Toppling Goliath Assassin

After endless hours of scorching in heat, brewing in turmoil, fermenting in angst, the Assassin’s journey has just begun. In the shadow of the temple, he lies in wait, maturing his plot to perfection. He emerges merciless, dominated by darkness, his bite laced with the charred remnants of his victims. No man dares to cross his path. They will forever sleep with one eye open, in fear of the Assassin’s hot kiss of death.

2012 - Red wax. 1st release

2012 - Gold wax 2nd release

2013 - Yellow wax

2014 - Metallic Gold wax

4.3

264 reviews

Decorah, United States

Community reviews

3.7 Thanks Virby44 for sharing! Taster showing dark brown with sparse latte colored foam. The nose shows intense notes of bourbon and alcohol. The palate is medium bodied and lightly carbonated with a moderate alcoholic heat. Moderately sweet with notes of brown sugar and a moderate bourbon background. More sweetness on the linger. 2021 vintage showing pitch black in a taster with latte colored foam. The nose shows intense notes of bourbon and soy sauce. The palate is lightly carbonated and full bodied. Lightly sweet and moderately intense flavors of caramel latte and mild bourbon.

4.4 Is any beer worth standing in line to drop $50 on a bomber? I'm not sure I'll ever know because spending $10 on a 4-oz pour at the Decorah source allowed me to get the full chocolate, vanilla and black licorice aroma blast that is Assassin. Booziness is devilishly subtle, though maybe not so if I was trying to fly a bomber.

4.2 Another shoutout to @IPhonePhan. Thought this was a bottle that would always elude me. 22oz pours a very dark black, molasses color with a ring of tan head. Nose is heavy with roast, licorice, molasses, very roasty and toasty, port and burnt wood. Flavor has a cola note off the bat, a clear caramel character too, some port, molasses, licorice. Very full bodied finish. Thick.

4.0 330ml bottle at the DC Spring RB Tasting. Thanks Iphonephan! Poured a nearly pitch black color with a small tan head. Nice legs/lacing. Nice chocolate, roasted malts. There's some herbal whiskey character here. Roasted, chocolate. Smooth. Easy to drink.

4.1 Roast and booze with dark chocolate. Lighter coffee. Some toffee and barrel. Pours black without much head and lacing. Oily texture. Bittersweet end. A hint of licorice. Big thanks to Iphonephan.

3.9 18.05.2019, 0,65l bottle (2018 vintage) sampled @ 1420: Nice brown bubbly-creamy mediumlasting head, deep dark pour. Aroma is slightly rich and dry sour-ish boozy, bourbon, minerals, oak, bark, dark sugar, dark malts, minerals, spices, fruit stones, sour dark fruits, chocolate, toast, old rope, coffee. Taste is slightly dry sour-ish fruity, sour dark fruits, oak, bourbon, bark, dark malts, dark sugar, old rope, fruit stones, soil, grass, dusty vanilla, minerals, booze. Medium to longlasting bitterness, slightly boozy and dry sour-ish fruity mouthfeel. Nice, but I guess there's a mild infection going on. At the moment it's a good one, but eventually it'll turn out bad...

4.6 Orange wax (2018). 22 ounces bottle shared with Guillaume, Eric and PA @Quartier Général for our epic tasting. Aroma: lots of chocolate, oaky, toasted bread, almond, light licorice, strong whiskey, light alcohol. App: really dark brown, minimal brown head, shy lacing. Taste and palate full body, creamy, liquoreux, light acidity and bitter finish. Overall, excellent! Perfect mouthfeel! Nose is incredible. Just perfect! Yummy!

4.4 Thanks, Steve for sharing. Dark body, reddish brown head. Strong bread sweet aroma. Taste is rich, sweet, hints of anise, very bready. Great beer! Glad I got to try this.

4.7 Totally amazing. Pours a thick black with sexy dark rich head. Aromas of brownie batter, bread, dried fruit, anise. Tastes like it smells. Rich dark chocolate, anise, roasted grains, coffee beans, Sherry, bread, nice oxidation. Really really amazing. One of the best.

4.6 On draft at the brewery during the 2019 Assassin release, both 2018 and 2019 versions. Black pour with a modest tan head. Aromas of oak, prunes and dark chocolate. Flavors are sweet pit fruits and dark fudge with some whiskey booziness. I preferred the 2018 but both were wonderful.

4.9 Awesome beer! so thick, maple, light smokey note, bourbon and chocolate, vanilla, so intense....this is not just hype for sure!!

4.5 Whalez Share @ Browariat. 12.01.2019 Assassin Orange (2018). Powidło śliwkowe,wiśnie w czekoladzie,czekolada,bardzo owocowe,sosik sojowy też jest. Leciutka wanilia.Olej silnikowy!B.dobre,ale nie genialne. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 22.06.2020 Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. - Assassin 2020 (b7) Imperial Stout Barrel Aged In Whiskey Barrels. Untappd: 4.61 Styl: Imperial Stout Alkohol: 12% obj. Po przelaniu do szkła pokazuje się czarny jak smoła trunek. Piana jest średniej intensywności, drobno ziarnista, beżowa. Po kilku minutach redukuje się do milimetrowego paseczka. Po zakręceniu szkłem trochę zacieków na ściankach. Śliczny aromat, ale nie urywa żadnej części ciała. Beczka po whiskey na pierwszym planie. Jest dużo czerwonych owoców, suszone śliwki, karmel, kawa, gorzka czekolada, troszeczkę wanilii i cukru Muscovado. W smaku ponowienie beczka, whiskey, suszone owoce oraz ciut kokosu i wanilii. Ładne ciało, szlachetny alkohol delikatnie rozgrzewa w klatce piersiowej. Assassin może nie robi już takiegi wrażenia, jak pierwszy raz kiedy go piłem (2018 Orange Wax), ale to wciąż super-pyszne piwko. Wasze zdrowie!🍻🥃 4.5

4.7 2018 Dense and oily. Balanced, lots of barrel, lots of plums, chocolate. Very similar to kbbs, but have bit less body

4.5 Bottle shared by Wickedestman, many thanks! Gold wax. Pitch black with faint, brown head. Rich cocoa with loads of bourbon, oak and vanilla. Packs a massive punch but remains super delicate with balanced sweetness. A battle of massive bourbon and smooth chocolate that somehow both wins. Great beer! 9-4-9-5-18 (4.5) 2021 Bottle shared by MJ. Black with faint, brown head. Bourbon, cocoa, vanilla, roast. Quite sweet vanilla notes, almost syrupy. Way sweeter than i remember it. Very long chocolatey finish. Lovely stuff! 9-4-8-5-17 (4.3)

4.0 Poured from 2016 bottle DeMont's birthday tasting inky black with a minimal brown head. Aroma is coffee, brown sugar, char, ash, dark fruit. Taste follows aroma, nice chewy mouthfeel, toffee caramel molasses and a long finish.

4.3 650ml bottle from a trade. 2014 vintage, gold wax. Smooth, stingy woody and oaky with loads of bourbon, vanilla, sweetness, toffee and caramel. Quite complex, nuanced and really well balanced bourbon BA IS.

3.9 Vintage 2014. Sample from the bottle at Tide's, Helsinki. Color is dark brown with very small brownish head. Aromas and flavors: Cocoa, dark chocolate, some sweetness and roasted malts. Actually pretty simple but very enjoyable. Vintage 2016: More licorice...

4.1 Bottle from a friend, vintage 2014. Black color, beige head. Bitter taste with roasted malts, licorice, chocolate, coffee, bourbon, dark fruits and oak. Bitter finish with roasted malts, chocolate, licorice, oak, dark fruits, bourbon and coffee. Exquisite imperial stout

4.1 Bottle, orange wax, 2018. Pours pitch black. Aroma is marshmallows, green peppers, sugar, caramel. Body is heavy and strong, boozy, quite fruity actually, caramel and nuts and barrel. Too much sugar and marshmallows, and still not as great as Rye BA Vietnamese Speedway. Very good, though.

4.2 2018 bottle, many thanks anstei! Pitch black color with dark beige head. Aroma is sweet sugary, cream, marshmallow, pure sugar. Taste is cream, chocolate, marshmallow af. Thick marshmallow mouthfeel. Diabetes, marshmallow Jule Mælk. Just too much sugar. 7-5-7-5-14 2022 bottle at MBCC 2023. Somehow this works much better than the 2018 bottle I had, but it might be that the other pastry we tried today changes the scale for sweetness. Very good bourbon character, not marshmallows, some roast, a dash of umami. 8-5-8-5-16

4.4 Pours black with low brown head. Aromas of asphalt, coffee, brown sugar, chocolate, dades, alcohol. Taste has sweet full bodied notes of raisins, dades, coffee, asphalt, brown sugar, chocolate. Full bodied, low carbonation, low bitterness, sweet

4.5 Puur zwart bier met fijne mokkakleurige schuimkraag. Koffie, mokka, pure chocolade, beetje roast, whiskey, barrel. Volle smaak, misschien iets te boozy. Lange afdronk. Topspul maar gezien de reputatie van dit bier misschien toch iets meer van verwacht.

4.5 Bottle at bumba. Aroma of red fruit, vanilla, caramel fudge and bourbon. Taste has cherry, rich vanilla, caramel fudge, oak, molasses and a long finish. Lives up to the hype, amazing.

4.6 Purple wax 2016 - W aromacie wychodzi głównie beczka, whisky, wanilia, gorzka czekolada, tle majaczy kakao i delikatne wiśnie. W smaku ponownie petarda waniliowa, delikatna kawa , na finiszu palone, lekka melasa, alkohol pięknie ukryty, gęste. Etykieta nie kłamie, beczka zabija w tym piwie, coś pięknego

4.2 [2016 - Purple wax] Smoliście czarne, z beżową pianą. Aromat intensywny, zbudowany na gorzkiej czekoladzie i nutach palonych. W tle mocna kawa espresso, nuty wanilii i bourbonu. W smaku pełne, słodkie, oleiste, mocno palone, z popiołowymi nutami. Dużo gorzkiej czekolady, i lekko kwaskowej kawy. W tle niuanse suszonych czerwonych owoców. Finisz to wyraźna wanilia i nuty whiskey. Słodycz, przełamana mocno palonymi nutami.

4.4 2016 Vintage. Thick black pour no noticeable foam. Licorice, coffee and bourbon on the nose. Hugely intense flavours with thick dark roast malts. Big sweetness, restrained barrel, licorice and dark fruits. Thick mouthfeel and a long sticky aftertaste. Assassino!

4.1 Purple wax, 2016 bottle. Thanks to Klimaet. Aroma of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, light booze, fudge, caramel, oak, light soy. Black with tan head. Taste is moderate sweet, chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, little soy. Full body, smooth feel and bourbon oak finish.

4.9 2018 version black with a ring of dark brown head. Aroma is tons of dark fruit, cherries, chocolate, nuts, with hints of vanilla and wood. Taste is medium sweet, medium bitter and very light sour. Palate is full body, oily feel, soft carbonation with a long finish.

4.2 Pours black with low tan head. Aroma of dried fruit, muscovado, raisins and corinthians, very subtle bourbon. Taste is sweet, boozy, rich sticky, tons and tons of dried fruit, almost too much but still nicely balanced. Rich and creamy body with soft carbonation.

4.4 Share, purple wax. Very good BA imperial stout. Thick and viscous. Some licorice flavors that I wasn't the hugest fan of. Overall, very good.