Vanilla Black Velvet
Cervesa Guineu

 

 

surprise order from my wife at the bar, imperial stout after an afternoon of ripping beers? sure babe, good call! always impressed with her. this is tasty stuff too, even sort of feminine for a big stout, the vanilla is natural enough and bold in the aroma and flavor, the base has some real identifiable chocolate character to it, and the whole thing is luscious and smooth without having any burn from the alcohol or harsh bitterness from all the roasted barley its built upon, pretty solid execution here, and we both found this to be somewhat elegant and delicious. its quite dark but not overly viscous looking to me, sports a nitro looking tan head, dense and lasting with web lacing as it drinks down. big rich vanilla bean character to the nose through the roast, espresso behind it, unsweetened baking chocolate, and a slight almost english ale yeast element. the flavor is sweet up front but its not so desserty overall, good balance to this, lots of grain layers with hints of molasses and even almond in the middle here, and a baked warmth and heartiness overall. the vanilla really pops in the flavor, at its most robust and authentic when this warms up a little, nice linger on the finish too. smooth in feel without any heat, and almost creamy to me, long slow conclusion, very tasty. well made beer, strong on the vanilla, but the base is well done too. makes me want to try more from these guys, a fun little sipper here to share with my lady!

 

A good beer made by a Catalan brewery that always makes good products, of a guaranteed quality. A beer that follows the style cannons, without stridences but surely.

 

 

2016 version. From Labirratorium. In Teku glass. Playing Avernum 4. Didnt find the vanilla, just chocolate notes and non-bothering alcohol. Feels soft and crushable in the palate. Lacks something to stand out. Avg 3.84.

17 Sept 2018. 2015 version. From Labirratorium. In Teku glass. Playing Avernum 4. Better than 2016 version, with the vanilla more noticeable and the alcohol less noticeable. Still a metallic point but doesnt spoil it. Avg 4

26 Sep 2018. From Labirratorium. 2017 version. In Teku glass. Playing Averbun 4. At first seems a letdown, too sweet and metallic and without much vanilla, chocolate nor coffee, but as warms improves and becomes addictive. Avg 4.

5 Oct 2018. De Labirratorium. En copa Teku. Version 2018. No encontre mucha vainilla y si un punto metalico que no llega a estropearla pero queda fuera de lugar. Eso si, muy bebible para su abv. Avg 3.79

7 Abril 2019. Edicion 2019. De Labirratorium. En copa Teku. Viendo Live Death & Robots 1x18, luego Animales Fantasticos y Donde Encontrarlos. Quizas en este caso la vainilla se nota algo mas por estar mas fresca, pero sigue resultando algo metalica y sosa aunque muy bebible. Avg 3.79

18 Oct 2020. Versión de 2020. De Labirratorium. En copa Basqueland. Jugando a God of War 2 HD y, luego, FFXV. Perfil soso y aburrido. Demasiado churruscada, con un deje metálico y sin rastro de la vainilla ni de la sedosidad anunciada. Tiene cierta ligereza a pesar del abv, eso sí, pero la verdad es que no se llega a disfrutar y pasa sin gloria y algo de pena. Avg 2.54

13 Marzo 2021. Edición 2021. En copa Teku. Jugando a Fortnite y Astrologaster. Con queso de Codi. Mejor de lo que la recordaba. Quizás no tenga demasiado sabor salvo algo de la anunciada vainilla, que tampoco es que se note mucho si uno no la busca, pero al menos resulta muy ligera, fácil de beber. Avg 3.33

Keg @ Moor Brewery, Bristol - Pours jet black with a medium tanned foamy head. Medium carbonation. Nice lacing. Aroma - Dark chocolate, roasted coffee, light vanilla. Taste - Sweet n smooth, roasted malts, hint of smoke, dark chocolate, roasted coffee, dry medium bitter finish. Good quality impy stout.

 

 

 

A; Poured from the 330mL bottle into a pint glass. On first glance, the beer is a pure black with a tan foamy head of 3 fingers that lasts a long time. When held up to light, a bit of brown comes through.

S: Chocolate sweetness mingled with a roasted malt, like coffee. A bit of a fruity smell in the middle and a hint of leather before a whiff of the vanilla and alcohol hidden inside.

T: Roasted malt and bittersweet chocolate. Not a ton of vanilla but a bit of vanilla bean in there amid another smoky note. Alcohol shows up in the finish.

F: Lives up to the name - totally smooth and silky. A bit heavy in the finish but super smooth.

Overall: This is a good quality Russian Imperial Stout. Very smooth, but didn't detect a lot of vanilla. For the price, I might come back to this one again if it's still at my store, especially in the wintertime.

 

Black colour, brown medium head with long retention and then fades to a thin lace.Dense lace.
Aroma of cocoa, red fruits, vanilla, coffee, plums.
Full body, dense and creamy texture, good carbonation.
Taste of coffee, red fruits, vanillal, cocoa, pepper, plums.

Very nice RIS

L - pitch black with a small beige

S - chocolate, coffee and vanilla

T - very nice beer with roasted notes of coffee. Burnt marshmallow. Earthy hop bitterness quite balanced. Some wood and green notes

M - light body, nice carbonation

O - A great beer. Very balanced. It reminds me of Noa Pecan mud cake with the RIS hoppy attributes. Very, very drinkable

 

 

330ml with a best by date of 6/2021.

A - More like vanilla dark brown velvet from the look of it, some translucence and red highlights visible when held to the light. A small tan head forms which retains decently, a ring remains by the end with just a few lace dots here and there.

S - Pretty much straight vanilla+chocolate combo, smells like an Oreo fribble. Maybe a touch of caramel pastry bread, but that just about does it, very simple and thankfully not overly cloying. Okay strength.

T - Er, doesn't quite match the decent harmony the scent had going on, or the strength of it, or the overall feel of it really. Both chocolate and vanilla take a backseat to, erm, I'm not sure, just kinda of a general lack of flavor/plain malt. Some coffee bean-ish cocoa-tinged roast coming through in the finish, overall kind of an odd muddle of sweetness/booze/hops?

M - Definitely on the watery/flimsy side for an imperial stout, lowish but decent carbonation, dessert-y sweetness kept in check for the most part, just kind of an odd mix of non- and off-flavors. Weird out of place hop bitterness and quite an alcohol bite here as well.

O - The scent was decently intriguing, the taste+feel however, erm something's up. Nowhere near as potent as the nose and just kinda weird, muted and all over the place. Not the worst, but with so many better dessert stouts out there and this one being in need of some serious tweaking it's a tough sell.