Old Review
Had this brew on tap at the Brickstore Pub in Atlanta, GA. This was an eight to ten ounce pour in a chalice.

A: I don't hand out too many 5's whatsoever but this beer's appearance was exceptional. Just friggin perfect and I what I was looking for. This poured a beautiful dark, pitch black. No light was getting through this puppy whatsoever. Then you get to see that head. The head is this beautiful dark brown head that resembles chocolate mousse. This head has an insanely creamy texture to it. That foam is so thick and creamy it saturates the glass and leaves that heavy foam stuck on that glass. I was amazed when the bartender handed the beer to me and it absolutely has the wow factor. You have my attention.

S: this brew has a really nice nose to it. Rich and deep chocolately malts are very much here. The malt is has a really nice roast to it. The coffee is strong but still has that sweet smell coffee can have. It isn't overpowering or doesn't have too much bitterness to it. The wood is very nice and has a really nice syrup and vanilla aroma to it. Its all sweet, but its very nice and enjoyable for sure.

T: This beer is quite tasty. Once again there is a really nice chocolaty presence here. Really nice and rich milk and dark chocolates mingle very nicely with the oak wood and vanilla flavors. The malt is roasted wonderfully and really compliments the coffee. The coffee is perfect for this beer. Espresso bitterness with a touch of mocha sweetness. It just friggin works. Then you get some really nice bourbon booziness on the back end. Dig it.

M: This is a full bodied beauty. Curves and textures are all in the right places. This beer is chewy and thick. Super oily and slick, this sucker really coats the mouth. The ABV has a really nice warming quality all over the palate, the throat, and the belly. Very nice. Carbonation is nice for this style with a low level that really lets this beer be thick and rich. Aftertaste is some nice booziness and coffee, a combo that I enjoy.

D: This beer is damned good. It didn't disappoint in the least. This is by and far the best of the Yeti line. I was really disappointed by the Oak Aged Yeti, and I was sceptical going in. It is amazing how this espresso quality makes this beer damn near perfect. The flavors, aromas, and feel are on point. The look is damned perfect. This was a great beer experience from the start and I will drink this beer every opportunity I get. Damned good brew. Fanfriggintastic. Drink this shit.

Serving type: on-tap

Reviewed on: 03-16-2009 03:03:03

Serving Type: Draught   Vessel Type: Goblet   Price:NA

Ess-press-yo-self. Sampled a black midnight color, with a viscous appearance. A limited head with bigger bubbles. Did swirl (after a taste or two) and brought out some thicker foam. Good lacing.

The nose has a noticeable coffee aroma but somewhat hides the beer behind it. There is a light roast aroma with a subtle lactic kick to it. A minor chocolate notes that blends well with the coffee. Some woody notes with more of a vanilla thing. Some lighter yeast and alcohol notes as well but subtle.

The taste is fantastic. The coffee is blended very well with the beer itself. To start the coffee comes out first with a more espresso flavor, with more of a milky taste than lactic. The malt really blends nicely with a small bit of astringency, but nice roast and chocolate notes comes out. The vanilla characteristics back off with not much of the wood flavors. The alcohol and esters back off as well, leaving a cleaner flavor overall. Very good.

The body is big but still easy to drink. The coffee really does a nice job balancing the astringency and alcohol notes and makes this a very enjoyable beer. A silky texture with a great blend of flavors.

Serving Type: 12oz Bottle   Vessel Type: Pint Glass   Price:NA

March 2009 Bottle Date; Sampled May 2009
A solid, but not aggressive pour, sneaks up on me and fills my 25cl tulip glass with three fingers of foam as well as overflowing a bit. The head is a full brown hue that is as dark as I can remember seeing in a long time. The beer is pitch black in color, though it does pass a hint of light around the edges if I really hunt for it (the hue is amber leaning, though it is still pretty opaque). The aroma has a sharp, acrid espresso character to it that is quite noticeable from the get go. The beer is a bit cold so in the microwave it goes for 15 seconds to make it cool. The warming smoothes out the acrid notes a bit, but they still play the dominant role here. Some aromas that do become noticeable though are a charred, blueberry-like, fruitiness, some notes of charcoal, a touch of sweet dark malt, charred tobacco, a toasted brown malt / biscuit maltiness and a touch of chocolate at times. The aroma is a bit simplistic in its overwhelming charred (both espresso and malt) character, though it is not bad.

The beer feels smooth and creamy as it first hits my tongue; it is not overly thick and seems a bit light compared to some heavy Imperial Stouts. Dark chocolate flavors are noticed along with an up front sweetness. Chewy, toasted and burnt whole-grain flavors are here along with a bread / cracker like middle. The finish has a burnt, lingering, roasted bitterness to it; there is also a huge hop bitterness here though, but I don’t notice the ample hop flavor presence that is in the regular Yeti. The flavor is somewhat acrid, with a touch of roast derived acidity, but it is quite a bit smoother than the aroma would have suggested. As the beer warms and my palate gets used to it, the beer picks up a lot more roasted fruitiness; notes of burnt prunes, figs and perhaps a touch of raisin are noticeable. It also picks up a touch of dark / roast grain burnt vegetal character at times in the finish, though this is pretty light. The fruit notes are accentuated by the hoppiness and the vegetal note is enhanced by the herbal hop notes. This has a nice, complex sweetness from the dark malt. Some spicy oak accentuates the acrid notes a bit as well as adding a touch of hotness to the finish. The oak is fairly muted overall though.

I definitely like the regular Yeti better as the espresso just makes this a bit too harsh. It is not a bad beer though and I find myself even enjoying it.

Serving Type: 22oz Bottle   Vessel Type: Tulip   Price:NA