Barrington Blackbear Stout

Brewed by Barrington / Berkshire Mountain Brewery
Style: Sweet Stout
Great Barrington, Massachusetts USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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On tap at the brewpub, Barrington MA, on 20 April 2010. ABV not stated. OG 1051. Black, dry and roasty. Plenty of espresso coffee in the flavour profile. A decent, drinkable and quite tasty stout.

Bottle at Sander’s pace, NYC. Breakfast beer. Pours black with a small, rich beige head. Aroma is subtle roast and big milk chocolate. A good lacto presence here. Flavor REALLY doesn’t follow as I had expected. It is only faintly sweet, with a modest roastiness and mellow cocoa. Light to medium in body with average carbonation. The roasted malts in the finish are more pronounced, with notes of tobacco and ash, light burnt earth, and mild grassy bitterness. Easy to drink, just not very characterful. Aside from the aroma, this beer reminded me of a mild.

Had this in a bottle marked: Berkshire Mountain. I believe it to be the same stuff. It had pleasant roasty flavours and a well carbonated feel but, as I find with many sweet stouts, it came across as quite metallic in the mouth.

Black pour is a bit oily and the head is tan. Aroma is light roast, milk chocolate, cocoa, a flutter of char is light and welcomed. Mouthfeel is pleasant and creamy, not especially viscous but appropriate. lavor is milky chocolate, cocoa roast and some cream. Reallly nice.

On tap at the brewpub. Pours a deep dark black with a beautiful medium thick dense tan head that falls too quickly. Big dense roast, coffee, chocolate. Creamy, big roast and char, cocoa, coffee. Finishes with a big long roast bitterness. Nice flavorful session stout.

On tap at the brewpub. Pours a deep, dark brown. Almost black, with a 1/2" creamy tan head. Aroma was roasted malt and light coffee. Creamy palate, although a bit on the dry side. Flavor was heavy on the roasted malt with coffee and molasses in the background. Very drinkable and enjoyable.

From a draft at the Egremont Inn tavern this poured a very dark nearly black color with a light tan head and some lacing. The nose is of roasted malts and coffee and chocolate. Mouthfeel is medium and somewhat slick. Flavor tends toward the malts with a lightl bitter finish. A very nice sweet stout.

My Bottom Line:
Blackberries galore, molasses-like dextrins and roasted malt bitterness roam about in this healthy, approachable Stout.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A ring of foam surrounds the blackness.
-The lengthy finish is mostly roasty, but also full of hop leafiness, while a light trail of molasses comes back to remind us of its earlier presence.
-I appreciate the fact that this is not nitroed.
-The baccate fruitiness does provide some dry, tart angles.

On tap at the brewpub.

Bottle (22oz). Shared by me with blankboy, GregClow, jerc and tupalev - via trade with jjpm74. Opaque black pour with an average creamy tan head. Dry, dry heavy roast malt aroma, some molasses, definite coffee grounds, and old leather. The taste is also very dry, heavily roasted, with an almost tobacco-like thick carbonized character. Slick, slightly acidic mouthfeel, no carbonation to speak of, but a long oily solid dry roast finish. Nice beer - freakin’ AMAZING aroma to this.

Bottle shared with tupalev, blankboy, HogTownHarry & jerc - HogTownHarry’s bottle. Deep brown with ruby flashes and a wispy tan head. Delicious aroma - rich and roasty with deep chocolate malt and some hints of hops. Flavour is quite roasty, with notes of coffee and chocolate, with a mildly dry and sour edge. Really nice!