Black Pearl
Maui Brewing Co.

Black PearlBlack Pearl
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From:
Maui Brewing Co.
 
Hawaii, United States
Style:
Imperial Porter
Ranked #82
ABV:
12.3%
Score:
91
Ranked #6,262
Avg:
4.14 | pDev: 10.87%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
44
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 19, 2023
Added:
May 20, 2008
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  4
Rum, Brandy, and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Coconut Porter finished with toasted coconut chips.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Kenai4:
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Rated by Kenai4 from Minnesota

4.56/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Aug 30, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by mpenske from California

Feb 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by BarrelAgedG from California

Jan 03, 2023
 
Rated: 5 by MsMelis21 from Michigan

Jul 24, 2021
 
Rated: 4.29 by psweendogg from Connecticut

Jan 30, 2021
Photo of CraftFan5
Reviewed by CraftFan5 from New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
6 July 2020 - Beer #136

Corona Day #116

Price: $24.99 at Craft Beer Cellar in Washington DC

Appearance: 4 - beautiful, thick tan head over a thin beer. Reddish at the edges.

Nose: 4 - not a ton going on. A bit of coconut, a bit of barrel. What's there smells nice.

Taste: 4 - decently tasty. I get more barrel than anything. Slight roast, no coconut.

Mouth: 5 - as smooth as can be but still quite thick. VERY impressed with the quality here.

Overall: 4 - definitely overpriced. Excellent mouth feel, but probably could have used more adjunct and more time in the barrel.

Cheers!
Jul 24, 2020
 
Rated: 4.19 by mtbdonn from Colorado

May 23, 2020
Photo of MauiNic
Rated by MauiNic from Hawaii

5/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Best beer they have ever made.
Feb 14, 2020
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.28/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
This one pours a nice inky dark black color, with small brown head, and not much lacing.

This smells like rum/barrel spice, coconut cream, milk chocolate, oak, bourbon, and roasted malt.

I'd possibly want this to be a bit "thicker" tasting, but the flavors that are here are spot on anyway. There's just enough coconut, creamy and nicely sweet, with some roast, vanilla, and chocolatey flavors. Even though there's three different barrels here, it certainly isn't a barrel bomb by any means. I'm not sure I get any brandy, but I do get some light rum spice that folds well into the chocolate-covered coconut vibes this beer gives off. There's just a touch of bourbon spice as well, and a hint of oak.

This is medium bodied, but a little thin for a big BA beer at 12.3%. I suppose it is a porter, so it's not gonna be a wrecking ball of thickness. There's not too much in the way of boozy feeling here.

This is really solid stuff, but just a touch under the god-tier for big BA beers.
Feb 03, 2020
 
Rated: 4.16 by rab53 from Washington

Jan 05, 2020
 
Rated: 4.19 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Jan 02, 2020
 
Rated: 3.8 by WickedBeer from Alabama

Dec 09, 2019
 
Rated: 4.12 by Original_Gravity from Washington

Oct 28, 2019
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

4.54/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Lovely 750 ml bottle with a white wax seal.

Pour is lively: nearly opaque ruby with a large and retentive brown head.

Aroma is very smooth and very chocolately. Milk chocolate mixes wonderfully with some sharp and pleasantly rough nodes of porter barley.

Tastes more complex than the aroma had led me to anticipate, but no less smooth or welcoming. The barrel aging hasn't imparted much booziness, but has infused the porter with some nodes of vanilla and light oak, smoothening out the fairly elevated ABV. Milk chocolate starts things off, moving into a large and sharp porter, finishing on nodes of coconut and vanilla ice cream.

Super-strength dark beers are a dime a dozen these days, and while we should be thankful for an abundance of what were rare beers not too long ago, it's still nice to come across one that distinguishes itself above the rest.
Oct 15, 2019
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2019 Bottling (Aged in Rum, Brandy and Bourbon barrels and finished with toasted coconut chips); ABV 12%

Look: An impressive bubble show builds the beige head to almost three fingers; excellent retention and some spotty lacing

Smell: Chocolate, caramel, vanilla and coconut embraced by Rum and Bourbon with just a hint of Brandy

Taste: The impact of the barrels is apparent right up front, with the Rum enveloping the chocolate, vanilla, caramel and coconut tones; the Bourbon arrives much later and the Brandy makes an appearance in the finish; I could swear there is some mint in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation; some warmth in the gullet

Overall: For 2019, Maui really amped up this brew, bringing a triple barrel-aging approach which adds a lot of complexity; I contemplated adding this version as a new beer but for now am content to keep it with the other reviews as the beer has clearly been evolving over the last ten years rather than taking a dramatic shift in direction

Thanks, elikan, for the opportunity
Jul 08, 2019
 
Rated: 4.06 by Burndoc48 from Ohio

Jun 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by unclekeith from Alaska

May 03, 2018
 
Rated: 3.33 by Mista_Carta from California

Apr 13, 2018
Photo of vfgccp
Rated by vfgccp from New York

3.66/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
SAVOR D.C. 2017
Jul 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.49 by kidzord from Illinois

Jun 27, 2017
Black Pearl from Maui Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 44 ratings