Evil Twin Lil' B | Evil Twin Brewing

3.64/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

L: dark but no head formed really. And no retention. Not what I expect from a stout/porter.

S: I didn't get that much. Really just malt.

T: nice flavor. Lacking that special something though. Decent malt flavor. Not bad but not special.

F: slight carbonation but smooth. A little thin for me.

O: good beer. I kept wishing it was more though. I think I was wishing it was more like a stout.

★ 393 characters

4.4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bold and flavourful. A dark fruit cake. Smells and taste like rhum infused raisins, dates, vinous notes but no tannin. Cocoa in the smell but not so much in the taste. Sweet and boozy, a really complex dessert beer. Banana, nuts and milk chocolate as it warms up, it gets better and better

★ 289 characters

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

To me, this was a disappointment. Strong, nice complexity but it is so sweet that at the end of the bottle, you just want to have some water to rinse your mouth. The Belgians know how to add just enough sweetness and Evil Twin could have used some tips on this one.
You will taste the goodness in this one, as well as a mouthful of syrup.

★ 339 characters

4.44/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2104 12oz bottle poured black with little head. The aroma indicated that this would be a boozy beer. The depth and complexity of the flavor was outstanding. I would recommend holding onto a bottle for a couple of years before diving into it. A lot of the harshness has mellowed out, but it is still a sipping beer. This beer also changes as it warms to room temperature.

★ 370 characters

4.21/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I'm not going to go into full review mode because plenty of others have already done that, but I just had to say that this porter leans towards the vinous something fierce; it's like a dried fruit forward, thick malty port which is something that you don't across too often in this category.

Very different and complex; raisins, figs, dates, prunes, umami, brown sugar, molasses, marzipan, with some coffee in the minutia. A lot of people pick up chocolate, I don't think it's a major player here. It's very doppelbock - sans banana - in character. Lovely.

★ 557 characters

3.81/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep dark brown to black color with a finger of tan head. The nose is only slightly roasty. This offering has a healthy, more than full body. The roasted malt is in the flavor profile but it is just not nearly as hearty as one would expect with a beer that is this heavy. Also, the alcohol pokes through a bit too obtrusively on the finish.

★ 352 characters

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Hard pour gives pitch black beverage with 1.5-finger brown head, low retention.
Smell - booze, licorice, chocolate, vinous.
Taste - plum, prunes, roasted malts, licorice, chocolate, wood.
Full, viscous body, soft carbonation.
Complex and rich beer for sipping.

★ 261 characters

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It does not have any expiration date on a bottle. One number I found says:
336:14
8:59

So I assume this is an issue date. 12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Black, clean color. Clear, dark brown on a glass sides. Small one finger tall, tanned and frothy head. Diminishes fast, spare lacing. Aroma of plumes, smoked prunes, charcoal. Some chocolate and cherry. Some bread and caramel at the end. Very sweet malt taste is perfectly balanced with a bitterness. Oily and full body. Sticky. Average, medium carbonation. Little bit astringency and grittiness in a finish, followed by a solid dryness. Later dominated by an alcohol that warms up a throat nicely. Long dry finish. Fantastic beer.

★ 691 characters

4.19/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours pitch black w/ little brown head that quickly recedes
AR: Chocolate, dark fruit: plum, licorice, alcohol
T: Follows nose, hints of smoky malt, and a light  lingering bitterness
M: Low carbonation, medium to light body, slightly chewy and oily

★ 252 characters

3.9/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Pours nearly black with a nice brown foamy head and lacing. The smell is not pronounced but chocolatey and sweet. The taste is wine like with grapes, raisins, and other dark fruit along with chocolate and a hint of coffee. Very good and very interesting!

★ 292 characters

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

Look: Black: Subdued head.

Smell: Soy sauce, molasses

Taste: Sweet vinous (port) notes that mingle with coffee,molasses, maple syrup, and other dark fruits. Booze is prominent, but not overwhelming.

Feel: Thick: Surprisingly, somewhat peppery-spicy at the finish.

Overall: Wow; H-U-G-E syrupy sweet port-like beer, that packs a mule-kick wallop! Really a fun pour
for anyone that enjoys dark imperials.

★ 413 characters

4.06/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Black with slight brown as it pours.
Mocha/chocolate colored head.

Aroma: roast, alcohol, molasses, brown sugar, plum? Raisin?

Taste: roasted, molasses, alcohol, raisin

★ 172 characters

3.82/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75

Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: Karl Strauss 26th anniversary tulip glass
From: Bine & Vine Bottle Shop in Normal Heights (San Diego), Calif.
Price: $4.49
Purchased: Jan. 13, 2016
Consumed: Jan. 16, 2016
Misc.: N/A

I’ve never had an Evil Twin Brewing beer. They always seem to be a bit pricy for what I’m looking for. However, I got $50 for my birthday and decided to give it a whirl. Picked Lil’ B over Christmas Eve at a New York Hotel Room and Soft DK. Here’s to making the right choice.

Poured a black color with two fingers of dark tan, frothy head, which settled nicely on the top. Good amount of uneven, wet, foamy lacing on the sides of the glass. Very good retention. (Sight - 4.25)

Smelled some weird flavors off the get go, getting dark fruits - red apple, plum and purple grape - butterscotch, caramel, toffee, figs, dates, brown sugar and boozy molasses. Something a tad off. (Smell - 3.50)

Tasted better than the nose. Got smooth butterscotch, sugary caramel and toffee, maple syrup, brown sugar, licorice, molasses, leathery notes and dark red apple. So smooth. (Taste - 3.75)

Full body. Sticky texture. Average carbonation. Long, warming finish. (Feel - 4.75)

Overall I was disappointed in this one, although it did grow on me as it went down. I wonder how this would do with age. (Overall - 3.75)

3.82 | 86 | B+

★ 1,338 characters

4.59/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark mahogany, tan head recedes quickly. Nice viscous texture out of the bottle.

Typical porter flavors, with maybe some spicy-bozzy notes. hits the tongue hard with a full body of well carbonated, sweet malts. Super creamy, really nice feel.

Taste is outstanding, really complex layers of smoke and cocoa and maybe wood. Could be barrel aged for all I know... love it. Maybe this is a porter by definition, but this beer has massive body and complexity.

Overall this thing is awesome... well worth the ticket price. Finishes with a little bitterness, but the malts are center stage for this show. Complexity is off the charts, amazing.

★ 645 characters

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Awesome imperial stout. Dark with mocha head that has great retention and some lacing. Smell is predominately chocolate. Taste is chocolate, toffee, and coffee. Mouthfeel is exactly what I want in an imperial stout; slightly think and sticky but not too heavy. Overall this is a great beer, not sure i would pay the price tag if another good imperial stout is available but I am glad I had it.

★ 397 characters

4.17/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is a nice beer to finish the night with. Would be awesome with a nice roast or big steak or even as dessert all by itself. Have a great day my friends.

★ 158 characters

4.27/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada tulip

A: Pours dark brown, basically black, no light passes through, with a frothy gingerbread brown head that settles to a light layer and leaves a little light lacing.

S: Dark sugar, molasses, maple syrup, roasty malt, dark chocolate, a bit of spice, dark fruit, a little black licorice, and a hint of booze.

T: Roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, faint coffee, a dark sugar, molasses, vanilla, dark fruit, a little black licorice and spice, and a touch of booze that comes out on the finish though isn't harsh or unpleasant.

M: Full body, mild carbonation, smooth, pleasant warmth.

O: Well executed big time beer. I wish it was just a bit lower in %, but I'm not complaining. Great beer to sip on a cold day.

★ 753 characters

4.11/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours dark black and looks like motor oil. Very little head but slightly orange color. Smells a little boozy. Very sweet up front with licorice and maple syrup flavor. Overall very good and much sweeter than I though it would be. Ideally would like the abv dialed back slightly as 11.5% is a little higher than I would like.

★ 324 characters

3.96/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Deepest black color with practically no head that keeps a caramel ring.
Superb aroma with notes of prunes, caramels, licorice, charred wood, mild booze and maple syrup.
Bold and bitter flavor with notes of licorice, smoked and roasted malts, maple syrup, cola molasses, vanilla, prunes, black currant, Kahlua liquor, cocoa, blackberries, smoke and some pine. Dry and bitter aftertaste with a lasting syrup and roasted note.
Full thick syrupy body with appropriate carbonation. Alcohol of 11.5% is well hidden.
This beer is thick, syrupy, sweet malt bomb and I still like it. Probably the great complexity with lots of cocoa changed the game. I sure wouldn't classify this as an Imperial Porter, this is more of a Barley Wine or a RIS. It can also work as an after dinner, to be shared and drank slowly.

★ 802 characters

4.12/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a chalice.

A: Pours a murky opaque black with about 1" khaki head that recedes somewhat quickly. Retention is quite good, lacing is just-above-average.

S: Licorice, coffee, vanilla - in that order. I get a bizarre marshmallow note. Subtle hints of chocolate & roasted chestnut. Quite good.

T: Comes on with a dense brown sugar quality leading into the mid palate. Mid palate itself is cinnamon, nutmeg & additional undefinable spices with a slight trace of hops - there's a defined graham-cracker malt character underneath. The finish is slightly fruity, with traces of date & plum - along with a residual booziness. Not as deep as the nose implies, but still quite good.

M: Low but delicate carb married to a dense & rich body. Milky - almost Stout-like. Very nice.

O: This brew brings some interesting qualities to the table. I'd like to see them a bit more integrated, but overall, it's still pretty darn sublime.

★ 953 characters

4.91/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I´m not a fan of dark ales, but yesterday I opened this beer. Pours deep black with a brown foam head, little retention. Aroma is spectacular, coffee, chocolate, dark fruits, very well balanced, hops are not present. Taste is complex, rich and balanced, imperceptible acidity wich is great. Full body with low carbonation. Overall an outstanding beer I´ll be drinking frequently.

★ 381 characters

4.24/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a pitch black with a 1 finger mocha head. Not getting a lot on the nose tonight for whatever reason. Palate is chocolate. Mouthfeel is very creamy - light on the carbonation. Overall, and solid Imp Porter.

★ 251 characters

4.06/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Look: It has the motor-oil look of a heavy, boozy stout, and dark khaki head. Nice lacing.
Smell: At first, it's has a slightly bitter smell, but a chocolatey sweetness soon dominates. Almost smells like a milk stout.
Taste: Deliciously sweet, just on the edge of cloying. Hints of coffee-like bitterness and... blueberries? I feel like I'm getting more blueberry flavor from this than I did from Evil Twin's "From Amager with Love," which was supposed to be a blueberry stout.
Feel: Solid, not quite chewy.
Overall: If I didn't know better, I might think this one had been barrel-aged. Quite good.

★ 598 characters

4.37/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tremendous Porter here.

This seems almost like a barleywine with the high ABV, thick syrupy mouthfeel with low carbonation, and deep rich flavors with heavy candied sweetness. Not too much aroma as compared with the assertive taste, but still a nice aroma with what is there. Lover the thick syrupy composition. The taste of this beer is so complex with such intense flavors.

Awesome beer.

★ 393 characters

4.49/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on 7/26/2013. Pours incredibly dark chestnut, looks like ink; completely opaque in the glass with a fluffy, thick mocha colored head. Big notes of brownie batter, dark fudge, bitter roast, espresso, phenol fruit esters, molasses. Full body with a beautiful balance between sweetness and bitterness. There's a warming sensation on its way down, but the alcohol heat has almost completely subsided. Flavor is a mix of rich, chocolate desserts. Devil's cake, bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, cherry cordial, fig, vanilla, licorice, caramelized sugar sweetness, with some earthy tones. One of my favorites from Evil Twin.

★ 636 characters