Jamaica Stout

Brewed by Big City Brewing Company
Style: Foreign Stout
Kingston, Jamaica

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

Pours near black with a small brown head (i.e. normal stout pour). Nose is interesting; there are hints of what smells like rum (or, more appropriately, molasses) and a bit of breadiness, along with a milk chocolate smell. The flavor is a quick, full burst of dark chocolate and coffee and quite good and rich....but suddenly it fades to a sharp and oily metallic taste. Finish is slightly metallic and bitter. It goes from good to nasty in a hurry. Too bad.

Has a belgiany stout nose...some brine, some salted nuts, belgian stout yeast, salt, peanuts..hmmm...dark brown beer, tan head. Flavors are fairly nutty, brittle like...a touch salty..interesting for sure but needs a little more sweetness to bring out those interesting attributes. Somewhat acidic palate kind of engulfs the carbonation but it works.

12 oz twist off bottle purchased at the Beer Authority in Lake City (Seattle) Washington. Poured into my Ename Chalice. Pour is hazed black with a smallish tan head that lasts on the surface. Aroma is mild licorice and even milder roast coffee. Clean, but subdued, nose. Taste picks up a bit, again mixing the licorice and roasted coffee and malt, along with a cane sugar finish. Palate is medium bodied, soft active carbonation, velvety smooth and easy driniking. More of the cane sugar in the longish finish, but not cloying at all. Not a ton going on here, but nicely smooth. Hides the 7.6 well.

Alcohol,hops and chocolate malt ,in that order,a little sharp in the nose, a little soapiness from something. not unbearable, bitter roasted malt, thin body, a little bitter Hersheys cocoa powder in finish,alcohol just peeking out,has a hint of sweetness 30 seconds after the swallow. Might be ok on a cool Jamaican night

5/11/10. 12oz bottle into a pint glass. The pour is black with reds when held to the light with a fizzy tan head that fades to nothing immediately, no lacing. The aroma is harsh alcohol with some dark fruits lingering in there - it smells almost like a cheap port or old chocolate wine. The taste is immediately metallic followed by sour roasted malts, chocolate, and old raisins. Not very good.

12oz bottle. black under a medium sized, whipped, brown head. dark chocolate and a hint of red wine in aroma. flavors of dark chocolate, the wine again(not as winey as the Lion Heart if i remember correctly). the rich stout flavor seems to disappear and becomes kind of dry and bitter.

12 ounce bottle from Bestway in Greensboro, NC, which I purchased for the Jamaica tick, forgetting completely about Red Stripe. Duh. Oh well, this will undoubtedly be much better. Pours a deep brown color appearing black in the glass. Medium head with decent head retention and lacing. Aroma of slightly dirty roasted malts with some slightly acrid smokiness. I guess that pretty much means the aroma is slightly bad. The taste is roasted malts, caramel, nuts and an almost bourbon-like quality. Tart throughout. The taste is almost good, which is to say, slightly bad? Thin-medium bodied. Overall, this is slightly bad. Which is to say almost good? Or mostly good? Who’s to know? I guess that all goes to say that this is pretty much average.

I really had some high hopes for this stout, but I am a bit disappointed. It looked like the perfect combination, Jamaica, Stout, but the end product is kind of plain. For some reason this beer tastes fruity, like a dark beach drink. Honestly, I would rather have Red Stripe right now.