From draught sample at brewpub. Nice chocolate and coffee aroma with a hint of smoke. Nutty with molasses and licorice. Dry hop character. Dark brown-black clear with thin cocoa head. Medium watery body with medium-high carbonation; fizzy. Starts pretty sweet, with chocolate and coffee, roasted almost burnt grains. Nutty with lactose sweetness. Tiny bit of bitterness in the finish with nutty bitter chocolate after. Their best offering.

On tap at the brewpub on 4/9/07: Pours an opaque black with a half inch thick airy, wispy-lacing tan head. Aroma of lightly sweet caramel and milk chocolate malt. Body starts fairly full, sweet, and roasty with a touch of earthy grain toward a lightly bittersweet chocolate finish. A nice stout.

i haven’t had many stouts to compare this to but i’ll do my best with my review. This beer kicks serious butt! I drink this one in between Catoctin clears at the brew pub after the grotto meeting ends. sometimes i can taste the stout when i know the meeting is close to being over. Great dark chocolately taste. not too filling but i usually dont eat before the meetings so a cement truck couldn’t fill me up. Smells wonderful - the girls at barley and hops got it right with this brew.

Draft pint at the brewpub. Dark black with an ice-mocha-tan head. Smoky lactic aroma. Bit thin bodied but well flavored ... hint of smoke, bit sweet , bit tart for a stout. My wife liked it more than I did. (#2711, 2/18/07)