Bare Knuckle Stout

Date: 02/10/2005
Mode: Draft
Source: Tasting

black, thin tan head, rich malt flavor with an over whelming amount of bitterness, touch of chocolate, could be a winner with less bitterness

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Score: *4
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The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Dark brown with a thick, artificial head. Faint aroma is thin, spent coffee grounds, not much else. Light chocolate taste but this does not have pleasurable flavours and the nitro seems to mute anything positive that may otherwise be lurking.

Ignorant of the brewer when I tasted this, so no one can accuse me of bias against A-B. The head lingers beneath the surface of the solid black body for a good long while before settling inteo a medium tan head. Leaves tremendous concentric lace. Aroma is fairly faint, but what there is of it is sweet and mildly roasty. Taste is medium sweet, roasty up top, finishing much the same with a short-lived bitterness in the swallow. It's a bit watery, very smooth with pretty much no carbonation.

Draft... Black ale with a mid-sized, creamy, khaki head. Excellent retention. The nose is just a touch roasty, but mainly a plethera of hop varieties (50 or so) and the same generic aroma of a textbook pale lager. How they pulled this off, I have no idea. Food color? The flavor is, again, just a toach roasty, but with undertones of a Michelob or World Select. Light to medium-bodied and (believe it or not) creamy with medium carbonation. Finishes bland and dry. At least AB is trying. Imitation (even a poor one) is the most sincere form of flattery.

Draught Jet-black; rather light yellow, dense nitrohead. Roasted & burnt malts, licorice without the sweetness fresh greenery aroma. Very little sweetness is all that gets through the ice-cold temperature. Very professionaly served & ruined. Light MF, even empty, just typical grist slickness. Disappointing, but is it the serving or is it the beer?

On Tap at The Rhinocerous in Missoula and at MJ Barleyhoppers in Lewiston: Pours a dark black/brown color, clear with bright ruby edges. The nitro covers up most of the smell but a bit of thin roast and light coffee comes through. The flavor is very thin with a light caramel and tin flavor. No umami, lots of articial creaminess and thin dark lagerish roast. Not horible, but not even as good as guiness, which I can get everywhere, so, no, I wouldn’t drink this again.

Draft at Tina’s in Cincy. Nitro black pour with an average creamy brown head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Light roasted dry malt aroma. Medium body with a dry watery texture. Light sweet toasted flavor with a dry light sour finish. If you can not beat Guinness, join tthem.

This is actually a passable stout. It had some body and some flavor. It’s not a favorite, but it is a half-decent stout. Mine wasn’t poured by a big-titted bimbo, either. Nonetheless, it’s the beer to have if your only choices are BMCs other shit. Red Dog, I think a 5.0 is too generous for this one, but I admire your enthusiasm.