-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more.
— Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
System Of A Stout
Beachwood Brewing
- From:
- Beachwood Brewing
- California, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 11.3%
- Score:
- 96
- Avg:
- 4.32 | pDev: 7.87%
- Reviews:
- 56
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Sep 20, 2021
- Added:
- Jul 08, 2012
- Wants:
- 187
- Gots:
- 61
SCORE
96
World-Class
96
World-Class
Notes:
System of a Stout [Imperial Armenian Coffee Stout ] - An imperial stout infused with all the traditional ingredients of a savory cup of Armenian coffee: cardamom, molasses, coffee (of course), and brandy. In the kettle, the beer is lightly dosed with green cardamom for exotic spice notes. Molasses adds a richness that seamlessly blends in. The finished beer was then aged for several days on masterfully roasted coffee from Portola Coffee Lab in Costa Mesa. The beer was then aged for several weeks on Armenian brandy-soaked oak chips for yet another dimension of flavors and aromas. Take your time & enjoy this endlessly complex & nuanced beer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by ArrogantB from Colorado
4.4/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.4/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
I liked this quite a bit better than the vanilla fudge I had the night before. Great coffee flavors, stout, and boozy alcohol. Delicious beer but kind of pricey for not being barrel-aged.
Sep 20, 2021
Reviewed by cravenmoorehead from California
4.97/5 rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
4.97/5 rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Blacker than the night after a full moon. Rich, toasty, & roasty. Cozy up next to the fire, cuz this is a warmer...
One of my favorite stouts, easily. Big coffee notes, dark chocolate, toffee, & winter spices. Think cinnamon, but in the background. Well-balanced, thick yet smooth mouthfeel. All around A+. Beachwood don’t miss.
Jan 16, 2021One of my favorite stouts, easily. Big coffee notes, dark chocolate, toffee, & winter spices. Think cinnamon, but in the background. Well-balanced, thick yet smooth mouthfeel. All around A+. Beachwood don’t miss.
Reviewed by pants678 from California
4.6/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Dark, dark brown with a half finger head foam.
More coffee than malt.
Doesn't read immediately as coffee, then I saw the adjuncts. Cardamom definitely gives me something new, an earthy bent that's a tinge floral without being vegetable. I don't really read the molasses or brandy in an obvious way, the mix is unique.
The end isn't all that rough but it's enough to remind you it's not mixed with cold brew.
Jun 10, 2019More coffee than malt.
Doesn't read immediately as coffee, then I saw the adjuncts. Cardamom definitely gives me something new, an earthy bent that's a tinge floral without being vegetable. I don't really read the molasses or brandy in an obvious way, the mix is unique.
The end isn't all that rough but it's enough to remind you it's not mixed with cold brew.
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky
4.46/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.46/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Embracing the exotic in each and every way possible the brewers at Beachwood embrace the weird, the unheard of, the hard to find combinations of Armenian coffee, cardamom and brandy soaked oak for a taste that takes the imperial stout where it has never gone before.
This System of a Stout comes with an extremely dark brown, easily mistaken as black for an appearance of an ominously dark milkshake. Crowned with a stubborn mocha froth, the beer leads with a host of dark and earthy coffee with bold chocolate, walnut and a toasted, slightly smoky spice not far off of cinnamon and menthol. Sweet and chocolaty on the tongue, the taste of tiramisu meets the texture of cake batter.
Deeply caramelized, the sweetness is joined with molasses and buckwheat honey as the ale crosses middle palate, while also giving rise to black walnut, espresso, burnt toast, campfire and bittersweet chocolate. Trending savory, sweet, lavish and velvety on the tongue, a late spice of brandy, kahlua and peppermint intertwine for a broad and friendly balance to the extended sweetness.
Full and decadent, the beer is off chewy and creamy like a fine latte. The earthiness of cardamom hits the throat like cinnamon and allspice once the brandy, oak tannins and coffee grounds disguise its curry like character. A long and savory aftertaste once again evokes a sense of tiramisu but with the spicy bite of exotic additions to the brewing process. If this beer could be a person, it would definitely grow up to be a stripper.
Dec 07, 2018This System of a Stout comes with an extremely dark brown, easily mistaken as black for an appearance of an ominously dark milkshake. Crowned with a stubborn mocha froth, the beer leads with a host of dark and earthy coffee with bold chocolate, walnut and a toasted, slightly smoky spice not far off of cinnamon and menthol. Sweet and chocolaty on the tongue, the taste of tiramisu meets the texture of cake batter.
Deeply caramelized, the sweetness is joined with molasses and buckwheat honey as the ale crosses middle palate, while also giving rise to black walnut, espresso, burnt toast, campfire and bittersweet chocolate. Trending savory, sweet, lavish and velvety on the tongue, a late spice of brandy, kahlua and peppermint intertwine for a broad and friendly balance to the extended sweetness.
Full and decadent, the beer is off chewy and creamy like a fine latte. The earthiness of cardamom hits the throat like cinnamon and allspice once the brandy, oak tannins and coffee grounds disguise its curry like character. A long and savory aftertaste once again evokes a sense of tiramisu but with the spicy bite of exotic additions to the brewing process. If this beer could be a person, it would definitely grow up to be a stripper.
System Of A Stout from Beachwood Brewing
Beer rating:
96 out of
100 with
342 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!