3 Minutes To Midnight
Bellwoods Brewery

3 Minutes To Midnight3 Minutes To Midnight
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Bellwoods Brewery
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
11%
Score:
94
Avg:
4.25 | pDev: 9.41%
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
86
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 19, 2019
Added:
Oct 09, 2013
Wants:
  26
Gots:
  21
This rich and complex imperial stout gains a character that can only come with age (12 months in barrels), aided by the addition of tart cherries and cocoa nibs. Deep roasted flavours merge with cherries to create a complimentary tartness that marries the fruit and malt beautifully.

What it smells like, what it tastes like: Cherry, smoke, red berry, licorice, port wine and roasted malts on the nose with tart cherry, oak, port and chocolate flavours. A true sipper.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by SmithyAlan:
Photo of SmithyAlan
Rated by SmithyAlan from Canada (QC)

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

Sep 26, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.05 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Oct 19, 2019
Photo of Tilley4
Reviewed by Tilley4 from Tennessee

4.36/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Just incredible...like a big piece of Black Forest cake...cherries, fudgy chocolate, vanilla... truly sublime... no booze at all.. this beer is trouble... super drinkable RIS... highly highly recommended if you run across it...m
Sep 10, 2019
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
500 ml bottle into snifter, 2013 vintage. Pours dense opaque pitch black color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy tan head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big juicy/tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, currant, red grape/wine, citrus zest, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, cognac, brandy, toasted oak, nuts, biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of cherries, dark/black/roast/bready malts, cognac barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of big juicy/tart/tangy red/black cherries, fruit skin/pits, raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, currant, red grape/wine, citrus zest, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, cognac, brandy, toasted oak, nuts, biscuit, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, licorice, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, roast, char bitterness; cherry/cognac tang/tartness; and oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy cherry, skin/pits, dark fruit, red grape/wine, citrus zest, dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, cognac, brandy, toasted oak, nuts, biscuit, dark bread/crust, light coconut/licorice, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of cherries, dark/black/roast/bready malts, cognac barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a great hop/char bitter/sweet, tart/tangy fruit, and spicy barrel balance; with no cloying, puckering, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/roast bitterness, tart/tangy fruit, and spicy oak, Medium-plus carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/acidic/tangy/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 10%, with minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is an awesome fruited cognac barrel aged Russian imperial stout. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of cherries, dark/black/roast/bready malts, cognac barrels, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the mellowly bitter/charred/acid/tangy/tannic/drying finish; Great soft feel for the ABV. Fantastic balance of super juicy/jammy cherries, rich malts, and Cognac barrel presence/integration; with restrained fruity yeast, and earthy hops. Light residual sweetness with lingering bitter/tart/tangy dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and impressively spot on style example as expected. Held up extremely well for the age.
Jun 25, 2019
Photo of brother_rebus
Rated by brother_rebus from Maine

2.69/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5
only bad beer I’ve had from them i dunt like
Apr 20, 2019
 
Rated: 3.77 by mtomlins from Canada (ON)

Apr 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4.4 by Simon212 from Canada (ON)

Mar 30, 2019
Photo of npolachek
Reviewed by npolachek from New York

4.35/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours dark - almost black with tastes of cocoa, cherries, and vanilla. Full bodied beer with low carbonation. Good nose with cherries as well as coffee.
Feb 10, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by JunctionCat from Canada (ON)

Jan 30, 2019
 
Rated: 4.58 by FyreStorm from Canada (ON)

Sep 03, 2017
Photo of kitch
Reviewed by kitch from Hong Kong

4.31/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A 500ml bottle at the brewery, December 2016 vintage, poured into a Bellwoods tulip glass.

Appearance: It was black in colour with pretty much no head and only sparse lacing, although what was there was mocha in colour.

Aroma: Cherries, prunes, raisins and oak with hints of coffee and chocolate.

Taste: Cherries, oak and raisins with hints of chocolate malt and cocoa.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation.

Overall: Very nice body, tastes great, and a very enjoyable sipper.
Aug 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4.29 by Daniellobo from District of Columbia

Jul 23, 2017
 
Rated: 5 by StormAles from Canada (ON)

Jun 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.99 by Bunman3 from Canada (AB)

May 08, 2017
 
Rated: 4.53 by leitmotif from Romania

Apr 05, 2017
Photo of Ciocanelu
Reviewed by Ciocanelu from Romania

4.6/5  rDev +8.2%
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.
Apr 05, 2017
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

4.6/5  rDev +8.2%
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.
Apr 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Corson from Canada (AB)

Nov 28, 2016
 
Rated: 4.2 by Jerk_Store from Canada (QC)

Oct 26, 2016
 
Rated: 4.23 by goalie35 from Canada (AB)

Oct 17, 2016
3 Minutes To Midnight from Bellwoods Brewery
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 86 ratings