Brooklyn Black Ops

Happy Valentine's Day! We're celebrating with Brooklyn Black Ops, a beer that Jay bought at Bierkraft in Brooklyn over winter break. We're also enjoying chocolate peanut butter-filled hearts from Peanut Butter & Co. that Claudia won from Serious Eats.

Claudia: Damn. This beer is an event. It's a lush velvet tapestry of grapes, chocolate, and molasses. There seem to be some fig or honey undertones. This is a thick beer, but it still flows very easily down the throat. I also sense notes of ginger. This is one of the most impressive beers we've had on this blog. The only downside is that it can't be drunk casually, and would not pair well with most foods. 9.5/10

Jay: Jesus, this is a big beer. Smells like bourbon, toffee, dark chocolate, and coffee all at once. Taste is really complex and awesome; lots of malt, chocolate, and toffee. Huge bourbon taste right after swallowing -- it really feels like I just took a sip of chocolate bourbon. Roasted malt taste lingers afterward, along with a nice, mild alcohol burn. Not the absolute best imperial stout I've ever had -- that title's reserved for Deschutes Abyss or Stone's Imperial Russian Stout -- but this is right up there. 8.5/10