Leaves A Mark
Black Hog Brewing Co.

Solid black appearance.
Medium light carbonation,an above average body with a creamy full feel.
Aroma is boozy,wood, earthy, malt, coffee and dark fruit.
Taste is very mild bitterness outdone by a dry coffee bitterness. Has a strong boozy quality.
Overall a very interesting, flavorful intense beer that was worth trying.

Picked this beast of a beer up recently at Joe Canal’s in Woodbridge as I never saw nor had anything from this brewery before. Love my Stouts this time of the year and this was a winner as it was also a beast that was about as easy to drink, given it's heft!

Lots to love here from the get-go as this poured molasses brown with a massive, mocha head that easily filled up the remainder of my glass and stuck around for the duration. Lots of big bubbles to it with nearly just as much lacing left behind as it was quite layered and extensive. Bitter and baker's chocolate melded nicely with the booze in the nose, as there was a ton of banana, bourbon barrel, heat, and cacao in the taste. Silky, smooth, and subtly roasted, there was a lot to love here as this was a bit dry in the palate and plenty full at the same time. Sticky in the back, a hint of coffee creamer rounded this out although this was the farthest thing from a Breakfast Stout in every sense of the style.

Sure, this was strong and sure, this felt it but I didn't mind as everything melded together nicely since this improved as it warmed up. No date, nor anything else, was on the bottom of the can although the liquid was sediment free as this tasted fresh and bubbly enough to feel poured out of a tap. A bit of roasted malt and oatmeal rounded out the aftertaste as this left me wanting another pour - er, can; as this was quite the first impression from Black Hog!

it's big, it's bad, people. yes, i must say, it leaves a mark! canned 11/16/20, consumed 12/26/20. thanks to my local monger for getting it to me in a hurry.
L: drinking from the can - very stylish.
S: coffee, dark chocolate. smells of barrel aging, even though it is not... so they say.
T: delivers on the nose. all that plus some hoppy bitternerss on the finish. would love to say abv is hidden but i don't think you can hide 11.5
F: creamy and smooth. and at this abv, i'm feeling just fine, thanks.
O: total winner as far as i'm concerned.

Poured from a 16 oz can into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Midnight oil pour... black as the heart of your ex with big foamy mocha-colored head. Great retention/lacing.

S: Rich and roasty... coffee, dark chocolate, and sugar.

T.F: Once again... rich with roasted grains, French roast, and cocoa. Lighter vanilla, brown sugar, and some herbal hops. Dark fruit sneaks through... and a great mix of sweet and roast/char. Super smooth and creamy. Medium to heavy bodied with moderate carbonation. Warming... and more complex as it comes up to room temp.

O: An excellent Imperial Stout. Super flavor and drinkability with the ABV to knock your socks off. Would love to try the barrel-aged versions.

Delicious.

Deep malty, sweet flavors mask the amount of alcohol in here.

Super dark brown color, beautiful head when poured.

A really great beer.

Would definitely buy again.

Update: And have definitely bought quantity again (it is a local brewery) - shame they don't really make any other stouts. This is an absolute favorite.

The CANQuest (tm)'s backlog is getting to be like that pesky loose thread on a knit sweater. You know how it goes, pull on it & all of a sudden, everything unravels & you are left with a ball of yarn that used to be a sweater! I had a Black Hog Pilsner a little bit ago, then thought, "Hmm, I think that I've got a few more from Black Hog. Lemme see. What? I could have sworn that I already reviewed THAT one!". OMFG. Now, I've got an impromptu brewery horizontal on my hands! This will be my last one from them for the foreseeable future.

From the CAN: "Imperial Stout"; "Made in CT"; "You best 'cycle".

The thought of an AIS in a 16-fl oz CAN is mind-boggling, to say the least! The Crack! of the vent gave me a startling spritz across my fingertips & peering in, it was easy to see why. This was yet CANother brimful craft CAN with nowhere for the tongue to go once engaged. 8=O I proceeded with a slow, gentle C-Line Glug to try and alleviate any ChANce of a spill and/or mess. It worked as planned, first with a pseudo-cascade & then forming a two-finger cap of dense, foamy, rocky, deep-brown head with excellent retention. Color was jet-Black/Opaque (SRM = 44), allowing ZERO light penetration. Nose had a deeply-roasted malty quality with notes of black coffee, Baker's chocolate & a slight smoky quality. CANother reviewer mentioned "soy sauce" & I CAN seCANd that. Odd. Mouthfeel was big, thick & full, like a dollop had been scooped into my mouth & onto my tongue. The taste was an odd mélange of flavors, especially with that umami/soy sauce idea having been planted in my mind. That was not the prevalent flavor, though - that belonged to the dark chocolatiness that paved the way for the smoke & coffee. It was different from others that I have had in the style & as we all know from years of reviews, I embrace different. Finish was dry, but it was not an amped up Dry Stout, either. It certainly was not sweet but the flavors defied easy categorization. YMMV.

16 oz can from jrc1093 poured into Empyrean Carpe Brew Em snifter.

Deep inky silky black with a beige head of 1 finger, receding to 1/2 finger.

Aromas of cocoa nibs and chocolate syrup, with roasted malt and slight soy sauce.

Flavor brings huge dark chocolate, lots of piney grassy bitterness, cola, cocoa nibs, slight yeast trub, tobacco, lots of burnt malt/ash, and some slight chocolate syrup sweetness. Finish brings with it more grass and slight caramel with hints of malted milk balls. It all sounds good but doesn't quite land for me as the grassy bitterness and trub get in the way.

Feel is creamy and smooth, pretty big as well. Has a moderate heat. Slightly drying yet slick finish.

Overall, it doesn't quite stick the landing for me, but it does have a lot of character.

 

 

 

 

A - Pitch black pour with a thick creamy caramel colored foam sticking on top and to the sides of the glass.

S - Sweet dark chocolate, roasted cocoa, light char / smoke aroma.

T - Roasted cocoa, malt balls, some sweet chocolate, a small shot of vanilla, and ends with a moderate chocolate char bitterness.

M - Thick, chewy, and velvety texture and a very dry finish across the entire tongue.

O - The ABV is well hidden and it's packed full of roasted malt goodness.

 

 

 

 

A: dark jet black color with a little bit of shine. Head is non-existent but a tan film on the edges

S: roasted malts, milk chocolate, cola, a touch of sticky molasses. Some cocoa powered with a little creamy sweet baking chocolate as well. Finish is sweet baked chocolate

T: toasted malts and sweet chocolate. Sticky sweet molasses. A hint of cola and vanilla. Some faint oak and more luxurious chocolate and roasted malts

M: heavy, sticky mouthfeel with low carbonation

O: not the most complex stout I’ve ever had, however this is very well made. It’s smooth and well balanced. No alcohol in the flavor, which is surprising given the ABV. Excellent beer

This is a full revisit from early-2018

Canned on 12/4/18

Pours the darkest brown verging on jet black with a fluffy, neat finger and a half of dark beige foam; great head retention eventually reduces to a persistent, thick ring of foam around the surface and a healthy smattering of lacing with some excellent longevity of its own.

Aromas of burnt malt, malted milk balls layered with dark cacao powder, creamy vanilla beans, coffee, and hints of toasted oak; vague notes of anise and earthy hops fade and reappear sporadically throughout the bouquet. Simultaneously roasty and sweet, but always in harmony and interesting.

Taste brings gritty notes of cacao nibs into focus, bolstered by no shortage of malty roast, smoked toffee, that malted milk ball sweetness, and faint tones of tobacco; hints of plum skins and more toasted wood on the finish. Near-perfect balance of ashy roast and dark chocolate malt with hints of vanilla cream influence.

Mouthfeel holds an excellent, semi-thick medium body, silky trending toward creamy, dries so slightly on the finish, with a warming booziness and roasty malt char leaving it laden with character and weight.

Big, bold, and very warming, this is an intense treat (also considering this isn’t even barrel-aged) filled with deftly interwoven sweetness to compliment the pure, roasty malt character you’d expect from an imperial stout. This is a true sipper whose harmony balances its bold profile just enough, riding this fine line in spectacular fashion.

From the 16 oz. can with no date that I see. Sampled on December 30, 2018.

Gorgeous deep dark brown to near jet black pour with a long lasting tan head that leaves lacing as it fades.

This is over 11% but I pick up no booze in the aroma. I do get some dark chocolate, roasted sweet and slightly burnt malts. earthy hops, and a creamy sensation.

The body is bold and full.

I think I do get a little alcohol in the taste along with the sweet roasted malts and chocolate and there is a moderate bitterness to finish it. I love Imperial Stouts and this one gets it done.

Tried this at Eli Cannon's in Middletown, CT. Came in a tulip glass with about a quarter inch of head leaving behind a good amount of lacing. Very dark chocolatey color. The aroma is toasty with vanilla notes. The taste is very boozy for sure. But there's also the chocolate and roasty flavors you're looking for in a good stout. Nice beer.