Grain Blackwood Stout

Brewed by Grain
Style: Stout
Harleston, England

Serve in English pint

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Cask@The wenlock Arms. A nice roasty stout. Some sweet caramel and chocolate at the start, finishing with some nicely roasty malt notes. Very drinkable stout.

Brown 500ml bottle, 5 days out of date (best before End of Nov 2008, drank on 5th Dec 2008). Poured into a Westmalle Chalice and the rest into a Palm tulip, it had yeast within (bottle conditioned), so I had to pour in one go. Really deep, dark brown/black in colour. A small tanned head soon became a collar and wisp. Burnt toast, coffee, dark chocolate and tarmac all came to my nose along with a Peat Bog Fire aroma. Very dry and bitter, the toast and smoke from the Peat Bog fire come through in the taste. A bit thin for a 5.0% Stout, very little body. The rear label mentions wheat as an ingrediant, that might explain the lack of a deep feel to the beer. Overall not bad, but I was expecting a little more from this beer.

Bottle at Scopey’s CBC Tune-Up. Deep murky brown with no head. The nose is light berry, toasty malts. Quite neutral and faint aromas. The taste is light coffee, dark autumn berries. The finish is toasted wood. Like the Grain porter, I found this a bit watery and thin. In fact, it was almost indistinguishable from the porter. Overall, not bad.

Bottle at my Pre-CBC Tune-Up Tasting. It pours dark brown, with a thin bubbly beige head. The nose is caramel, roasted malt, bonfire, smoke and soy sauce. The taste is roasted malt, charcoal, wood, filter coffee, chewy malt and a touch of chocolate, with a dry, roasty finish. Medium body and low-average carbonation. A solid stout.

On gravity at the Ely Winter Beer Festival. Pours a very dark brown colour with a lacy light tan head. Aroma of caramel, chocolate and coffee. Similar flavours with mild carbonation and an oily mouth-feel. Not bad.

Cask@Plasterers Arms, Norwich. Deep amber, close to pitch black colour with a small beigeish brown head. Aroma is fruity,dark dry fruity, mildly toffee, roasted malts as well as some liquorice. Flavour is roasted malts, liquorice, dark berries, some fruits, toffee and mild wooden notes. Balanced, and does get some slight smoked wet wooden notes in the finish.

Bottle from a rather expensive trendy gourmet emporium in Crystal Palace. Dark brown pour, no head. Coffee, licorice, caramel and a little smoke aroma. Chocolate, coffee and licorice flavour. Smoky-dry finish.

Cask - The Kings Head, Norwich. Opaque brown with a medium sized, lasting bubbly tan head. Roasty, meaty profile with contrasting sweeter chocolate notes. Some liquorice on the tongue with a drop of coffee. Decent, dryish roasty bitterness. Medium body, soft mouthfeel, lingering, slightly ashy bitterness & a tangy aftertaste.

Cask Stillage at the Civic Hall, Nantwich Beer Festival 28/09/2007 Slightly fruity roast aroma. Black smooth on the palate and fruity. A little rich. Some bitterness in a lasting roast finish.

Bottle.Black with a small head,aroma of roast coffee,chocolate and wood,taste is of chocolate,smoke roast malt and liquorice,dry burnt finish,mmmm campfire stout.

Cask (handpump) @ New Oxford, Manchester M4, UK. Clear dark brown color with a small to average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, beige head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, mild coffee, light vanilla. Flavor is moderate sweet and bitter with a average duration. (Malt bitter) Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is flat. (170108)