On tap at brewpub

I wound down the sampler flight with this beer. There were two versions on tap so I opted to try the regular before comparing it to the black walnut seasonal release. Overall it is a very solid stout that does everything well. It was a bit of a suprise to find though I shouldn’t be too shocked. Carlyle seems to do well with most of their releases.

Aroma / Appearance - A deep black body swirled fluidly around the sides of the small glass. Malt and charcoal played against smoky coffee. It was solid without being overly thick.

Flavor / Palate - The mouthfeel was full bodied from the start. Smoke, ash and peat create a very nice profile that does everything right. Without any major flaws I would drink this in cool circumstances. A growler would not have been out of the question if I had brought one with me.

Had this one on draught as part of a sampler flight at the brewpub in Rockford, Illinois. Dark brown pour with a thich tannish head, coffee malts and smoke permeate this one with sweet kopi manis towards the finish. A good stout.

Date: 06/20/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

solid black, fine beige head, light roasted malt aroma, creamy oily oatmeal body, dry roasted malt flavor, lots of dark chocolate character, light bitterness in the finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **/4

On tap at the brewery. Deep opaque brown body, thin buff head. Rich roasted malt aroma with dark chocolate notes and coffee. Dry, slightly acrid roasted malt body, with the above noted coffee and dark chocolate characteristics. Light, creamy palate. A nice dry stout, with a soft palate and light sweetness that balances out the roasted malts.