Beer Review - Black Ops

Brooklyn Brewery Black Ops Russian Imperial Stout - 11.7% ABV

Black Ops, eh?  You may think that is an odd name for a beer, that is until you try this beast.  You pour the stout from it's black, corked bottle and see....motor oil, in your glass.  Dark, thick with little or no light passing through.  The head is not normal either, mocha brown and large but luckily it dissapates quickly and leaves no trace that it ever existed.  You smell it *sniff-sniff* and are rather surprised that there is little or no smell.  But you see, that is how Black Ops work, they are sneakly bastards that creep up behind you and blow you head off, and that is what this beer does, but with a much more satisfying ending.

The first sip smacks you upside the head with a multitude of flavors, each battling your taste buds for dominance.  Bourbon...the beer aged in bourbon barrels for 4 months.  Chocolate...like a big old bar of Hershey's Dark.  Coffee...from the roasted malts.  Slap, slap slap.  With you head still ringing you cautiously take another sip and more flavors make themselves known.  Vanilla, from the oak barrels, molasses, dark fruits and all with the underlying burn from the significant alcohol content.  Smooth, warming, intense...wow. 

I admit to not being a fan of much of the beers produced by the Brookly Brewery, but when they do a special brew they do it very well, and this is very special.  My only reservation about this beer is the cost.  Is it worth the $35.00 per bottle price, unfortunatly I have to say no, but if you have a chance to mooch some from one of your buddies do so with abandon.

Brookly Brewery
#1 Brewers Row
79 N 11th St
Brooklyn NY, 11211
Tel. (718) 486-7422
http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/