 wickedpete (566), Lexington Park, Maryland, USA
Oct 6, 2007 Updated: Feb 12, 2008
This stout is as magnificent as the mountain it’s named for. Definitely the best I’ve ever had, regular, imperial or otherwise. The malt balance was fantastic, with the right amount of smokiness and roasted flavors. Nothing too overpowering, nothing left out. Definitely worth a trip to Maine.
jake65 (1247), Meridian, Idaho, USA
Aug 24, 2008 Bottle: Dark brown with a huge, fluffy tan head. Mostly coffee and chocolate up front with some light bitterness. Roasty. Tastes heavy with roast into mellow chocolate and a little bittersweetness in the trailer. Some underlying coffee flavors. Smooth, well balanced, and flavorful. I forgot who sent this over the winter months, but cheers to them for this treat!
BrewCzar (62), St Louis, Missouri, USA
Aug 23, 2008 12oz Bottle pours black with a small caramel color head. Aroma is semi sweet, coffee, and dark dried fruits. Taste of coffee and bitter dark chocolate and malts with dark fruit undertones. Will re-rate based on the future bomber tasting.
VTHopHead (683), Barre, Vermont, USA
Aug 23, 2008 Bottle - Poured a very dark black/brown in color with a thin dark tan head that faded quickly. Aroma is slightly sweet and fruity with a strong character of coffee, dark roasted malts and a hint of chocolate. Flavor is strong of coffee/espresso with chocolate and hints of dark fruits. Slightly over carbonated. Thinner than I expected. Finish is bitter and lingering. A good stout, but not one of the best
brewandbbq (226), Manchester, New Hampshire, USA
Aug 22, 2008 A side by side blind tasting of the 22oz bottles brewed at the original estate brewery vs. the 12oz version contract brewed at Gearys.
22oz:
Dark brown, with a creamy, dense head of beige that lasts throughout the glass wtih some decent lacework.
Aromatics filled with dark chocolate, cocoa, roasted malts and plenty of caramel. A slight fruit note follows through and the nose finishes with a mildly sweet note.
The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth. Velvety and luscious.
Nougat, dark chocolate, mild espresso, and caramel lead off the pallet. Fudgy and a bit chewy. Mildly sweet with some dark fruit way underneath.
Finishes with lingering chocolate, roast, and nougat.
Incredible smooth and drinkable. Somewhat rich and very balanced.
12oz:
Pours dark brown, identical in color to the bomber, but the head pours shorter and quickly dissapates. Barely a trace of lacework.
Aromatics are a blend of bitter chocolate, caramel, brownie bits, acrid malt and butterscotch. The nose is much drier, coarser, and slightly minerally, as well as hugely overun by the Ringwood yeast.
The mouthfeel is crisper, dryer, and slightly spritzy. Missing the smooth, velvet feel of the bomber.
Dark roasted malts, bitter chocolate, caramel, and roast coffee lead off the pallet.
Quite dry and slightly acrid. Butterscotch steps forward and detracts from the drinkability.
Finishes with some coarsesness, quite dry and roasty.
The two versions side by side have many glaring differences. The smooth, slightly sweet, and rounded sophistication of the original version is gone, and in place is the buttery Ringwood yeast, coarser carbonation, and dryer character.
The rating I’m giving this one is on the original version, with hopes that the new version being brewed at the brewpub will be up to grade.
kkearn (652), philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Aug 21, 2008 22oz bottle, purchased at the brewery. Labeled "brew 15". Poured very deep brown, capped with a small brown head. Rich espresso aroma, with dark chocolate , some caramel malt, and mild herbal notes. Flavor of dark chocolate cocoa, and caramel, with some espresso bitterness. Silky smooth mouthfeel. Long roasted chocolate malt finish. Nice Stout. I had some of this atop Cadillac Mountain while watching the sunrise - it made a nice substitute for morning coffee.
|
