Black Venom
Copperhead Brewery

Pours a pitched black color with a finger-width foamy head. Head retention is decent a is lacing. Slightly sweet aroma with mild cocoa nibs, brown sugar, and java. Taste is the same but with more brown sugar at the end. Medium to heavy bodied with mild to moderate carbonation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had it from tap into a small snifter. Very dark brown with a nice creamy brown head and good lacing. Smell and taste of dark chocolate. Mocha and berry contributions. Smooth, nice finish. Very nice stout.

 

A: Pours an opaque yet still clear extremely dark cola brown approaching jet black in color with light to moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising slowly along the edges of the glass and moderate chestnut brown + garnet red + chocolate brown + ruby red colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall foamy dark tan head that slowly reduces to a large patch of very thin film covering a little more than 90% of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of roasted malts, dark roasted coffee/espresso, unsweetened dark chocolate, and dark fruit (plum/fig) with a hint of caramel sweetness.

T: Upfront there are slightly stronger than moderate flavors of roasted + dark + caramel malts with a light to moderate amount of caramel sweetness. That is followed by moderate flavors of dark roasted coffee/espresso, unsweetened dark chocolate, and dark fruit (plum/fig). Moderate amounts of lingering roasty bitterness with a hint of alcohol booziness in the finish.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: This is definitely a big beer and more of a slow sipper but it hides the alcohol relatively well. Enjoyable traditional American Imperial Stout - nothing outstanding or unusual about this one but very well constructed. I could definitely enjoy this beer again.

Great beer overall. A good standard to set for your basic Texas imperial stouts. Not too overly impressive but I can't identify much off with this one. Standard black velvet texture and color, smell is of roasted malts with that "clean" smell that accompanies many craft brews, can't think of the term for it right now. Taste is surprisingly smooth, and on point, and what was what rounded this one out for me and tamed it a bit. Mostly dry with a lingering darker fruitedness to the standard nutty, dark roasted chocolate flavor. Cheers

Appearance; Obsidian body, crowned with a truly massive, somewhat coarse tan head, with excellent persistence. Scattered, patchy lacing resembling bizarre life forms adorns the glass walls.

Aroma: Roasted dark malt, coffee, bitter cocoa, and brown sugar dominate the aroma. Dark fruits too, are on offer, particularly plums and figs, and there is a pronounced, though gracious note of spicy alcohol.

Taste: The taste begins with a wave of brown sugar, cold coffee, and dark roasted malt. The high alcohol content is very artfully concealed, offering a gracious warmth and a little spiciness in the taste. As the taste progresses, some dark fruits present, mainly plum. Finishes with a strong surge of bitter cocoa. Finishes with a slight and lingering burnt note.

Mouth feel: Smooth and very full, quite soft, with just a faint hint of carbonation.

Drinkability/notes: Truly excellent, a beer to be sipped on dark autumn and winter days. Black Venom takes the Imperial Stout style to unplumbed depths. Would pair well with desserts like dark chocolate cake.

Presentation: Packaged in a standard twelve-ounce brown glass longneck bottle with a pry-off crown, served in a South American style Pilsener glass.

 

 

 

Look: Very dark brown with a dark beige head, super thick and fluffy with excellent head retention and creamy foam.

Smell: chocolate, alcohol, espresso, sugar, plums

Taste: bitter malt, dark chocolate, very mild but well hidden alcohol (10%), sweet sugaryness.

Feel: Some lively carbonation for such a smooth looking head. Pouring it felt thick, as it did going down. Syrupy. But smooth after the bubbles effervesce.

Overall: very good sipper beer, would not turn one down. For the style, I’d say it fits quite nicely.

 

 

 

Pours black with a proper stout head. Smells of molasses. The flavor is ashy and a bit harsh and not as smooth as I was expecting, which obscures whatever sweetness there is from the brown sugar. Could have been a really good stout but for that.