Cleveland Crusher
Hoppin' Frog Brewery

22 oz. Bomber from SomethingClever. Thank you beer brother!

I'm getting down to business with this brew here. This isn't for the newbie beer taster. There is a lot going on with this brew than just an Imperial Oatmeal Stout. Never mind the Bollocks, time to describe this beer! First off, this brew pours massive! Straight jet black body that is as pitch dark as a moonless witching hour! Very impressive deep mocha head crowning its horror...I mean glory. This brew has so much roasted malts that it coats the sides of my Chalice as I twirl it around. Yeah this is a perfect looking Imperial Stout!

The nostrils pick up so much roasted malt complexity, it's as if this wasn't even an American Brewer that crafted this. First whiff picks up your normal roasted malt goodness. Then it switches gears and goes full throttle with fruity red apple and pear notes that scream excellence! Then it bends my mind with a caramel sweetness that seems to excel in the background. In reality what I'm saying that this smells like a cup of coffee with a piece of toast and a caramel apple thrown in the mix. Breakfast in America!

The taste is just as excellent! First hits the palate with subtle oats, then punishes your tongue with all this roasted malt goodness. This brew hits hard and clean at the same time. After the swallow all the flavors get back to their stations and leaves you with a well orchestrated brew. Caramel, cocoa nibs, red apple skins with some unripped pear meat that seems to meld in harmony with some coffee roast. This brew finishes dry with slight booze on the back part of the palate, yet it adds diversity and not offensive as say KBS. The feel on this brew is very smooth slightly on the heavy side yet not overboard with chewiness. Carbonation plays its role to make sure the flavors pop on the tastebuds.

Overall: This brew is Fast and Loud like an Amon Amarth concert in your mouth! There isn't anything offensive about this brew at all. All the flavors are well orchestrated, smooth body that is approaching vicious. Even the alcohol plays a part to add depth like a good Belgian Strong Dark. There is only one thing that I say that I hate about this brew..... That Hoppin Frog doesn't Distribute their Malted Beers to central MD. WIth that said this brew is Recommended.

 

For awhile about 5 years or so ago, Hoppin' Frog was showing up all over the place. Heck it was even in Denver where I think this was picked up IIRC.

Pours plenty dark, mostly black and a smidge of brown. Whose that? Broooooown. 3/5" tan head.

Aroma of heavily roasted barley and oats. Unsweetened chocolate and coffee feels from the scorched earth maltiness.

Taste and mouth feel better than expected, despite the heavy handed amount of degree of burnt malt, it actually was enjoyable, relatively smooth and very adept at covering up the alcohol. I was just talking about this with leftpaw, like, why are belgian tripels always so damn hot, but then you take the same alcohol level and can make an easy drinking DIPA or imperial stout? There is a degree of welcome bitterness to it. You just can't have all this going on without some of that robust heft and bitterness. Has a degree of yeast and dark fruit bitterness that makes it seem equal parts English and Russian. I dug it, but probably wouldn't get it again in bomber or larger format. But a 4 pack of this? Yeah I'd pay $3 a 12oz bottle easily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dull black with a dense mocha foam that fades to a thin ring.

Smell is supreme dark roast, chocolatey cocoa and nuts while taste brings a tangy, sweeter element than regular BORIS, such as hints of red fruit and cola.

The classic chocolate nuttiness is there, but less so, as it finishes with an unusually chalky dry swallow. Otherwise the body is medium and almost crisp with a thin carbonation.

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Having a draft pour from a 2013 keg in July 2019, I'm only more impressed with this beer now than I ever was before. This shit is crazy. It still has that heavy roast, but is also now exhibiting notes of molasses, maple, Raisinets, and brown sugared pecan. It's really intense, with no off-notes at all. For this much age on it?! Unbelievable.

Dark brown, opaque, near black body with a thin beige cap. Aromas of roast, char, dark chocolate, rich malt. Similar flavor. Medium thick body with low carbonation. Nicely done. I didn't realize this was basically a variant of BORIS.

 

 

 

 

Poured into a snifter.

3.5 A: Black color. Two fingers of creamy/frothy medium brown head. Retention is about what you'd expect from a big beer like this and a short ring of lacing is left.

4.25 S: Awww yeah! This smells wonderful. Big roastiness to start. Layers of caramel and molasses. Oats and vanilla. Mild dark fruitiness. Bittersweet chocolate.

4.25 T: Tastes like it smells. Moderate sweetness, supple roastiness. Oats and vanilla are super strong in the taste. Molasses, caramel, and chocolate. Subtle warming throughout without much booziness.

4.25 M: Heavy body. Good moderate carbonation. Nice creaminess and supremely smooth.

4.5 D: Really good beer. Definitely on par with their other stouts.