Hakim Stout

Brewed by Harar Beer Factory
Style: Foreign Stout
Harar, Ethiopia

Bottle shared with blankboy, HogTownHarry & tupalev - courtesy of blankboy. Dark ruby-brown with a moderate tan head. Aroma is a bit stale, with some fruit and roasted malt. Thin, lifeless body - not stout-like in the least. Flavour is quite decent - dry roast and sour fruit, hint of chocolate and vanilla. Really way too light for the style, though.

Slight vanilla and coffee aroma. Pours a suprisingly light coloured brown with a nice head. Flavour is mostly vanilla with a sweet finish. Thin palate - a little too thin. I wouldn’t call this a stout. When’s the next time I’m going to have a beer from Ethiopia though?

Bottled: Aroma - Horrid, smells like a chocolate-coated fart. Nice color, deep-deep reddish brown color. Fast dissapating head. Tastes of cocoa and light coffee with maybe some berry accents. not a strong flavor but that was okay because it was not all that appealing - glad I tried it but would not buy again.

Perfectly drinkable stout, slightly red when held to light. Weird but not bad barbeque sauce-black tea-coffee taste. Would not refuse if given, but probably not going to buy it again.

Very dry, not much mell or aroma (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), a bit of bitter flavor but weak. The best part of this beer was it’s insane warning label!

This dark brown ale poured with a modest tan head that dissipated quickly. The body was thin with a slightly sweet flavor, which sort of resembled a stout. I’m glad they are making a drinkable beer in Ethiopia, but I doubt if I will be a repeat consumer.

I think stout is popular in underdeveloped countries because a badly made stout is easier to drink than a badly made lager. I don’t know. Anyway, this stout looks the part, but delivers a palate of thin coffee and earthy wood character with a sweet finish. Not bad, but probably among the least enjoyable of the lower alcohol foreign stouts I’ve tried.

(330ml Bottle. 03/2006). I’ve been intrigued by this bottle for a long time. So I bought one today. Chocolate and vanilla aromas. Dark, clear brown (not black, that’s for sure) with a thick, tan head that dissipates to a thin film almost immediately. Weak lacing. Oxidized and with hints of metal Sweet Some roasted notes. Rather sweet and smooth. Not very complex. Almost cloying. Medium-full palate. Some stickiness. As it warms up, notes of soy sauce and meatiness emerge making this less than pleasant in the end. NOTES FROM LATER THAT NIGHT Ugh! It has stayed with me ... I don’t even want to begin describing how it has manifested itself through the evening ... suffice it to say, this is not a brew I’m buyin’ again any time soon! Rerating, DOWN.