Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Got in a BIF from tasterchoice62. 12 ounce can into snifter, no can dating. Pours dense pitch black color with a small dense tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, molasses, toasted dark bread, smoke, char, herbal, light dark fruit, and roast/toasted earethiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt and moderate earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, molasses, toasted dark bread, smoke, char, herbal, light pepper, light dark fruit, and roast/toasted earthiness. Moderate herbal/roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, molasses, toasted dark bread, smoke, char, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from roast/hop bitterness that lightly increases through the glass. Light carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy/silky, and fairly sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a light warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is an excellent Russian imperial stout! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and moderate earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to sip on for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.
superspak (10160) reviewed Shuckolate from Foolproof Brewing Company 9 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Got in a BIF from tasterschoice62. 12 ounce can into pint glass, no can dating. Pours clear very dark brown/black color with a 1 finger dense and rocky tan head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toasted dark bread, light salt/brine, light smoke, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of roast/bready malt, chocolate/oyster, and light earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toasted dark bread, light salt/brine, light smoke, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/roast bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toasted dark bread, light salt/brine, light smoke, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of roast/bready malt, chocolate/oyster, and light earthy hop flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from roast/hop bitterness as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/silky, lightly sticky/chalky, and slightly saline balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a damn good chocolate oyster stout. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of roast/bready malt, chocolate/oyster, and light earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink. Very well rounded in stout complexity, with noticeable but not overwhelming oyster salinity. A very enjoyable offering.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
On tap at Vermont Tap House, Williston, VT.
This was poured into a pint glass.
The appearance was a burnt orange color with a bar pour’s kind slim white head. Somewhat messy lacing running here and there.
The smell takes on the normal qualities of a citrus/cascade hopped AIPA, grassy/citrus/grapefruit and then they (Foolproof) aged this on some raspberries????, Uh...yeah, guys, good job, woohoo! I dig it. So some sour/tartness comes out from the raspberries (mmmm...smells authentic).
The taste pretty much copies the aroma - bitter to sweet to the dry grassy and then the tart/sour raspberry thing going on. Raspberries do show a light presence in the aftertaste along with the sweetness of the citrus. Subtle dry grassy/raspberry finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a fair sessionable quality about it. Carbonation feels good/low. Nice bitterness as an AIPA hitting my tongue.
Overall, I’d say Foolproof did this one well. I’d have again.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Got in a BIF from tasterschoice62. 12 ounce can into pint glass, no can dating. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a 2 finger fairly dense and fluffy tan head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of milk chocolate, cocoa, peanut butter, caramel, toasted dark bread, light coffee, light dark fruits, herbal, floral, and roast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, peanut butter, and light earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, peanut butter, caramel, toasted dark bread, light coffee, herbal, floral, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, peanut butter, caramel, toasted dark bread, light coffee, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, peanut butter, and light earthy hop flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from hop/roasted bitterness as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and lightly sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice peanut butter American porter. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, peanut butter, and light earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink. A very enjoyable offering.
johnnnniee (7495) reviewed Shuckolate from Foolproof Brewing Company 9 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Can from Bert’s Deep black with a smallish off white head. Rich roasty chocolate aroma and flavor with a hint of earthy minerals infused within it. Not to shabby.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
This was poured into a becher pint glass.
The appearance was a dark brown close to black color. A slim finger-ed one finger white to off white foamy head dissipated at a nice pace. Messy semi-foamy lacing glossed along the sides of the glass.
The smell takes the briney/saltiness and slides it in over some baker’s chocolate, brings about the roast. Light sweetness from the chocolate.
The taste moderates decently between the salty/briney-ness, the roastiness and the sweetness from the chocolate. Dry semi-sweet lightly salted aftertaste and finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a decent sessionable quality to it. Carbonation runs good as a stout and follows through yet slightly under to bring about the saltiness to sharpen itself somewhat delicately on my tongue.
Overall, as an oyster stout, it works. Its interesting, but I don’t see it as an over the top one.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Can thanks to Seth. Pours a clear brown with small beige head that lasts. The aroma is strong peanut butter, roast, chocolate. Medium mouth, chocolate, roast, nuts, light bitter finish, very good.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Tap at Growler Garage, Burlington. Colour is slightly cloudy light orange with small white head. Aromas and flavours: Fruits, caramel, sweetness, hops and malts.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Tap at Growler Garage, Burlington. Colour is almost black with small white head. Aromas and flavours: Chocolate, nuts and roasted malts.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
This was poured into a snifter.
The appearance was a dark brown color almost black. Thin white to off white foamy head that quickly dissipated. Concave light lacing.
The smell had all of the initial qualities of a nice RIS with more roast and bitter coffee coming all about. Subtle cocoa underneath.
The taste was more roasty than sweet with some subtle dark fruits engaging the flavor nicely. More roastiness on the aftertaste and gets slightly sticky on the finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body. Decent sessionability about it. Carbonation is quite low key on this one. Bitterness of coffee hits with a slight stickiness as well.
Overall, for the most part, it’s a good RIS, I could come back to.