Black Metal Imperial Stout
Jester King Brewery

Black Metal Imperial StoutBlack Metal Imperial Stout
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From:
Jester King Brewery
 
Texas, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #225
ABV:
10.8%
Score:
93
Ranked #4,061
Avg:
4.16 | pDev: 11.54%
Reviews:
277
Ratings:
629
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 03, 2024
Added:
Dec 21, 2010
Wants:
  167
Gots:
  291
Black Metal, a.k.a. Iron Sword, a.k.a. Blackened Death, a.k.a. El Martillo del Muerte, is a cruel and punishing beer fermented by the sheer force of its awesome will. Best enjoyed while pumping out blast beats, summoning trolls, or enjoying a nice, leisurely reading of the Necronomicon.

We're happy to announce the return of our original ("O.G.") Black Metal Imperial Stout!

First brewed in 2011 at Jester King, O.G. Black Metal is an English-style Imperial Stout brewed with well water, Maris Otter malt, English caramel, brown, and black malts, roasted barley, and East Kent Goldings hops. It is fermented in stainless steel with English yeast.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Wayne17:
Photo of Wayne17
Rated by Wayne17 from Texas

5/5  rDev +20.2%

Jun 19, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.16 by Magery from Kentucky

Feb 03, 2024
Photo of Luscious_Malfoy
Reviewed by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois

4.34/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
poured from a 16oz can into an oversized snifter. pours dark brown but settles in the glass shiny black with almost two fingers of dark
khaki colored head. roasty malts, day-old coffee, light chocolate and even lighter pine on the nose. taste follows and the chocolate flavor is a bit more pronounced but i still get some pine/hops and roasty coffee in the finish. thick, full mouthfeel. this is crazy drinkable for 9+% abv. it’s a wonderful mix of malts, yeast and hops. complex and flavorful. delicious.
Dec 14, 2023
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

3.89/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
From Good Times Oakland, canned November 2nd 2023.

It pours black with an inch of tan foam that shrinks quickly, very little lacing.

The smell is roasted malt, various tart fruits, mostly black cherry, bitter chocolate with some coffee.

The taste is roasted malt and dark chocolate, light black cherry (other berries?) tartness, some fairly noticeable alcohol, which my can says 9.3%abv.

Heavy side of medium bodied, good carbonation, this is tasting pretty good. I like it.
Dec 13, 2023
Photo of Rug
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Canned 11/2/23

Jester King has been treating me good lately, and I can’t imagine this one will be any different. It’s just a straightforward RIS, something you don’t see much of these days. It is odd that the farmhouse variant seems to be significantly more popular on BA. Maybe I’ll have to find that one too. Let’s dive right in

Pours completely pitch black with 2 fingers of frothy light tan head that slowly fades to a ring and leaves decent lacing

The nose is surprisingly gentle here, but delicately complex. I’m picking up on aromas of rye toast, cocoa powder, molasses, red grape, charred malt, burnt sugar, caramel,black cherry, and spent coffee beans

It’s somehow even less punchy in taste but still maintains its complexity. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting cocoa powder, black cherry, dark bread, raisin, burnt caramel, molasses, and light leafy hops. The swallow brings notes of molasses, burnt sugar, cocoa powder, black cherry, leather, burnt coffee, caramel, and leafy hops

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a smooth beer with a bite. Finishes mostly dry with a balanced bitterness

Oh yeah, this one is damn solid. I can see how the spontaneous fermentation of the farmhouse variant would work well here. I need to get my hands on it
Dec 13, 2023
Photo of NCSapiens
Reviewed by NCSapiens from Indiana

4.19/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Ample complexity and depth of flavor for a non-adjunct. On tap the taste is flat but deep: oats, coffee, black licorice, tobacco, roasted char, yeasty dough, bitter hops, leather, faint chocolate, smoke, faint cherry, faint berries, clean crisp water, barley. I’m confused about how to rate this. It isn’t in the top eschaton of best tasting stouts, but if my local brewery made this and called it their house stout I would think they were gods.
Nov 01, 2023
Photo of buschbeer
Reviewed by buschbeer from Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
1 PINT can
Served in a pint glass

This beer pours black and is topped with an inch of mocha head that leaves little lacing.

I get dark chocolate and black coffee smells right away. Hints of anise and cacao.

Cacao and black coffee flavor. Dark, unsweetened chocolate

Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel

Roasty stout. Not sweet like the 1 billion pastry stouts that are out there.
Oct 15, 2023
 
Rated: 4.69 by Jsalz21 from New Jersey

Oct 13, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by BadgerNCarolina from North Carolina

Aug 28, 2023
Photo of tradershmulie
Reviewed by tradershmulie from Connecticut

3.88/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from can. Nice pour, good color, small head that did stay around.

No noticeable smell.

Disappointing taste. Flat, empty, thin. Not much going on.

Not cheap, not worth it.
Jun 19, 2023
Photo of MutuelsMark
Reviewed by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours the typical dark black color with again the typical tan head. This gives way pretty quickly to little to no lacing. Nose hints that the beer will be very charred. Taste is initially charred, but that heeds to a chocolate, flavors. Almost like hershey's milk chocolate..almost. Very smooth beer. Very shocked this beer is so high in ABV as that is not evident at all Well done!
Jun 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4.06 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Jun 15, 2023
 
Rated: 3.87 by npendres from Wisconsin

Jun 11, 2023
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.12/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From the 16 oz can in a snifter with an abv of 9.3 and no indication of
being farmhouse style so here it is.

This imperial pours a coal black with a nice head of brown foam that settles
to a thick ring, thin dusty layer, and sports some faint lacing. Nose of char, smoke,
coffee, and bakers cocoa. Flavors lightly surpass the nose with char, smoke, leather,
dark fruits notes of blueberry and raspberry, dark cocoa, coffee, and deeply roasted
malts verging on scorched. Mouth feel is full teetering on medium full, light carbonation,
smooth, coating, and finishing on a bitter malt note.

Overall, a brew worthy of Enslaved in an Ancient Goatwhore symbolism.

Black metal...this ain't Dimmu Borgir, more of a Quorthon Bathory with a
lot of smoke.

Overall, decent but needs work.

Cheers
May 24, 2023
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Very good head production; fantastic retention, with nearly an 1/8" of dark tan foam lingering long after the pour.

Very roasty aroma during the pour, but it mellows out in the glass a bit. Light to moderate char, toast, coffee, prune, cacao, vanilla. Classic.

While not the thickest of stouts (in the vein of Ten Fidy or FIS), it's still full bodied and smooth (a la Narwhal or Old Rasputin). Very little bite. Despite the roastiness, there's a lovely complement of chocolate flavor keeping it very balanced; super drinkable, especially for an RIS. Very little hint of the huge ABV.

Tasting notes include powdered cocoa, red grape, cherry, toast, molasses, espresso, nuts. It's surprisingly light and approachable, but the flavor profile does build with each sip.

Can an RIS be described as delicate? This beer doesn't live up to the brutal and evil name, but it's a lovely, approachable RIS. I can't believe it's this smooth fresh (3 months).
May 21, 2023
Photo of ChrisCage
Reviewed by ChrisCage from Canada (AB)

4.46/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
A- Love the homage to Kiss in the label.....
Pours a solid dark brown, almost black color, and with an initial two finger dark toffee colour that quickly settles down into a film over top the liquid. The carbonation seems to have some smoothness to it, yet at first it is slightly zingy....I'm thinking this will become more rounded as time goes on....the lacing is alright, nothing special......there is some clingy foam that attaches to the insides of my glass, however it eventually disappears into the brew like the night takes over the moonlight eventually....

S- Thick black coffee that is French pressed, dark cocoa chocolate....almost syrupy like Quik, but not as sweet.....flaky oatmeal grain is also noted, unsweetened, and in its original character. The finish has an Earthy vanilla robustness that lingers, with caramel/toffee sweetness.....very nice!

T- The flavors are so smooth! I get velvety creamy chocolate liqueur, milk and dark chocolate bar, black coffee, mixed with the highest quality of 10% or higher dairy cream, smooth vanilla, brown sugars, even some dry blackstrap molasses notes. Burnt almond toffee and oats round out the finish, with Earthy dry graininess that lingers on the finish alongside muted English hop varieties, and certain astringent charred malt, leaving my palate with a full range of flavor, waiting patiently for the next sip!

M/O- Full leaning body, with super creamy carbonation, this is what the mouthfeel of a proper stout should be like! The alcohol is superbly well hidden, especially for something of 9.3%....just incredible....which leads me to my drinkability factor.....it is soooooo drinkable! Let this warm up before enjoying....trust me! Super flavorful, very chocolatey overall, and sweeter than I would have imagined after cracking, I highly recommend this and am very thankful to have been able to acquire and enjoy this through a trade! Delicious!
May 20, 2023
Photo of Christianriveraaa
Reviewed by Christianriveraaa

4.09/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a snifter - tar looking pour with dark foam appearing to the surface.
Getting oatmeal, malts, hops, chocolate and coffee.
Getting a sweet chocolate syrupy taste upfront followed by some molasses, coffee, metallic flavors.
Feel is not quite full bodied but definitely medium heavy approaching full. Easy sipper, can't taste the abv as much here.
Overall was a very nice imperial. Would recommend trying.
May 11, 2023
 
Rated: 3.05 by Argail from Louisiana

May 01, 2023
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
16 oz can

pours black in color, but not really any head. Mostly chocolate and dark fruits, bittersweet. But not a ton of depth to the flavor, a little disappointing given the reputation of the brewery
Apr 23, 2023
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Canned 2/15/23; drank 4/3/23 @ the Yarchives.

Black appearance.

A rough pour yielded a nice dark tan head; almost no lace.

Fresh earth, chocolate syrup & dark roast coffee bean notes in the nose.

Medium thick, sticky mouthfeel.

Fresh earth, chocolate syrup & dark roast coffee bean flavors.

This would be a nice RIS without the syrup-y chocolate note; unfortunately, it's there for this palate.
Apr 04, 2023
Black Metal Imperial Stout from Jester King Brewery
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 629 ratings