Emerson’s Bull’s Head Troopers Stout

Brewed by Emerson’s Brewing Company (Lion Brewing)
Style: Stout
Dunedin, New Zealand

Serve in English pint, Shaker, Snifter

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500ml bottle. Another superior brew from Emersons. Velvety smooth mouthfeel and medium bodied underlining typical Stout favours (dark chocolate, coffee, dark fruits and hints of smoke). Finishes dry and moderately bitter. Jet black appearance with beige head. Not too rich and cloying.

“A beer once brewed to keep up the spirits of Otago soldiers before they left to fight in World War 1”, the Otago paper described. I cannot even start to appreciate what it is to be facing the horizon of going to war, but I can tell that if that stout was any close to this, it would have been a much smoother ride to Tipperary. Aromas of Port, a bit grapey, biscuits, coffee, and that is of course among the expected chocolates and charred malts. Initially a get a bit of the pungent olive, the leathery tone, but that disappears as the beer settles in the glass and only the mellow aromas stay. It is dark brown, almost black, with a frothy but persistent off-white head. The flavours follow the aromas, with a lovely bitterness that balances the beer to perfection. Sweet and lovely, a shortcut to that sweetest girl they knew. The bitterness lingers on, never nasty, but just a pleasant bitterness that stimulates the good memory that this beer leaves behind. Medium bodied, it has a silky feel on the palate. Although this may not be an exact replica of the old Cowie Brewery stout, both Emersons and the RSAs in Otago and Southland should be proud to have this beer. My heart’s right there.

Bottle from the brewery. Different, rough. Aromas of caramel, chocolate, and hints of smoke. Taste is sweet, with bitter and sour notes, and long length. Palate is velvety, and medium bodied. Black, with a frothy head.