Lips Of Faith - Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout
New Belgium Brewing Company

 

Midnight black; no light passes.

Nice khaki head; strong lacing.

Black coffee BLAST in the nose-noticeable the moment you open the bottle.

Thick mouthfeel.

Rich black coffee blast in the taste as well; milk chocolate undertones.

I love coffee stouts; I love chocolate stouts. I have no reservation calling this one of the best. Ever so slight hop bite on the lips, but this is a malt bomb that totally works.

Bravo.

 

 

 

 

Black and brown, beige head in the one inch range. Choco and coffee comes out in the nose, just about the amount you'd expect for the LOF series.

Taste was more of the same. Far from a bomb in either regard, this one looks to balance the two adjunct components, and does it admirably. Effortless at 9%. Writing this review makes me wish I had another one in the cellar somewhere, it was priced nicely. Turn this into a 6 pack!

Taste: chocolate malt, roasted coffee, rich and molasses notes.
Black and opaque. Cocoa and coffee nose.
Full body with thick tan head. Smokey and would pair well with dessert.
39 IBUs

I've had this in the fridge for a while. Tonight I felt like I could have a 9% bomber, 42 mile bike ride this AM.

An espresso brown with a tan head that sticks to the glass in a layer.

Plenty of coffee on the nose, some malt, not any chocolate

Coffee taste but not overpowering, maybe the years in the cellar mellowed that? A bit of a dry to bitter bite on the back of the mouth Not much chocolate flavor But a delicious stout.

A nice thick , yet smooth feel

Wish I'd have grabbed more of this years ago

A big rich chocolate stout with Belgian style yeast and carbonation that pours dark brown under a finely bubbled 1” light tan foam collar. The roast and chocolate are lightly seasoned with coffee flavors. Full bodied and creamy with soft carbonation.

 

Easily my favorite NB brew of all time. They don't make enough beers like this, and I would love to see their efforts in the high gravity department more often.

This one hit all the spots for me as far as an imperial stout.

 

 

 

 

 

"Serving up cold and jet black, this imperial stout should be taken seriously for about one minute as the dark foam builds. Then, enjoy its velvety chocolate-covered smoothness and delicious aroma of sustainable-grown, locally-roasted coffee." Brewed in the style of an American Imperial Stout with coffee and chocolate added, this beer was released as a one-off release in the Lips of Faith Series. Available in 22 oz. bottles and on limited draft.

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle to a New Belgium Globe glass. Served above 54 degrees Fahrenheit.

(Appearance) Pours a creamy frothed deep chocolate-tone head over a very dark brown, near black body. Retention is very good and lacing is light and patchy. 4

(Smell) Chocolate wafers, coffee and caramel cake with a mild sweetness, a hint of mild roasted barley, black patent malt and a touch of cream. Fairly well balanced sweetness with a good dose of earthy bitterness from the roasted malt and coffee beans. Potency is medium. 3.75

(Taste) The flavor has equal emphasis on the bitter and earthy notes of a stout beyond a heightened body and sweetness. Up front, the mild acidity and earthiness of coffee beans is joined by a touch of caramel grain and delicately sweetened with a dash of lactose cream. The chocolate comes through most boldly in the finish, moderately roasty with a dragging note of toasted cocoa nibs. An enjoyable balance of qualities for a well-rounded Imperial stout flavor. 4

(Mouthfeel) The texture is silky, lightly viscous and moderately dry. Carbonation is moderate, generating a full frothiness and a mild crispness. Body is about medium for the style, medium/heavy overall. Balance is very roasty and earthy bitter over sweet. Alcohol presence is low and there are no notable off characters. 3.5

(Overall) A quality American Imperial stout that I feared might suffer in overblown sweetness, but celebrates the balancing bitter and roasted aspects of coffee and chocolate alongside the body and mellow sweetness of cream and sugar, resulting in a fairly well balanced, and highly drinkable American Double Stout. My two biggest gripes come from the lost potential that this beer has to have amplified the body and the somewhat energetic carbonation, both questionable decisions for a beer that may have fared better with heightened body. The coffee may not be as forward as it was when this beer was released, but the end result is still highly enjoyable. This beer is a memorable release from the Lips of Faith series. 4

New Belgium Brewing's
Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout
3.9/5.00