Beelzebub | The Alchemist Brewery and Visitors Center
Brewed by:
The Alchemist Brewery and Visitors Center
Vermont, United States
alchemistbeer.com
Style: American Double / Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.00%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Beelzebub is an American Imperial Stout. The intensely smooth and rich roasted flavor is complemented by the unmistakable presence of hops. The bitterness is held in check, preserving the flavors of dark chocolate. This ale is aggressively dry hopped with Citra to cut through it all. Hail Santa.
Added by NEhophead on 03-01-2008
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 515 | Reviews: 86
4.05/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.16/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.25/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
expecting this to be a classic stout is tough, its definitely a black ipa by any other standard, just a really strong, full bodied, and malty one, as they go, but it is what it is, and its not a stout as we know them to be. almost the quintessential cascadian dark, if you could imagine it coming from the right coast instead of the left, it has the pine and the bitter and even that oily robustness, its great in the nose for sure, and the black roasted barley is a nice feature, despite it being pretty bitter too. the beer is aggressive in taste, almost brutish in a way, but natural too, not forced, just a lot of hops and black malt, pushing burnt on the grain side, charry, with the christmas sort of hop vibe, its a lot to take down, but its really good at the same time. i would have never suspected citra hops, i think they are way more bitter and assertive here than i ever have known citra to be, but perhaps its the black malt with the citra thats giving this range of depth. good beer, but more an ipa than a stout by my book. cool beer, these guys needed another good one, and they have found it. it should find a comfortable place in their regular rotation now that they are finally releasing other beers. thanks to my man back home for continuing to send me amazing beer from the east. you know who you are!
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
expecting this to be a classic stout is tough, its definitely a black ipa by any other standard, just a really strong, full bodied, and malty one, as they go, but it is what it is, and its not a stout as we know them to be. almost the quintessential cascadian dark, if you could imagine it coming from the right coast instead of the left, it has the pine and the bitter and even that oily robustness, its great in the nose for sure, and the black roasted barley is a nice feature, despite it being pretty bitter too. the beer is aggressive in taste, almost brutish in a way, but natural too, not forced, just a lot of hops and black malt, pushing burnt on the grain side, charry, with the christmas sort of hop vibe, its a lot to take down, but its really good at the same time. i would have never suspected citra hops, i think they are way more bitter and assertive here than i ever have known citra to be, but perhaps its the black malt with the citra thats giving this range of depth. good beer, but more an ipa than a stout by my book. cool beer, these guys needed another good one, and they have found it. it should find a comfortable place in their regular rotation now that they are finally releasing other beers. thanks to my man back home for continuing to send me amazing beer from the east. you know who you are!
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4.15/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours black of spades. Nice brown head with some solid lacing. Great taste.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours black of spades. Nice brown head with some solid lacing. Great taste.
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4.08/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Many thanks to millerbuffoon for this can.
A - Pitch black pour with a thick, dense, roasted toffee colored lacing ring, very little carbonation, and very sticky on the sides of the glass.
S - Dark roasted chocolate with moderate smokiness, cream, and some earthiness.
T - Dark roasted chocolate, cream, some citrus showing up on the back end
M - Frothy. Very thick and full bodied, the thickness eventually starts to coagulate slightly on the palate.
O - Solid and deceptive, the 8% is virtually hidden. A very enjoyable beer but for the first time ever, as good as this Imperial Stout is, I knocked points off on the mouthfeel because it's so over the top. (My initial rating on the Feel was 4.5.) "I love me" a thick stout but this is over the top and wondering if that thickness was dialed back a bit (because it becomes a focal point), maybe the flavor might "pop" a little more?
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Many thanks to millerbuffoon for this can.
A - Pitch black pour with a thick, dense, roasted toffee colored lacing ring, very little carbonation, and very sticky on the sides of the glass.
S - Dark roasted chocolate with moderate smokiness, cream, and some earthiness.
T - Dark roasted chocolate, cream, some citrus showing up on the back end
M - Frothy. Very thick and full bodied, the thickness eventually starts to coagulate slightly on the palate.
O - Solid and deceptive, the 8% is virtually hidden. A very enjoyable beer but for the first time ever, as good as this Imperial Stout is, I knocked points off on the mouthfeel because it's so over the top. (My initial rating on the Feel was 4.5.) "I love me" a thick stout but this is over the top and wondering if that thickness was dialed back a bit (because it becomes a focal point), maybe the flavor might "pop" a little more?
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4.5/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.61/5 rDev -14.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours pitch black. Mouthfeel is on the thinner side for an imperial stout. Taste is very bitter dark dark bakers chocolate and some roastiness. I think this is one of those beers that you typically either adore or are repulsed by, but I find myself in the middle mostly because it is unique.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours pitch black. Mouthfeel is on the thinner side for an imperial stout. Taste is very bitter dark dark bakers chocolate and some roastiness. I think this is one of those beers that you typically either adore or are repulsed by, but I find myself in the middle mostly because it is unique.
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3.97/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.82/5 rDev -9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Consumed 5/12/17
A: Deep dark brown, jet black at its core - pours with a medium size, light brown head, fades to a wispy cap, retains a small collar, leaves some really nice streaks and webs of lacing
S: Charred citrus - very roasty, with some roasted malt and roasty coffee - chocolate malts, burnt grains, char, charcoal, tobacco - dark chocolate and baker's chocolate - very light hint of soy sauce - sharp citrus cuts through all the darkness, with some grapefruit flesh and grapefruit zest - grass and burnt grass - some burnt, cooked, caramelized sweetness
T: Roasty, with some roasted grain, dark roast coffee, and espresso - very burnt, with some burnt grain, burnt toast, char, and chocolate malts - some dark chocolate and baker's chocolate - very pronounced and lingering burnt bitterness - some citrus spritzed on top of the burnt, blends into the burnt character fairly well - some grapefruit zest, oily citrus - weed and some burnt grass - some burnt caramel, but not much sweetness - tobacco and leather - lingering burnt and tobacco flavors
M: On the heavy side of medium, medium carbonation, smooth, but too oily
O: Bub? Who are you callin' bub?
I'm not sure if I entirely understand this beer. To some extent it tastes like a piece of charcoal topped with some grapefruit zest. It's a bit extreme. At the very least, it's interesting. I may let a can of this age for a few months to see if it becomes less aggressive overall.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Consumed 5/12/17
A: Deep dark brown, jet black at its core - pours with a medium size, light brown head, fades to a wispy cap, retains a small collar, leaves some really nice streaks and webs of lacing
S: Charred citrus - very roasty, with some roasted malt and roasty coffee - chocolate malts, burnt grains, char, charcoal, tobacco - dark chocolate and baker's chocolate - very light hint of soy sauce - sharp citrus cuts through all the darkness, with some grapefruit flesh and grapefruit zest - grass and burnt grass - some burnt, cooked, caramelized sweetness
T: Roasty, with some roasted grain, dark roast coffee, and espresso - very burnt, with some burnt grain, burnt toast, char, and chocolate malts - some dark chocolate and baker's chocolate - very pronounced and lingering burnt bitterness - some citrus spritzed on top of the burnt, blends into the burnt character fairly well - some grapefruit zest, oily citrus - weed and some burnt grass - some burnt caramel, but not much sweetness - tobacco and leather - lingering burnt and tobacco flavors
M: On the heavy side of medium, medium carbonation, smooth, but too oily
O: Bub? Who are you callin' bub?
I'm not sure if I entirely understand this beer. To some extent it tastes like a piece of charcoal topped with some grapefruit zest. It's a bit extreme. At the very least, it's interesting. I may let a can of this age for a few months to see if it becomes less aggressive overall.
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4.49/5 rDev +6.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
L - pours a jet black motor oil well in need of an oil change. Big, foamy dark mocha brown head with lasting power.
S - downright roasty toasty grainy coffee grounds. Now this is a RIS. Dark bitter cacao and some light cherry.
T - just as roasty as the nose suggests! Not as bitter as I would suspect. It has that grassy, hoppy "freshness" that just sits in the corners of the mouth, but doesn't bite that hard. Has all the tastes of burnt coffee grounds and dark chocolate without the unpalatable bitterness. That's not to say the bitterness isn't there though! Nicely done. Lightly toasted almonds in there too. Finishes dry with lingering bitterness.
F - creamy and full, maybe a touch too much carb. Head fluffs up nicely with a swish of the glass.
O - like all Alchemist stuff, this is well done and beautifully balanced. RIS without any aggressive notes, but still bold and forceful in the approach, leading to a drinkable, but commanding brew.
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look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
L - pours a jet black motor oil well in need of an oil change. Big, foamy dark mocha brown head with lasting power.
S - downright roasty toasty grainy coffee grounds. Now this is a RIS. Dark bitter cacao and some light cherry.
T - just as roasty as the nose suggests! Not as bitter as I would suspect. It has that grassy, hoppy "freshness" that just sits in the corners of the mouth, but doesn't bite that hard. Has all the tastes of burnt coffee grounds and dark chocolate without the unpalatable bitterness. That's not to say the bitterness isn't there though! Nicely done. Lightly toasted almonds in there too. Finishes dry with lingering bitterness.
F - creamy and full, maybe a touch too much carb. Head fluffs up nicely with a swish of the glass.
O - like all Alchemist stuff, this is well done and beautifully balanced. RIS without any aggressive notes, but still bold and forceful in the approach, leading to a drinkable, but commanding brew.
957 characters
4.29/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
4.29/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
4.5/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.42/5 rDev +5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Beelzebub from The Alchemist Brewery and Visitors Center
4.21
out of 5
based on 515 ratings.
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a 16 oz snifter not sure when it was canned. Pours a very attractive near pitch black with a two finger sticky tan head that leaves behind loads of thick lace.
Smell is roasty coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, bready grain, leather, and toffee.
Taste follows massive expresso, oaked vanilla, dark chocolate, leather, baked bread, and melted toffee.
Mouthfeel is on the thicker side, plenty of carbonation, maybe a little dry, and very drinkable at its 8 % ABV.
Overall this is a very nice stout, really complex and memorable in my opinion. Thanks @jzeilinger for this really excellent stout.
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