8

can at neils... dark black... thin tan lacing... soft sweet chocolate Roast malts.. heavy dark rich coffee nose dark coffee... heavy malts.. heavy bitter chocolate roast.. Light bitter almost burnt coffee

7

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Can at home, Nivala. Enjoyed straight from the can. Aromas and flavors: Chocolate, lots of chocolate and some Cacao.

8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Quite an exotic-themed stout from this craft brewery in Manchester, a pastry stout with cocoa and vanilla. Irregularly and loosely structured, large-bubbled, yellowish-ruddy beige head, open and quickly dissipating completely over a black beer with a clear mahogany edge of not more than a couple of millimeters off the edge. Intense aroma of actual 'fondant' chocolate and dark chocolate bars, espresso, toasted pecan nuts, indeed vanilla, granola, macaroons, burnt wood, leather, dried sage, molasses, blood, port sauce poured over a venison steak, freshly extinguished candle or even incense. Sweet onset, fresh figs, elderberry jam, lightly minerally fizz but very softly and subtly so, full oily body; thick, deep toasted-nutty, toffeeish, brown-bready and black-chocolatey layers of bittersweet malts, more sweet than bitter though, with this 'chocolateness' strongly amplified by the cocoa. Slight side effects of molasses and indeed an iron-like touch that can only be described as 'blood' accompany this dark malt 'syrup' to a rich finish, where some more coffee sets in (or rather: mocha ice cream) along with the long-expected vanilla, all working perfectly together. Peppery accent in the finish (mostly from calvados-like alcohol) as well as this paraffin accent returning, but bittersweet chocolate sauce gets the last word. Intense, but also quite complex for a pastry stout, with still some coffee-like bitter aspects to it that save the day for me. Rather impressive, in all.

7.5

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8

Black with a small beige head. Aroma of dark malt, vanilla and milk chocolate. Flavour is heavy sweet. Light full bodied with soft carbonation.

7

44cl can. A black beer with a brown head. Aroma of dark roasted strong malt, vanilla, coffee. Taste of sweet dark roasted malt, coffee, vanilla.

7

Ik open het blik en de vanille komt me tegemoet. Verder is het erg veel chocolademelk. Maar in de smaak komt er goede roast en gelukkig ook wat bitterheid bij. T is nog steeds pastry. Maar die bak roast maakt t draaglijk en best prima zelfs

7.8

Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Pours jet black, medium sized, darkly tanned head. Scent is full, roasty, latté coffee, milder vanilla, medium mild cocoa. Taste is full, relatively fullbodied, but nothing over the top. Medium high carbo. Intense roastyness, but not overly sharp. Ashy, but not troublesome. medium cocoa, again very roasty rather than the intense chocolate bomb I expected. Vanilla is much milder than expected, or hoped. Still, a pretty nice stout, that's not over the top, so providing a surprisingly drinkability and balance. Just don't hope for a pastry bomb.

8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Can from the Wander Beyond Online Store. Black pour with a tan head. Rich nose of cocoa,chocolate, nuts,cappuccino. Taste is lots and lots of chocolate, cocoa, more cappuccino, raisin, liquorice. Warm, soothing finish.

8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Dark brown pour with a thin tan head that disappears quite quickly. Coffee, vanilla, cocoa nibs, roasted malt. Very heavy on the vanilla, but luckily there is some roast to balance it all out. Not at all balanced - think vanilla + very roasty stout - but pretty good overall.