Bozo Beer
Evil Twin Brewing

Sigmund from Norway

3.84/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

473 ml can, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 17.2%. Pitch black colour, moderate tan head. Aroma of roast malts, roasted nuts, vanilla, chocolate, oak and coffee. Soft carbonation, soft mouthfeel for its strength. Sweet flavour, with notes of roast malts, marshmallows, chocolate, vanilla, roasted nuts, spices and coffee. Moderate bittering hops. Flavour bomb!

May 08, 2021

firesidewithphil from Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bozo Beer is the original "extreme" imperial stout coming in at a whopping 17.2% ABV (wine comes in around 13% for comparison). The can states over 10 flavor compounds but the main flavors I get are the oak and turbinado sugar. The beer is good, but becomes great in the barrel (see BA version review).

IG: @firesidewithphil

Aug 15, 2020

ChrisMon02 from Ohio

4.26/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours a dark brown color with a small mocha head that quickly recedes leaving no lacing.

Smells of chocolate, vanilla, caramel, spiced and faint booze.

Taste follows the nose. Tons of malt and very flavorful. Rich and satisfying.

Medium-heavy mouthfeel. Low carbonation but quite prickly.

Unbelievably drinkable for such a huge beer. Impressed how well the booze is hidden. Glad I tried and would gladly have again.

Aug 01, 2020

KooVee from Finland

3.1/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

1 pint can, no idea about bb, the markings are impenetrable.

Very dark opaque brown. Brown thick foam, disappearing fairly rapidly and not leaving anything.

Nose is peanut butter with lactose. And too obvious alcohol. Coffee beans and brown sugar. Not really enticing, the booze is too obvious and the aroma is just too.... thin, for a big imp.

Taste brings the red berries of the coffee beans to the front. Alcohol grows as the beer warms up, sucking all of the oxygen out of the room, gaining a perfumy edge. Some hop-derived bitterness but it gets swamped by the cheap spirit funk.

I have had some exquisite examples of this type (even higher alc) imperial stout, but this one is coarse. Half the strength and you would have an average imp. This has nothing going for it except the booze.

Dec 26, 2019

Bruno74200 from France

4.21/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Quite a balanced and a softy for a bozo beer I was expecting some harsh experience. In fact it's quite drinkable and a lot on the spices mostly cinnamon and green pepper from the coffee

Nov 29, 2019

Dr_C from Colorado

4.56/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a pint glass, this was a deep dark brown, nearly black brew with a small head the color of burnt caramel which faded quickly.

The aroma was malty with cinnamon and chocolate notes.

Flavor was bold with a certain sweetness but not overpoweringly so. There was chocolate, cinnamon and oak up front as well as a pleasant amount of alcohol. Other flavors were there but harder to describe. I think it's from the chili perhaps. It was spicy but it was BIG and I don't know quite how to describe it. A touch of heat on the back end. Very powerful stout.

The feel was think and heavy but in a clean way. Think rich cream

Overall, this is one of the best stouts I have ever had. At 17% abv it can knock you out, otherwise I would want to drink this all the time. Simply an amazing beer that you should try. Sort of like a bourbon barrel aged brew but a whole lot better.

Aug 24, 2019

arizcards from North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a 16 oz can from the Craft Beer Hop Stop 6-7-19 for $8.99. No decipherable canning date, just this code 2894-2895 - 10:40. Consumed on 6-28-19.

Beer poured black with a nice off white head that dissipated quickly.

Nose has hints of chocolate, almonds, and alcohol.

Taste is cocoa forward with almonds and cinnamon up front with a touch of vanilla on the back end. Hopped fairly well as this is not overly sweet. Finishes with a warming alcohol kick.

Mouthfeel is medium to large bodied and very smooth.

Overall better than what i anticipated after seeing the abv. Fairly affordable so give it a shot if you like big stouts!

Jun 28, 2019

Beer_Right_Back from Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This is another huge beer from Evil Twin, but this one has a much smoother, drier finish, mostly due to the coffee flavoring instead of chocolate. We recommend this beer for those who are looking for something more refined.

Apr 11, 2019

metter98 from New York

4.12/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a quarter finger high tan colored head that hardly died down, leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a wide collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Moderate aromas of lactose and chocolate are present in the nose along with hints of vanilla beans.
T: The taste has flavors of chocolate and dark roasted malts along with spicy notes of chili peppers and cinnamon and hints of dark chocolate. Notes of alcohol become perceptible once the beer warms up.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This stout has a nice blend of chocolatey and spicy flavors, but you can get notes of the alcohol in the taste given its strength.

Serving type: can

Mar 10, 2019

mschrei from Illinois

4.54/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

This is a serious stout. Thick in that it poured like black ink into a glass. Sweet malt grabs you nostrils and pulls them into the glass. Taste is malt, malt, and ummmm... malt. Roasty. Toasty. Chocolate and coffee and vanilla. Syrupy feel. Slightly oily. First taste, I thought "this is thin. Weak. It ain't nothing." As I've gotten into it, there is a definite strong ass body and some serious booze presence. If this ever gets barrel aged, it could be weaponized. Awesome beer.

Feb 11, 2019

bluejacket74 from Ohio

4.26/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

16 ounce can, date stamped on the bottom of the can says 04/20/2018 which I'm assuming is the canned on date. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head that stayed around a while. There's a decent amount of lacing. The brew smells like burnt/charred malt, vanilla, nuts, molasses, dark chocolate and coffee. Taste is similar to the aroma, with burnt/charred malt, coffee, brown sugar, molasses, licorice, dark bread, nutty, cream, chili pepper, dark chocolate, oak and earthy flavors all noticeable. There's a lot going on here, but everything seems to mesh well together. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's slick and thick with a moderate amount of carbonation. For being 17.2% ABV it's not as boozy as I was expecting it to be. I thought this was good, glad I picked this up! Definitely worth trying.

Dec 30, 2018

Gajo74 from New York

4.37/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Had it on tap at Beer Shop, NYC.
Pours a very dark brown, nearly black color. A large mocha head displays good retention; surprising for the high ABV.
Aromas are roasty, redolent of coffee beans and notes of dark chocolate. Lactose imparts creamy aromas. Oaky, vanilla like aromas, lots of nutty malt. Very inviting overall.
This is a complex brew that is full of flavors. The taste opens up sweetly with notes of dark and milk chocolate, lactose, brown sugar, molasses, dark caramel and vanilla. Soon, the spices open up, displaying a wide array of flavors. There is cinnamon combined with hot spices. The hot spices stand out in particular, a blend of chili peppers and alcohol heat. Amazingly enough, the taste is not boozy despite the high ABV. Furthermore, there is a nice roasty, espresso like bitter finish that further balances things.
Full bodied, robust and creamy. There is lots of alcohol warming and peppery spices, creating a wonderful interplay between sweetness and heat. It is amazingly drinkable despite the high ABV.
This beer might be called Bozo, however, there is nothing clownish about it. A serious, complex and decadent drink.

Dec 23, 2018

Korbynlehr from Kentucky

4.49/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Dark and beautiful. Head is like crema. Nose is like a latte. Taste is wonderful and a little bitter at the same time. Good stout that has a kick. Great one from Evil Twin.

Dec 18, 2018

superspak from Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16 ounce can into snifter; no can dating, but was just released locally. Pours dense pitch black color with a 2 finger dense and rocky dark brown head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a large cap that lingers. Dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, hazelnuts, almond, chili pepper, cinnamon, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, cream, marshmallow, fudge, brownie batter, toasted oak, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts, coffee, nuts, spices, sugars, oak spirals, and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, hazelnuts, almond, chili pepper, cinnamon, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, cream, marshmallow, fudge, brownie batter, toasted oak, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, prune, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, peppery hops; roast/charcoal bitterness; and light cinnamon/pepper spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, hazelnuts, almond, chili pepper, cinnamon, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, cream, marshmallow, fudge, brownie batter, toasted oak, dark/brown bread, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, coffee, spices, nuts, sugars, oak spirals, and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness and oak/pepper/cinnamon spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, fairly sticky/chalky, and lightly slick/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mildly increasing warmth of 17.2% and spice heat, with no booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing flavored huge imperial stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, coffee, spices, sugars, oak spirals, and light-moderate fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mellowly bitter/charred/spicy/drying finish. Insanely rich malt/sugar complexity with perfectly balanced coffee, flavorings, and spices; restrained fruity yeast, and earthy hop presence. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing style example as expected. Not overwhelming on any aspect.

Dec 15, 2018

CollinaTiger from South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

From the can...Black color with a thick tan head. Strong smell of chocolate, coffee, and whiskey. Thick, and dense yet smooth mouth feel. Sweet and roasty flavor hints of caramel, toffee, chocolate and cinnamon.

I grabbed a can at my local craft beer store not realizing until I got home that it was a whopping 17% ABV. I was expecting the alcohol to overwhelm the flavor, but while it does make it's presence felt throughout, it did not drown out the other delicious, complex flavors going on here. Enjoyable in moderation.

Nov 23, 2018

HoppingMadMonk from New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Solid black color. Creamy thick, above average body with light carbonation, overall an excellent feel
Aroma was black coffee, vanilla, molasses, roasted malts, some chillis and espresso
Taste was very similar with some oak giving it a dry earthy taste. Chillis lingered in the aftertaste but little heat nor any real alcohol burn. Plenty of coffee which came off really nice and not too bitter
Overall this was one of my favorites from eviltwin. Many distinct flavors without any particular one dominating

Oct 21, 2018

Shade1951 from Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Another very good stout - and this one is killer with its 17% AVB. I love that it has the dark fruit and chocolate notes that, for me, define the tastiest stouts. It's also creamy in texture - and best of all - not hopped to death. There's a faint sweetness that makes this kind of a dessert beer.

This needs to be enjoyed very slowly - both for the 17% and for the delicious flavors.

Sep 23, 2018

Harrison8 from Missouri

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Pours black with a head that forms quick and dense. Head is khaki in color and retains well. Aroma is massive, nailing out notes of sugar, cinnamon, bourbon, char, roasted and toasted malts, and chocolate. There really isn't an order to it, just an absolute blast of notes. It's a dense curtain of dark notes. Flavor profile is remarkably more tame, despite still being heavy and dense. Notes of toffee and caramel open up with a sugary, sweet quality. Sugar melds into bourbon to form an 'Old Fashioned' mixed drink in the middle. Coffee and cinnamon round out the end, bringing the sugary notes down, but without a bittering quality. Roasted and toasted malts are heavy and present throughout, but become more-so apparent at the end when the adjuncts have worn away and the base stout pokes through. At a cold (~43F) serving temperature, the alcohol stays modest in terms of flavor impact. As the beer warms the alcohol still stays fairly well retained but is certainly more present. Mouth feel is thick and heavy with a velvety texture. Imagine drinking velvet room darkening curtains and you have an accurate descriptor of this beer. Make no mistake, the 17.2% ABV does poke holes even through this dense beer, although it is remarkably well hidden for being on its way to 18%. Overall, a remarkable beer for many reasons aside from flavor. It's an experience, although some may see it as a bad one. Personally, it's enjoyable - just sip slow - after all, a diluted Old Fashioned could have less alcohol than this beast. Warning tape - this beer is not for the faint of heart.

Served in a Teku 3.0 from a 16oz can.

Aug 06, 2018

Ego from New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

eyes...
scary dark, like biblical times gods wrath type of dark, one finger tall of deep cocoa head, as others have mentioned the lacing on this is surprisingly light, the legs are there from the ABV but I have seen a better pair, the head fades pretty quickly as well... not bad not great

nose...
first thought was coffee, second vanilla, there is so much piled on top you barely smell the alcohol (I kind of expected to be stronger, kudos), I sense the molasses and chilis as well... nothing dominant

taste etc...
light to medium in the mouth, very subtle carbonation, nice bitter tones, plenty of sweetness to pass around but not overly done, the alcohol is there.. lurking like a summer storm ready to burst at any time and drench you in drunkenness, you get a little piece of all the ingredients they mashed into this... it is a strange bird indeed, I am really getting a mix of all the things they list...freaky!

verdict?
Not a total mess, not a total fail, not a total win... I am searching for adjectives here people! Did I enjoy it? yes... immensely ? no. Did I like it? yes. Did I love it ? almost. Though... some props for the craft to brew such a daft offering with huge alcohol content (where said content does not steal the show). If you like imp stouts or american crazy stouts... give this a shot because, well, why not, it has a ton of varied flavors that make it a damn interesting ride.

Jul 23, 2018

darktronica from Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A fun, kitchen sink of a concept, and who wouldn't be intrigued by a 17.2% ABV stout sold in pint cans? It pours thick and black, but not syrupy as expected--less legs when swirled than simple surface tension and physics should have dictated. Thoroughly tongue-coating, but with fewer of the myriad flavors coming through than expected. In this can, the capsaicin of the chili is the most obvious additive, providing a touch of bite in the back of the throat, but no real heat. Other flavorings are a mish-mash of nebulous sweetness, varying over time as it warms, always pleasant, and never being subsumed by the booziness of the ABV. In that respect, it's quite surprising.

This reminds me a lot of what I'd expect from a Bare Hands' Mail Order Bride if some chilis were added. However, that beer has the same full body while hanging out around 10-11% ABV, and it's also half the price. This is clearly not an everyday sipper, so in the end, Pareto dominance wins again. I'm going to go eat a salad to compensate for this.

Jul 15, 2018

maximum12 from Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

How can anyone resist such a blatant schtick? Big ABV, every adjunct known to man, silly name. In. Split with my wife. I don’t want to wake up right here about 4 AM.

The pour, it’s black, my mind, it’s whack. Smells like a FL shitlord, with additions of vanilla, nuts, & several spoonfulls of white sugar. Aggressive.

Bozo Beer is like a light fluid with adjuncts added. The finish is like a long pull directly off a Prohibition Era still – grain alcohol & moonshine warming the chest cavity. Surprisingly dry. The taste, despite the long list of ingredients, all now subject to tariffs, is dominated by the common nut. The things I can taste after that are subservient: vanilla is clearly second, with big sweetness (molasses?), cinnamon after the beer closes in on room temp, touch of oak. Thick. Half a can is the correct serving size.

Good beer, but I was hoping for epic, or at least epically strange.

Jul 14, 2018

justintcoons from Pennsylvania

4.27/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

16 oz can poured into a snifter.

Appearance
Inky black. No light penetration. Thin deep brown head dissipates immediately.

Nose
Fudge, cocoa, coffee, molasses, licorice, dates, prune, booze, and burnt caramel.

Taste
Fudge, cocoa nib, black coffee, hazelnut, and burnt caramel. Prune, dates, figs, molasses, and black licorice. Light marshmallow, charcoal, and earth. Surprisingly not as boozy as the nose puts off.

Mouthfeel
Medium-light bodied, oily, smooth, and warming.

Overall
A big, tasty, and complex Stout that hides the 17.2% well.

Jul 12, 2018

morimech from Minnesota

3.87/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Odd that the one tasting note this beer label does not describe is the one I taste the most. That is licorice. I guess if I expand on other flavors I get marshmallow. Plenty hot and boozy as expected.

Jul 07, 2018

matcris from Arizona

4.77/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

LOOKS: Black, with a half finger of tan head that quickly settles to a ring.
AROMA: I get chocolate, I get a woody note, a spicy note, coffee, cinnamon, nuts, a sweetness, yes, marshmallow-like, and on and on. What I don't really get is much of an alcohol hit. And that is impressive for a beer of this ABV.
TASTE: Chili and/or alcohol lingers on the finish, but is very pleasant; mouth numbing! Up front, mild bitterness-dark roasted coffee, then, cinnamon, chocolate, nuts, chili peppers, wood....all there. Not cloying, because there is enough bitterness present.
FEEL: Full body, slightly below average carbonation, very sticky, but, dry on the finish.
OVERALL: Fantastic blend of flavors that you can pick out all night. Cinnamon and peppers/and/or booze continue to build. Love it! Sip it, you Bozo's!

Jun 26, 2018

Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

From the tall boy can in a snifter. This beefy monster pours a rich obsidian
with a long lasting head of tan foam that lingers long to a thick ring, thin layer, and
sports some nice clinging lacing. Nose of rich coffee, heavy bakers cocoa, creme'
brulee'd marshmallows, moderately heavy spice, and astringent booze for bozo's.
Flavors exceed the nose with heavy coffee dunked in char touched marshmallow
that has been spiced with powdered chili's and touches of cinnamon that took a
long oak bath with moderately nutty malts and heavy dark black strap molasses.
Excellent mouth feel; full body, low carbonation, and a boozy warming char laden
finish.

Overall, a fantastic brew from one of the best little breweries around.

Cheers

Jun 22, 2018