Belgo Black Betty
Jackie O's Taproom & Brewery

 

 

dark brown with a huge billowing head of tan colored lace. It delicately faded leaving behind tremendous amounts of side glass lace. A very big looking porter,

full of roasted malts. A good amount of sugar was added o the mix, a nice warm aroma coming up through it and mixed in very nicely with a nice earthy grain like smell. Some hops were present in there somewhere, and a touch of a smoked aroma was capping it off very nicely. roasted caramel mixed in with somewhat of a smoked flavor. Very nicely done and just the right amount of sweetness to accent it perfectly. Very deep roasted malts and a good earthy kind of flavor then enveloped the middle, giving hints of grains and of a slight grassiness.

Had a pour of this in July while talking with Brad post June release.

A muddled black colored beer, with a small cap of bubbles, finer, Belgian-y bubbles, I suppose.

Smells really sweet. Lots of rich vanilla here with some milder raspberry notes. The Belgian yeast wasn't making a huge impression. The porter notes were tougher to find, a bit of roast is there to be found though.

The flavor was full of much more fruit than I anticipated. The raspberry is slightly nondescript, but adds a nice jammy flavor to the sweet stout. Chocolate as an additive wasn't noticeable for me, but as a softer malt characteristic I can attest that chocolate is there. Vanilla is much bigger than the chocolate is.

A bit chunky in the body and mouthfeel.

Overall I wish I could have tried the normal version of this.

Had this on the day of the June 25th release. Recieved this in a snifter.

3.5 A: Black. Came without much of a head.

3.0 S: Good bit of raspberry and vanilla. An almost woodiness, though no barrel is involved. Unfortunately, there's some butter in there as well and it detracts from what would be a great nose. Light roastiness and lightly bready. Can't smell the Belgian yeast presence though.

3.0 T: Again lots of raspberry. Subtle to moderate vanilla. Diacetyl presence again reduces the enjoyment of this. Light roastiness with sweet dark caramel. Light Belgian spiciness.

4.0 M: Heavier medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Good creaminess and smooth. Alcohol is hidden really well.

3.5 D: Lots of good flavors, but too much butter for me.

On tap at Jackie O's the night before the June release.

Black Betty Imperial Raspberry Vanilla Porter with Belgian yeast.

Appearance
The beer is a muddy brown with a small, but pugnacious head. Minor lacing is the result.

Aroma
Woah, this gets high marks for execution. It smells exactly like you'd thing its supposed to. Lots of vanilla, lots of raspberry and a little bit of Belgian yeast. So far I'm glad to see that the Belgian yeast isn't running this beer over, its nestled nicely in back. The base of the porter brings in chocolate that gets sweetened up by the loads of vanilla and raspberry. It almost smells like a gourmet chocolate.

Taste
Vanilla is biggest in the aroma whereas raspberry really shines here in the taste. The raspberry jumps out on the front, fading as vanilla moves in for the long haul. And boy does that creamy vanilla linger. The Belgian yeast is minor, thankfully, providing hints of earthy spice.

Mouthfeel
The body is on the lower side of full. The beer is slick, sweet and smooth. Low carbonation.

Overall
This one is good in small doses. A sampler is enough for me. The sweetness is intense, but is very tasty nonetheless. It really cashes the checks the name is writing though.