Alaskan Stout

Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Co
Style: Sweet Stout
Juneau, Alaska USA

Serve in English pint

Pours nearly black, with a thin tan lace - aroma of oats, chocolate, roast, vanilla - creamy mouthfeel - mild acidity and black malt bitterness - a touch of tartness - cream sweetness comes through after that, but doesn’t stick around long, as coffee bitterness, roast, and an ashy quality arrive shortly after that - lingering dry roasty character in the finish - fairly one-dimensional, but nice enough.

Bottle from Scrizz, thanks. Pours a good cola like with a deminishing tan head. Laces well. Has a good aroma of malts, I get caramel, some chocolate, and hints of vanilla. Has a light carbonation. The flavor is decent. A little smokey but robust with stout flavors. Has a watery texture. A medium body. A good finish with a nice aftertaste. Not as hearty as some but good.

I was about halfway done with this review when i kicked the beer over. What was it doing on the floor in the first place?? Who knows... Anyways, from the first third, which im assuming the rest of the beer probably was like- pitch black, not lumpy at all. Heavy, steady and quick down the hatch. Aroma was smokey. Not bbq and not campfire but borderline sausage. Semi sweet, i can see the oatmeal and the cocoa coming through midway. Damn this was awesome. I love those alaskan beers, too bad when i finally get one im spilling it all over the living room.

UPDATED: MAR 21, 2010 03/10 had a couple over the weekend; increased the rating - this is VERY solid. Not over the top, just a damn good stout with some roasted/malt flavors, medium palate smooth finish - session stout? purchased in CO; drank in TX. Very dark with small tan head. aroma was subdued - sweet, vanilla, chocolate? great smooth palate and flavor slight carbonation in taste. would have liked a little more flavor but this was a very good beer; will have again in winter... Had again - great winter session beer!!

Bottle, via trade with beerbill,dark chocolate color with tan foam, aroma of dark fruit and chocolate, flavors of dark fruit, chocolate , malt and licorice

On tap at the Brewery. Dark and rich, with little head. Shows the alcohol a little more than anticipated.

12oz bottle courtesy of savnac poured into a tulip. Pours almost completely black in the glass with a decent-sized beige head that dissipates very quickly to a small ring that lingers for the duration. The aroma is mainly dark chocolate malts with some sweet vanilla and roasted coffee. I think I get some oats as well, but I’m not sure if I would have if I didn’t know it was there. It’s an interesting aroma that’s very sweet yet roasted as hell. The taste is dominated by the sweet toasted malts. There’s plenty of sweet chocolate thrown in as well as some caramel. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a low carbonation and makes the overall mouthfeel slick and sweet. The oatmeal adds a bit but doesn’t make this as smooth as I would have expected. Overall, it’s a very drinkable stout with a dominant sweetness and a nice roasted malt backbone. Solid effort from Alaskan.

12 oz bottle
Thanks to a kind soul for sending this along as a bonus in a trade quite a few months ago. I don’t know why it has taken this long to get around to cracking it open but if Alaskan ever expands to the Midwest I will definitely be spreading the word about this gem.

Aroma / Appearance - The bubbly soft head looks so delicate it was like whipped cream the color of paper that has broken down in sunlight. Mildly black and fluid the base beneath released a wonderful mixture of warm oatmeal cookies fresh from the oven, a sprinkle of sugar, and cedar flakes. The total impression is one of subtlety and lightness.

Flavor / Palate - Chewy and fluid as if you were to make a smoothie from oatmeal cookies this washes cleanly across the palate. Warm chocolate and cigar ash blend with blackberry to form a nice sessionable experience that does not fatigue. This is a great example of a daily drinking stout. A step up from the ubiquitous Guinness this one is worth seeking it on a trip to the West Coast.