Crooked Line Stompin' Grounds Coffee Stout

Deep dark brown coloured body with a relatively fast-dying, single centimetre tall light brown head that doesn't show much in terms of carbonation. Aroma of super deep roasted malts, licorice, coffee, molasses, caramelised sugars, grain, a good healthy hand of well-roasted (think french) coffee with a lot of lactose and creamy notes on the tail end in the nose. Medium to perhaps slightly Full-bodied; Strong rich roasty profile dominates at first with a lot of anise and licorice notes, a good hit of earthy malt, nuts, figs and a lot of lactose sweetness, but the majority of the flavour is hinging on the alcohol and the coffee, which shows strongly, but not overtly or overly bitter/pungent. Aftertaste shows the grain, the roasted malt, nuts, earth, licorice, molasses and deep sweet notes, but the pungent coffee and bitterness from the anise is the strongest with a body that has seemingly mellowed in the past several years, but the bitterness and punch from the anise that hasn't. Overall, a nice enough coffee-based stout that has a lot of flavour and quality, but the complexity, harshness and relatively simplistic flavour profile leave a lot to be desired - especially in a beer that's aged like this. Nice to sample, but not worth keeping much longer if you have one already on hold, or if they re-release this, it's probably worth passing entirely. I sampled this 65 cL bottle purchased from Whole Foods in Arlington (Pentagon City), Virginia on 01-February-2018 for US$5,99 sampled almost exactly two years later on 08-February-2020, with a 'best before' date of 20-May-2018, some 1,5 years ago.

From a bomber with a best by date of 5/20/18 purchased at Balducci’s. Pours a clear dark cola with a tan head. Aroma of roast coffee. Flavors are moderately sweet and bitter roast.

Horehound and coffee nose. Mahogany, medium beige head, good lace. Horehound, charred oak, subtle raisin. Full body, easy carbonation. Well done, not a coffee bomb.

Bottle. A- Coffee, mocha. A- Black color, black liquid, tan head. T- Coffee, roasty, mild bitterness, chocolate. P- Medium body, average texture, average carbonation, dry finish. O- Had right at the end of the best by date. Lots of mocha like coffee with a balanced amount of bitterness and sweetness. Decent enough. Borderline imperial stout, would be good with adjuncts like vanilla or barrel aged I bet.

On draft at Artistic Table. It pours a dark brown color with a khaki head. The aroma is sweet and creamy with big coffee. Like a latte. The flavor has rich maltiness, coffee and smoke. Smooth bodied and tasty. A real treat.

Bottle thanks to Bryan. Pours a cloudy brown black color with a large white head. A big sweet coffee nose. The flavor is big sweet vanilla, huge coffee. Vanilla. Very good.

750 c&c from Corti Bros. Pours dark brown with a tan head. Aroma is pretty nice roasty coffee. Approaching full body. Flavor is earth/roasty coffee and some fairly smooth burnt malt. Could be lurking chocolate, but the coffee seems to be the main deal here. It’s heading towards dry, and it’s somewhat bitter. Nice stuff.

Keg at World of Beer Charlottesville. Dark reddish brown, thin creamy off-white head, good retention. Aroma of coffee, caramel and chocolate. The taste is roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, molasses. Medium bodied, lingering roast.