoa coming to the tongue at the very end, one is left with a nice warming and sweet, boozed up chocolate bar flavor to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is thick and chewy with a carbonation level that is on the lower side. For the big and rich flavors of this porter, this was a fantastic mouthfeel, allowing all those rich chocolate bar and boozy flavors to linger on the tongue and be fully enjoyed.
Overall – This was a very flavorful and tasty porter. Big on sweet chocolate, woody booze, and roast. This is one I would certainly recommend and one to try if you get a chance.
Dec 20, 2014Appearance – The beer pours a deep brown almost black color with a small tan colored head. The quickly fades, leaving just a hint of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the beer is huge of roasted malts, caramel, and sweet chocolate. Along with these aromas comes smells of vanilla and some cream, giving a chocolate bar like smell overall. A hint of coffee and some booze are there as well rounding out the aroma and creating a very warming chocolate bar like smell.
Taste – The taste begins with a heavy roasted malt flavor with some cocoa and coffee tastes upfront. There is a decent sum of caramel sweetness which grows stronger and stronger as the taste moves onto the end. All the while, the cocoa grows stronger and is joined by vanilla, giving a sweeter chocolate bar like flavor to the brew. Some more boozy scotch like flavors come to the tongue in the middle, with them growing stronger toward the end. With a bit of a grainy taste and some more cocoa coming to the tongue at the very end, one is left with a nice warming and sweet, boozed up chocolate bar flavor to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is thick and chewy with a carbonation level that is on the lower side. For the big and rich flavors of this porter, this was a fantastic mouthfeel, allowing all those rich chocolate bar and boozy flavors to linger on the tongue and be fully enjoyed.
Overall – This was a very flavorful and tasty porter. Big on sweet chocolate, woody booze, and roast. This is one I would certainly recommend and one to try if you get a chance.
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina
3.96/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Picked up a bomber from Total Wine 2 months ago for $6.99. No bottling date i can see.
Beer poured dark brown with a nice off white head on the initial pour.
Nose is sweet, cocoa and vanilla dominated.
Taste is sweet but not cloying, cocoa dominates with vanilla in the background. Hops are tucked in the background to try to balance the sweetness.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and pretty smooth.
Overall this is a pretty tasty deer, perfect for a beer dinner dessert beer. Worth a shot if you come across it.
May 10, 2014Beer poured dark brown with a nice off white head on the initial pour.
Nose is sweet, cocoa and vanilla dominated.
Taste is sweet but not cloying, cocoa dominates with vanilla in the background. Hops are tucked in the background to try to balance the sweetness.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and pretty smooth.
Overall this is a pretty tasty deer, perfect for a beer dinner dessert beer. Worth a shot if you come across it.
Reviewed by StJamesGate from New York
3.94/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Chocolate-black with craggy sepia head.
Brandy butter nose!
Tar, treacle, a whisky hit, yes: cocoa and vanilla hints, and a smoky woody finish.
Brown sugar crust on berry tart finish and clean linger.
Fizzy, lt-med, dry.
Labelled "Peak XV."
Gusher! But age (3-4 years?) was kind: real Scotch-like depth. A bit thin and fizzy, but some good complexity, which is not to say layers, exactly. Candy sweetness, and pretty much every aspect of vanilla - to the point where I suspected oak.
In the end, though, a mediocre base beer made good by cocoa, vanilla and time.
Dec 16, 2013Brandy butter nose!
Tar, treacle, a whisky hit, yes: cocoa and vanilla hints, and a smoky woody finish.
Brown sugar crust on berry tart finish and clean linger.
Fizzy, lt-med, dry.
Labelled "Peak XV."
Gusher! But age (3-4 years?) was kind: real Scotch-like depth. A bit thin and fizzy, but some good complexity, which is not to say layers, exactly. Candy sweetness, and pretty much every aspect of vanilla - to the point where I suspected oak.
In the end, though, a mediocre base beer made good by cocoa, vanilla and time.
Reviewed by abcentfishing from California
4/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Nice afternoon brew sitting on the patio with a cigar and enjoying the day. The beer was a little thin in appearance both in color and head. Smell was slightly bourbon forward little notes of vanilla and kinda sweet. Felt nice on the tasting side and the flavor was similar to the smell slightly bourbony touch of vanilla. Would have liked to have had little more of the malty roasty flavor just to even out the porter taste but it was a very enjoyable beer and I would drink it again .
Mar 13, 2013Reviewed by charlzm from California
3.52/5 rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
3.52/5 rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Consumed June 6th, 2012 at Tony's Darts Away, Burbank, CA.
Very dark brown with maroon highlights. Head was two fingers tall but became a sticky off-white ring.
Aroma is toffee and vanilla.
Flavor is ever-so-slightly sour with loads of toffee and a brown sugar note. A hint of metal. Low bitterness with a slight, subtle sourness. Lingering coffee grounds flavor after finish.
Mouthfeel is smooth but not remarkably so.
Not a big fan of this toffee bomb, but I'm glad I got to try it.
Jul 20, 2012Very dark brown with maroon highlights. Head was two fingers tall but became a sticky off-white ring.
Aroma is toffee and vanilla.
Flavor is ever-so-slightly sour with loads of toffee and a brown sugar note. A hint of metal. Low bitterness with a slight, subtle sourness. Lingering coffee grounds flavor after finish.
Mouthfeel is smooth but not remarkably so.
Not a big fan of this toffee bomb, but I'm glad I got to try it.
Reviewed by mendvicdog from Maryland
4.03/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very decent porter. I liked the roast flavor up front but the aftertaste was a little too strong for me. The color was an undaunting scorched brown color. Fairly complex smell with a lot of vanilla, roast, and chocolate. This grew on me a little bit as I finished the bottle.
I would recommend this to try but not seek out.
Nov 25, 2011I would recommend this to try but not seek out.
Reviewed by John_M from Washington
3.95/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
On tap at the Judge's Bench the other day.
The beer pours the expected blackish brown color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is out of a chocolate lover's dream. Wow! I really get a huge aroma of powdered cocoa. There's a hint of vanilla and coffee as well, but the cocoa aroma really dominates in this beer. The cocoa isn't quite as pronounced on the palate, though it still tends to dominate. I get considerable vanilla as well, coupled with some light coffee and light underlying bitterness. Mouthfeel is a bit thin, though the beer finishes well and without any heat from the 8% abv.
An interesting beer, though I thought the cocoa aroma and flavor was just a bid much in this moderately sweet porter. Not sure August in Baltimore is the best place or time to be drinking a beer like this, frankly.
Aug 22, 2011The beer pours the expected blackish brown color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is out of a chocolate lover's dream. Wow! I really get a huge aroma of powdered cocoa. There's a hint of vanilla and coffee as well, but the cocoa aroma really dominates in this beer. The cocoa isn't quite as pronounced on the palate, though it still tends to dominate. I get considerable vanilla as well, coupled with some light coffee and light underlying bitterness. Mouthfeel is a bit thin, though the beer finishes well and without any heat from the 8% abv.
An interesting beer, though I thought the cocoa aroma and flavor was just a bid much in this moderately sweet porter. Not sure August in Baltimore is the best place or time to be drinking a beer like this, frankly.
Reviewed by NorCalYeti from California
4/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
taste- coffee and dark chocolate flavors, nice toasted character
color- chestnut/dark brown
clarity- clear but opaque in the glass
smell- vanilla, tobacco, wonderful roasted chocolate coffee aroma...reminds you of a rich coffee drink
body- frothy smooth on the palate, oily coffee characteristic, medium-length warming finish
appearance- off-white, frothed milk apperance when agitated...reminded me of a caffelatte. head disipates quickly and consists of a thin foam layer with little to no lace retention
overall impression- not sure i would characterize this as an imperial porter because of its medium weight and dry finish. very enjoyable none the less and friendly to a wide audience...i would go back if i wanted a porter with well-balanced flavors
notes and comments- i think for what the beer attempts to do it does it well. well-balanced from the aroma to the body to the taste. may be a little sweet to drink all night long. neat story behind the name of the beer
beer spy- beer area liquors, san ramon, ca, march 2011, 22oz
glassware: pint
Mar 19, 2011color- chestnut/dark brown
clarity- clear but opaque in the glass
smell- vanilla, tobacco, wonderful roasted chocolate coffee aroma...reminds you of a rich coffee drink
body- frothy smooth on the palate, oily coffee characteristic, medium-length warming finish
appearance- off-white, frothed milk apperance when agitated...reminded me of a caffelatte. head disipates quickly and consists of a thin foam layer with little to no lace retention
overall impression- not sure i would characterize this as an imperial porter because of its medium weight and dry finish. very enjoyable none the less and friendly to a wide audience...i would go back if i wanted a porter with well-balanced flavors
notes and comments- i think for what the beer attempts to do it does it well. well-balanced from the aroma to the body to the taste. may be a little sweet to drink all night long. neat story behind the name of the beer
beer spy- beer area liquors, san ramon, ca, march 2011, 22oz
glassware: pint
Black Diamond Imperial Porter from Black Diamond Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
27 ratings
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