3 Minutes To Midnight | Bellwoods Brewery
Brewed by:
Bellwoods Brewery
Ontario, Canada
bellwoodsbrewery.com
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 10.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Based on our award-winning recipe that debuted at Cask Days 2012, this smooth elixir is your partner in crime. In second-use cognac barrels (previously housing Bring Out Your Dead), this rich and complex imperial stout gains a complexity that can only come with age, aided by the addition of cherries, raspberries, and cocoa nibs. Deep roasted flavours hint at all the black coffee and dark chocolate you could ever want, and the cherries create a complimentary tartness that marries the fruit and malt perfectly.
Added by liamt07 on 10-09-2013
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 74 | Reviews: 19
4.53/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pitch black color with dark brown head. Aroma has cognac, dried figs, some molasses, fruity berry notes in the background. Taste starts with sweet dried figs, black bitter cherries, just a hint of fruit tartness. Cognac notes throughout, finishes has caramelised fruit with some smoked/burnt notes. Full bodied, really smooth. A really complex tasting beer, smooth, easy drinking with a very well hidden ABV.
408 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pitch black color with dark brown head. Aroma has cognac, dried figs, some molasses, fruity berry notes in the background. Taste starts with sweet dried figs, black bitter cherries, just a hint of fruit tartness. Cognac notes throughout, finishes has caramelised fruit with some smoked/burnt notes. Full bodied, really smooth. A really complex tasting beer, smooth, easy drinking with a very well hidden ABV.
408 characters
4.6/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from fridge temp. Pours jet black with little carbonation. Smell is cherries, chocolate, and bourbon. incredible. Taste is a cherry chocolate. Slight bitterness - makes it a dark chocolate taste. Incredible mix of cherry, bourbon, and chocolate. Alcohol is hidden. Unbelievably smooth beer. Some roasted malts. Body is full and thick. Overall, amazing beer.
364 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Poured from fridge temp. Pours jet black with little carbonation. Smell is cherries, chocolate, and bourbon. incredible. Taste is a cherry chocolate. Slight bitterness - makes it a dark chocolate taste. Incredible mix of cherry, bourbon, and chocolate. Alcohol is hidden. Unbelievably smooth beer. Some roasted malts. Body is full and thick. Overall, amazing beer.
364 characters
4.23/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.87/5 rDev +15.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.08/5 rDev -3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.58/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Bottle received in a trade.
This one pours a nice, dark and menacing black, with a really long-lasting brown head (seriously, it was there practically to the end of the glass- nice), and a little bit of lacing.
The aroma on this is basically heavenly, deep fudgy chocolate, a bit of sweet coffee, roasted malt, tangy dark cherries, a hint of vanilla, and just the slightest waft of cognac.
As the barrels were second use, this is not the most barrel-heavy stout that you'll find. And that's fine- it allows the cherries and the outstanding base beer to shine. It's got a wonderful thick fudgy chocolate flavor, which melds incredibly well with the sweet and slightly tangy cherries. It's still a bit bitter and roasty, which is certainly welcome with the sweet cherries. There's some vanilla from the barrels- possibly, but I don't pick up any oak. There are nice dark coffee notes, too, along with just a hint of cognac on the finish. This is a '15 bottle, and I don't pick up any booziness on it, which is cool.
This has a really creamy, and pretty rich mouthfeel, with a lower but still present level of carbonation. It's just there enough to prop the beer up, and provide that super long lasting head.
What a wonderful beer- I need more stuff from Bellwoods, stat.
1,273 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Bottle received in a trade.
This one pours a nice, dark and menacing black, with a really long-lasting brown head (seriously, it was there practically to the end of the glass- nice), and a little bit of lacing.
The aroma on this is basically heavenly, deep fudgy chocolate, a bit of sweet coffee, roasted malt, tangy dark cherries, a hint of vanilla, and just the slightest waft of cognac.
As the barrels were second use, this is not the most barrel-heavy stout that you'll find. And that's fine- it allows the cherries and the outstanding base beer to shine. It's got a wonderful thick fudgy chocolate flavor, which melds incredibly well with the sweet and slightly tangy cherries. It's still a bit bitter and roasty, which is certainly welcome with the sweet cherries. There's some vanilla from the barrels- possibly, but I don't pick up any oak. There are nice dark coffee notes, too, along with just a hint of cognac on the finish. This is a '15 bottle, and I don't pick up any booziness on it, which is cool.
This has a really creamy, and pretty rich mouthfeel, with a lower but still present level of carbonation. It's just there enough to prop the beer up, and provide that super long lasting head.
What a wonderful beer- I need more stuff from Bellwoods, stat.
1,273 characters
3.78/5 rDev -10.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.18/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Seems rather thin after the Hellwoods.
Fruit is subtle in the aroma and flavour, but works reasonably well with the roasted malt... though a bit more chocolate would step it up a notch. Definitely some alcohol warmth here, with a drying finish.
Thanks BakaGaijin!
266 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Seems rather thin after the Hellwoods.
Fruit is subtle in the aroma and flavour, but works reasonably well with the roasted malt... though a bit more chocolate would step it up a notch. Definitely some alcohol warmth here, with a drying finish.
Thanks BakaGaijin!
266 characters
3.58/5 rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.81/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
4.25/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.42/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.38/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Wow. I generally hate fruit in my imperial stouts but this works quite well. Reminds me a lot of blending a Cantillon Kriek and a De Molen 666 we did once. It's really really nice, I can imagine with a bit of time this is going to turn into something truly amazing. If it was a bit more chocolate cake or fudge that would do it for me.
335 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Wow. I generally hate fruit in my imperial stouts but this works quite well. Reminds me a lot of blending a Cantillon Kriek and a De Molen 666 we did once. It's really really nice, I can imagine with a bit of time this is going to turn into something truly amazing. If it was a bit more chocolate cake or fudge that would do it for me.
335 characters
4.21/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Props to peensteen for this brew. Pours pitch black with a thumb of dark mocha head, solid retention and nice sheeting lacing. Nose is loaded with dark cocoa, hints of molasses and leather, and tart cherry notes on the finish. Much like the nose, flavours are dominated by rich chocolate and molasses, with hints of cherries lingering on the finish. ABV is unnoticeable, mouthfeel is rich and thick. An insanely well crafted RIS with the cherry twist complementing the flavours incredibly well.
499 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Props to peensteen for this brew. Pours pitch black with a thumb of dark mocha head, solid retention and nice sheeting lacing. Nose is loaded with dark cocoa, hints of molasses and leather, and tart cherry notes on the finish. Much like the nose, flavours are dominated by rich chocolate and molasses, with hints of cherries lingering on the finish. ABV is unnoticeable, mouthfeel is rich and thick. An insanely well crafted RIS with the cherry twist complementing the flavours incredibly well.
499 characters
3 Minutes To Midnight from Bellwoods Brewery
4.23
out of 5
based on 74 ratings.
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4