Black Xantus - Humboldts Brewing Company

Black Xantus

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Paso Robles , CA

Overall: 7.70/10 by 2 dudes

Standard Deviation: 0.12 or 1.56%

Trend: 7.70/10 over past 5 reviews

Style: American Imperial Stout

ABV: 11.00%

IBU: 50

Season: Fall

Have Another: 100%

1,470 beers rated with a 7.84 average
  • 7.58/10 have another
  • A: 6.0 | T: 8.0 | L: 9.0 | M: 8.0 | O: 8.0
  • sDev: 1.56% Color: Black
  • From a 2010 bottle (or earlier).

    Pours opaque with an inch of tan foam. Retention runs away, hiding quickly. Lacing is sporadic, thick, but 90% or more seeps back to level.

    Aroma is on the rather lighter side. I have a hard time describing it: sweet, peat, and that's about it.

    Taste made me say wow after the aroma. Molasses, vanilla, and bourbon begin in the middle and last through the end. A nice medley. Chocolate is at the beginning but subtle.

    Big body with medium carbonation, drying out towards the end. Boozy.

    One glass is enough as there is a sweetness and alcohol mix that is tough to cut through. Overall a solid brew that I think needs some time to age. Glad this bottle was a year old. Enjoy!
  • 724 characters
  • Reviewed: Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 21:27:07
  • Tasted: Thursday, October 13, 2011
  • $0.00 for 22 oz. bottle
370 beers rated with a 7.94 average
  • 7.82/10 have another
  • A: 7.0 | T: 8.0 | L: 9.0 | M: 8.0 | O: 8.0
  • sDev: 1.56% Color: Deep Amber brown
  • A: Dark amber brown with tight bubbled, tan foam head of moderate size and retention.

    S: My first impression is floral and faint notes of smoky peat in the background. Overal mix is white sugary sweet and really hard to categorize.

    T: Probably the biggest gap between the aroma and taste that I've had this year. With that said this brew is a huge wow...on the first taste. Bourbon, vanilla, and a slight alcohol sting hits all at once. It starts a touch like it's going thick, then quickly dry's out with a slight lingering crisp, white burn.

    O: Complicated brew from N California hemp country, which only makes sense and it's what I hoped I would find. Upfront I've got to say there's a bit of clear alcohol heat to this brew. But there's also a significant element of personality to the brew, with it's fruits, chocolates, whiskeys, molasses, and unusual scents. This bottle was a year old, so I'm dealing with questions about the effects of aging, but at 11% abv I hope that a brew like this has improved. My first Nectar Ale, but not my last.
  • 1,051 characters
  • Reviewed: Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 21:20:41
  • Tasted: Thursday, October 13, 2011
  • $0.00 for 22 oz. bottle
Beer Notes
  • Black Xantus (pronounced Zantis) is truly a unique bird. An Imperial Stout aged in American oak barrels, infused with fresh organic/ fair-trade coffee from our local coffee roaster, Jobella Coffee Roasters. This special, limited release beer bursts with bourbon and espresso aromas leading into chocolate and black cherry flavor. It’s 11% ABV is softened by time in barrels which also contributes to the beer’s appeal. We are very proud of this new addition to the Nectar Ales family.
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