XXXXX Stout

Roasted aroma, which itself is not very impressive. The flavor however, is complex and exceptional. There is sweet malt and roasted grain. Considerable smoke. Fairly thick on the palate and undercarbonated. Quite good.

Chris O, August 2007. Black with a light brown, big and lasting head. Roast aroma with notes of licorice. Roast and dry flavour, with a nice burned aftertaste. Tasted again Nov. 24 at thewolf. Upped the numbers a little, much the same notes, with an addition of a hint of smoke in the aroma.

Bottled (Thanks Degarth!). Black colour, big brown head. Aroma is roasted malts, dark chocolate, roasted coffee beans with some hints of burnt wood and vanilla. Flavour is roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, some slight hints of vanilla and hops. Alcohol shows a little bit in the finish.

Undated bomber. Pours like a thick liquid. Aroma of smoke, roasted malt, yeast, coffee and chocolate. At least. Wholly opaque brown/black color with a tan head that sticks around. Thin to medium mouthfeel; so much for illusion. Moderate carbonation. Really toasted/burnt malts like the Guinness of old. Coffee; dark fruits; not getting chocolate. There is some malt sugar, but it is more dry than otherwise. Strong, near espresso, impression for the finish. Really whacks the mouth. Then a slight toffee sweetness came forth. Very slight. This is relatively humongous in terms of aroma and flavor. If it were an imperial stout, the overall combination might be fatal.

Blacker than sin, with a lovely thick cafe au lait coloured head. Aroma of malt, chocolate and smoke. Malty flavour with notes of chocolate, coffee and hops. Nice dry finish that still lasted. It had the complexity of imperial stout without the alcohol befuddling power. This may be the best stout I have ever tasted in my life. It certaily is my first 5.

Draught pints at Redbones, 11/7/06 and 12/10/06
Deep, deep raven-black beer is opaque through the middle, but upon settling, and against the light, shows garnet-auburn tints on the edges, with some clarity at the sides. Creamy, beige/light-tan head sits atop the beer, not very much of it, but quite well-retained, providing moderate lacing.
Very interesting bittersweet nose has a cohesive mix of cola, prunes, raisins, brandy, dates, maraschino cherries and moderate roast. It smells fluffy....with vanilla cream notes lingering long on the finish and medium sweet cherry notes really adding a great strength of aroma. Not sure what’s creating the cherry vanilla-like nose, but it’s tastefully done. Some light milk chocolate and very light bakers chocolate give additional balance, while a light, fruity hoppiness emerges with warming. Probably the responsible party for the cherry notes, and sure enough, some light citrus notes emerge as well, over time. But aromatic and juicy are the hops, only lightly done and not bitter in the least. Promising is the aroma.
A combination of chewy, almost caramel-molasses-like consistency, well-placed jabs of dry roast and then a softly sweet cherry vanilla flavor certainly pleases. Very well balanced, though tending somewhat sweet, the initial chocolate-caramel-vanilla flavors evolve in to a vast sea of dark fruits. Raisins, prunes, dates, cherries...A faint bit of tartness, be it dark malt or lacto induced helps nip the sweetness and the finish ends with a toned-down roastiness, that incorporates more light chocolate and a touch of leafy, juicy hops. This beer is all about warming. Though it’s good cool, the complexities that emerge as it breathes/warms are just plain impressive. All the interesting, unique flavors of a foreign stout, even something like De Dolle’s, but with plenty more chocolate, light hops and vanilla creaminess bringing back in to the American realm. None of the sugary sweetness of a foreign stout and more complexity than your usual oatmeal or standard brewpub stout. No alcohol noted in aroma or flavor. Fairly engaging carbonation is low to moderate, fitting the bill aptly.