7.4

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

Can. Nose is smoke, soy, coffee. Taste is sour, coffee, lots of salt, hint of soy, leading to ash and smoke. There is a frutiness buried beneath the sour and ash notes.

Weighty flavour, and a tonic to the overwhelming sugar gloop in most supermarket stouts.

Good.

7

A pleasant Stout, but not as rich or decadent as the can promises.

7

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

Can at the Munich Brewver Christmas gathering at Jonas's in Garching Friday 28th November 2025, in the company of Jonas and Ursula, I picked this can up Morrisons, Harwich. Pours black with a beige head, there's a little bit of treacle toffee, some roasted malt, a touch sticky in the mouth, taste is smooth a little creamy, burnt edges to this, nice.

7.4

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Can. Black, dark tan head. Licorice nose, medium mellow body, light foaming. Dry chocolate, cola, licorice base, hop perfume, citrus, pine, dry sweet palate, intense fun, sippable.

6.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 6.5

Can, as the last one for the Christmas tasting 25. Dark. Licorice, strong soy sauce. Front heavy then long, dusty licorice. Not undrinkable but a bit klonky in the nose.

7.6

Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 9 | Overall - 7.5

Can from Morrisons. Black body with a white yuck tan head. No visible carbonation. Faint lacing. Aroma of caramel, soy sauce and rust. Flavour of dried berries, brown bread and Worcester sauce. Medium to full body with a smooth texture. Soft fizz. Rich and rustic.

7.8

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

Rock solid stout. No bells and whistles, just a good showcase of rich dark malts, ash, roast, bittersweet cocoa. Nips of dried dark fruits. Mellow warmth. Well rounded and nicely balanced. Very drinkable.

7.5

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

Can at home picked up from Waitrose Gloucester road. A jet black oily coloured pour with a fading light tan head. Aroma is burnt sugars, liquorice, char, burnt cakey malts, some hot alochol, some boozy dried fruit. Flavour is composed of semi sweet, burnt cake ends, dried fruit, boozy dried fruit, charred sugars, liquorice, Lingering bitter harsh roast. Palate is semi sweet, oily, fine tickly carbonation.

Big and bold bit lacks refinement.

7

Roasty, coffee, slight liquorice

7.3

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8

Can at home from Waitrose in King's Cross. Already had a strong Belgian so this was an easy move. This is a grown up Imperial stout, none of that pastry and sweetened rubbish added to keep the kids happy. Huge and rich dark malt with a glorious belt of coffee. I actually had this at the end of dinner instead of a coffee and it worked perfectly.