Grumpy Troll Spetsnaz Export Stout

Brewed by Grumpy Troll Brewery, Restaurant and Pizzeria
Style: Foreign Stout
Mount Horeb, Wisconsin USA

Serve in English pint, Snifter, Tulip

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My brother picked up a bomber of this in Wisconsin and left it in my fridge. Grumpy Troll Spetsnaz is a brownish black beer with a thin film of a coffee colored head that has some pretty nice lacing. It has a nutty and roasty aroma that’s a touch sweet and quite pleasing. It’s pretty full bodied and very smooth. The finish is very dry. It has a mellow roasted flavor. It’s well balanced and very flavorful. Coffee seems to be the strongest note here. The bitterness is light and grassy. It starts dry, but there is a bit of sweetness at the finish. This is excellent.

In short, I thought this beer was awesome. This beer had a touch of sweetness, and a ton of dry roastiness that was clean, dry, and offered plenty of the "burned pizza crust" character I crave. The beer appeared opaque and thick, with a medium amount of head. Aroma was a bit chocolatey, and offered a ton of dry roastiness. Flavor and mouthfeel was terrific, and as I’ve described above. I thought this beer alone was worth the trip to Mount Horeb. I had this on draft at the brewpub.

Bottle @ Pre RBSG. Black pour with a tan head. Aroma of meaty smoke, roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. Flavors of roasted malt, smoke, coffee, chocolate. Medium body roasty with a roasty finish.

Chocolate, espresso, and roast coffee aroma. Black, with creamy tan head; lacing. Roast coffee, chocolate, and hop finish. Watery, with medium bitter finish. Decent.

Opaque brown-black pour, moderate brown head leaves a nice lacing. Roasted malt aroma with elements of ash and strong cheese. Flavor leads with roasted, dark chocolaty backbone with a definite iced coffee component, nice hops balance, imparting lemon and pineapple flavors in the background. Full bodied, very smooth, yet still drinkable, has the thicker mouthfeel of an oatmeal stout.

On tap at the brewpub.
Pours deep dark brown-black with thin head. Aroma is deep dark bitter roasted grains, coffee, and that’s about it. Flavor is bitter roast grain, coffee, a light dose of sweet malt... but otherwise just plain dark, roasted grain. One-dimensional but still pretty darned good. Tingly palate with long roasty aftertaste.

Tap at brewpub. Black with light tan head. Aroma of dark chocolate malt and coffee with hints of lactose for some reason. Lots of coffee flavor with a little thinner body than expected. Very drinkable. There is nothing too exciting about the beer, but i found myself digging this one. Probably my favorite of their beers that I tried.

Tap. Black with a medium head.Malt & chocolate aroma with a nice thick palate. starts malty with a coffee middle and a chocolate finish all three are very distinct. Think I’ll walk over and fill my growler :)

NTH TRIAL: Pours a perfect balck with a moderate light brown head; smell is roasted malt, burned pizza crust; flavor is delicious bitter chocolate, more burned pizza crust, sweet roasted malt, and some delicious hoppy bitterness; finish is spectacular and leaves just the right amount of bitter chocolate and hoppiness on the tongue. I love the Grumpy Troll. In fact it’s probably my favorite brewpub in the world, and this "always-on-tap" beer is one of the reasons it’s my favorite. A delicious brew that manages to be quite complex, while still completely drinkable... Absolutely delicious!