The Grackle
Family Business Beer Co.

RB transfer

 

Roasty pitch black pour with a light brown head. Smell has the expected roast but has more prune, fig, and black licorice. Taste starts with leathery earth with significant fig, licorice, caramel, and anise with a finishing roast. Feel is not as rustic as expected either, malt in a medium-light body, roast is there but not starring, smooth

 

Dark black color with a decent mocha colored head and lace.
Aroma full of coffee, malts and dark fruits.
The taste was bitter espresso with a malt backbone and some dark fruit along with some bitter chocolate flavor.
The body is full and the carbonation was medium to low.
I did wish the beer was heavier in its body and had less bitterness, but I suspect that if you age this beer it would get that deeper body.
The feel was slightly creamy, with smooth coffee flavor.
A good beer, but could it be better ?
note: ABV listed at 8.9, but I had it at 11.1 - perhaps the ABV has switched up.

It pours absolutely lovely black with a dark beige foam that looks so inviting. The aroma is actually fruity, with some strawberry soda notes. The favor resembles the nose, with hardly any roasty or toasty notes. Very thin body. An unusual imperial stout for sure. Perhaps a bit of an acquired taste.

 

Poured from tap into a small flight glass. Rich dark brown color with excellent light brown creamy thick head and great lacing. Smell and taste of rich man LL chocolate and mocha. Coconut and vanilla. Pleasantly sweet. Really nice stout to finish a meal.

12 oz. can poured into a stemless wine glass. I love this beer's name. The Grackle. "Grackle" was my daughter's first word, and despite the fact that most people dislike the birds, I love them. Was pleasantly surprised when I discovered this beer up in Austin yesterday at Whip In, so I bought a four-pack to take home with me.

Pours a very dark black color with a dark brown head. Some lace, and a dark, almost oily, residue kind of lingers on the glass as the beer recedes. Not in a gross way, but in a way that says this beer is strong and commands a presence. The can says "Rich, Robust, Pitch Black and Ominous." Indeed! The nose contains notes of strong coffee, pecan, dark chocolate, faint vanilla. The taste is bold. Bitter coffee, plum, vanilla, chocolate, toffee. Delicious, but definitely better as it warms to just below room temp. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth.

A fine beer from a brewery I was unfamiliar with until now. So nice to see young breweries crafting excellent beers in Texas. There is a lot of mediocre beer here in this state, but The Grackle exceeds expectations. Good stuff.

From 12 oz can, poured into tulip glass

Appearance:
Pitch black, light brown thick head that slowly dies to a thin ring, which is not unusual for style.

Aroma:
Chocolate, molasses, cold brew coffee

Flavor:
Very chocolatey, slightly dry, the coffee character is not as evident in the mouth. Finishes like strong dark chocolate and cherries

Mouthfeel:
Medium body. Nominal CO2, alcohol warmth is just right

Overall:
A very good imperial stout

pours pitch black with zero head, just a faint burnt cream halo that dissipates in an instant.

aroma is robust but clean, cold brew coffee

taste follows suit but punches it up a bit. caramel malt shows up, the coffee blossoms into dark fruit territory, and a bit of muddled chocolate swirls around the edges of the palate.

mouthfeel is low carbonation, medium bodied; stays arms length from thick but goes super smooth with only a wee bit of booze heat noticed. super easy and pleasant.

overall:
very pleasant, robust leaning, but uncomplicated stout. it feels big, goes easy, but could be oh so much more. would be super interested if they use this baby as a base to launch into more gimmicky territory. age it in a barrel, wine or bourbon or rum; do a blend; throw holiday spice in there; literally any direction would have this puppy shining bright, y'all.

 

Jan 2021 Review
12oz can from Brian K’s trip to Texas. Poured into tulip glass.

Look: deep brown, one finger tan head that ends with small amount of lacing and some clouds. 3.5

Smell: dark roasted malt, coffee. Pretty fragrant. 3.75

Taste: dark roast coffee, chocolate, hints of vanilla, piney hops. Tasty and not overpowering. Not super complex. 3.75

Feel: slightly thin, similar to Guinness. Moderate carbonation. Smooth and really easy drinking. 3.75

Overall: good, basic imperial stout. Not super special but solid and something you could drink every day. Like the “reasonable” 8.6% ABV. 3.75

16oz crowler poured at the brewery 7-18-20. Opened 7-26-20.
Pours out a huge tan 3 finger head with a portion cresting over the rim of the glass.
Very good retention. Creamy and rocky head slowly falls to a solid cap.
No lacing but could be the effect of the glass I'm using.
Black stout, no light and no brown edges at first glance.
Earthy, nutty, espresso, cocoa, licorice, all in a super-rich malt aroma.
Big char up front, dusty cocoa, bitter espresso...very nice malt showcase.
Medium body for an Imperial Stout, low to medium carbonation. Some heat.
Lengthy and rich malty finish that's surprisingly dry early and semi-sweet late...never cloying.
I would guess this recipe has been dialed in since the first 4 reviews of it. The only thing off in my opinion is the body...I'd expect fuller on an IS (this is "only" 8.9%) but that's about it.
Very Good.