 VTHopHead (670), Barre, Vermont, USA
May 26, 2008
Draft at the Great Lost Bear in Portland - Poured a very dark brown/black in color with a small tan head. Aroma was strong of darkly roasted malts, coffee yeast and brown sugar. Flavor was strong of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate and bready yeast. Medium bitter. This is a good one...
ucusty (1016), Wake Forest, North Carolina, USA
Aug 29, 2008 Batch 4 from Sams in Durham. Black pour and a tan head that dissipates quickly. nose is chocolate with that belgian funk. slight roastiness in the back of the throat, but less than I would expect. It balances well. hops are slightly noticable, but rather subdued. slight alcohol warming.
kiefdog (402), Tampa, Florida, USA
Aug 28, 2008 75cl bottle from Pristine Liquors (Spring Hill, FL). Pours a dark black with a thick and foamy tan head. Good retention and lacing. Aroma is dark roasted malt, coffee, smoke, and ripe dark fruit. Flavor is rich and malty with smoky, nutty and coffee notes. Some hoppy bitterness throughout. Generally medium to full bodied with a lingering bitter coffee, nutty finish.
CaptainCougar (4633), Rockville, Maryland, USA
Aug 25, 2008 Pours a barely transparent dark mahogany with a spotty-lacing off-white head. Aroma of sweet roasty dark caramel and biscuity Belgian malts with a touch of fruity plums. Body starts with good fullness and carbonation with sticky sweet milk chocolatey flavors before a roasty bittersweet finish. Nicely balanced, flavorful and very drinkable.
dkachur (746), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Aug 25, 2008 Batch 4 C&C 750 from Wine Warehouse. Dark chocolate brown color appears black in the glass and shows a thin but fairly persistent head. Aroma is roasted grain, coffee, and a sweetness that is reminiscent of the candi sugar. The taste starts off with a simple roasted grain taste but expands into coffee, oak, hops and sour cherry. Highly effervescent, smouth mouthfeel, medium to full body.
502Flavors (220), Kentucky, USA
Aug 24, 2008 corked 750 into sniffer. Not sure about the vintage, but my buddy gave it to me from his huge, specialty vintage cellar, so its probably not fresh (not at all a necessarily bad thing, just mentioning it for reference). Pretty thin bodied black pour with a strangely, nearly white head (puffy and lacing). Aroma is very subtle - vanilla, soft roasted malt, and some bittering hops. Flavor is also pretty soft, but very well balanced with notes of vanilla, oak, pretty bland hops, and some hints of dark cherry. Not getting much of the belgian candi sugar that is mentioned in the "Commercial description," but this may be responsible for the cherry notes I am getting. Medium to light body on the palate with pretty active carbonation (which is suiting to the BELGIAN in Belgian stout). Some alcohol warmth on the finish. Overall: good with a unique style that is very much like a hybrid between a stout and a Belgian ale - I’m guessing it is all ion the yeast?
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