We’re three quarters of the way through the 12 Beers of Christmas now, so not many more to go (if you’re struggling with the maths after all the beers, that’s just three more after today!). Stepping up to the plate today is Black Ops from Brooklyn Brewery, a beer that they say ‘does not exist’. If however it did exist, it would be a robust stout, aged for four months in bourbon barrels and re-fermented with champagne yeast.
I’ve been disappointed by a few over hyped beers in recent months, so I hadn’t got my hopes up too much. I needn’t have worried though… this is a really good beer!
Pop the cork, pour and there’s a nice big thick tan head in the glass, helped no doubt by the champagne yeast. This dies back quite quickly, but still leaves more head and shows more signs of life than many imperial stouts.
The aroma is strong with the smell of bourbon, cocoa and a general roasty note. My first thoughts on sticking my nose in there were that this was going to be quite heavy with alcohol, but I was rather surprised to find it actually quite subtle – it’s definitely there in the background, but it’s very easy to drink. It’s really smooth, with the fine bubbles giving it a lightness on the tongue. Flavours are predominantly chocolate and bourbon, with quite a bit of sweetness, almost like a boozy chocolate milkshake. If you can find a bottle, I recommend buying it!
Beer:Â Black Ops
Brewery:Â Brooklyn Brewery
Style: Imperial stout
ABV: 11.5%
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