Oil Man - Coffee
Elevation Beer Co.

i saved this one and the coconut one way too long, 2018 vintage on this, kept waiting for the right crew to assemble or for a special time to do them both, never came, time went by, and it was time to just get into this and see. its held up better than the coconut, but that one was a disaster by the time i got to it, this is less offensive, but coffee beers just dont generally last this long, and its on me entirely, i remember how stoked i was when i procured this, seems like a lifetime ago, if you measure time in beer perspective can be crazy. if it wasnt for the coffee fade this would be epic still, i bet it was magic fresher, in fact im confident it was, as the base beer certainly always was. this is black in the glass, still really viscous, intimidatingly deep rarely, one of the darker beers to grace my glass in some time, good carbonation activity too, collecting in a half inch of dark mocha lather with nice density of its own, mirror shine on this, looks awesome still, the blackest black. the nose is like black licorice, soy sauce, and burnt mushrooms and tires, heavy umami, rubber, crude oil, roast, definite coffee still but totally depleted and pushing a bit acidic in here, along with massive bitterness. behind this is the barrel, oak tannins, whiskey, vanilla, honey sweetness, dark chocolate, a rum note, brown sugar, and some smoke, very deep, but the deteriorated coffee is a turn off. i can still appreciate this for what it was through, and am scoring it better than its really drinking right now, this was quality beer very obviously still. the flavor is similar, past the coffee part its excellent, still very rich and velvety, whiskey driven, a little bit sweet, heavy but soft too, dark cocoa, cigar, and raisin notes, quite a bit of oak and barrel char to it, ashy astringent coffee breaking it all down some and lingering unfavorably on the palate, some late spiciness is kind of weird too, oxidation of course, frankly a rather well hidden or well relaxed alcohol profile, and there are still things to like and appreciate about this, even after the coffee has fallen off a cliff. regret not opening it much sooner, but still something really distinctive here, hope to get a chance to drink this fresh one day to know what i have missed with this!

L: Pours a thick oily black with a small tan head and no lacing on the glass.

S: Notes of molasses, rich dark chocolate, caramel and some sweet malt, some bourbon.

T: Starts with a slick Bourbon, with notes of cherry and a little vanilla, followed by some chocolate ans slight note of molasses.

F: Slick mouthfeel, lower carbonation.

O: Solid stout, but I think we may have aged this one a bit too much, not a lot of coffee left.

 

 

Had the coconut variety yesterday and it was a decent BBA stout, but not exceptional... This here coffee iteration is better right off the bat, with a notable coffee element that pairs nicely with the chocolate and bourbon notes... Medium-bodied and airy, smooth with a light feel... Not too sweet, only slightly bitter - has that coffee with sugar and cream kinda tastes, like the beer version of a Starbucks frappuccino... Still, while better than their coconut BBA stout, it is also just about average as compared to other BBA coffee stouts out there...

12/11/18 bottling...

Next, and last, Oil Man review is the vanilla version tomorrow...

Opaque black body; relatively thin yet lasting head, creamy and sticky; sheets of foam cling to the inside of the glass. Rich aroma full of sweet chocolate and fudge; a bit of dark roast coffee in the nose. Bitter chocolate taste with strong black coffee and alcohol notes. Heavy body; rich and sweetly velvety; dry overall with roasted grain char and boozy heaviness.

Elevation Beer Co. superbly crafted a heavy-duty imperial stout with a nice coffee touch. The beer is rich and decadent with very satisfying flavors and feel.

 

 

 

A 750ml dated 01/24/18 poured in a Elevation nonic pint glass.

Look- Pours a oily dark brown leaving a small finger of creamy light brown foam behind. Just a hint of lacing is present.

Smell- Dark roast coffee, bakers chocolate, bourbon, molasses, char and fresh cut oak.

Taste- Coffee, dark chocolate, bourbon, figs, licorice and oak. There is a slight underlying hint of smoke that emerges from all the robust flavors.

Feel- Medium thick and creamy up front with a dry finish.

Overall- A nice robust coffee stout that reminds me of Big Bad Baptist. Drinks bigger than the 10.8% listed on the label. I'm glad I splurged for this on a recent trip to Colorado.

4-18-18