Lion Stout

Brewed by Lion Brewery (Sri Lanka)
Style: Foreign Stout
Biyagama, Sri Lanka

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

Bottle pour into glass. Pours a nice brown, thick head, small bubbles not quite as creamy as Dry Stouts. Very dark brown/black body. Head lasts several minutes. Smell: not much smell Taste: Malty, coffee, chocolate, possibly what a mocha porter should taste like. 8% abv and you do not taste it! Very smooth. Mouthfeel: Watery viscosity, quite carbonated Overall: Fantastic. Could easily put several back (though it’s 8%abv). Excellent, Not as good as Great Lakes’ Porter, but a good alternative.

12 oz. bottle. Pours pitch black with a monstrous brown head. Smells of cocoa, coffee, roasted malt, caramel, earth, and mineral. Medium carbonation with a medium rich mouthfeel. A rich palate with earth, burnt sugar, roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, and a bit of mineral. The alcohol is very well hidden. Rich caramel notes come out as the beer warms. Medium finish with a lingering earth and caramel notes. Overall and excellent stout with great drinkability. Great lacing all the way down the glass too.

Pours an ultra rich dark black with a thick chocolate color head. Flavor is complex with hints of Carmel and toffee. This is a definitely a most for any stout fan.

UPDATED: AUG 3, 2010 Bottle, labelled Sinha stout. Pours black with massive tan head that fades to half a cm. Aroma has roast malts, blackberries, nuts, coffee, cocoa , soy sauce, cloves, liquorice, vanilla, smoke. Soft mouthfeel. Gently sweet. Finish is gently dry. Alcohol is well-hidden. Body is medium, slightly oily. Excellent. [rerate, same score] Fresher bottle. More dark berries and dried fruit, less umami elements. Looked at my previous rating and wondered whether I was just surprised that something pretty good came from Sri Lanka. But no, it really is a fantastic beer.

A very velvety stout, the smoothest I’ve had so far. Roasty, chocolate, warming alcohol – but not too much. There is a reason a lot of people like this beer. Pours black with nice tan head. Slightly sweet, slightly bitter, full on flavor. Surprisingly light body with average carbonation. A nice reward for a hard days work.

Appearance: beautiful--coffee brown with a thick, creamy tan head that lingers before shrinking to a thick collar; tons of lacing. Aroma: chocolate, mocha, coffee, clotted cream, with notes of oak and vanilla, followed by a hint of boozy licorice. Taste: creamy, chocolatey…delicious, with notes of mocha, cream, vanilla, some wood and dust, then a little port. Finish: smooth, very mellow, gentle and dry, with the dusty, boozy notes gaining a little. <Notes: Wonderful stout. Palate was delightfully soft and creamy, and the flavors were perfect exemplars of the style. The finish had just a TAD too much dust, but not so much to really change my enjoyment in any way. This was great. Bottle said 8.5% ABV, not 8%.

12oz bottle poured into a tulip glass. Lion Stout pours dark brown with an above average sized frothy head that is tan in color. The nose has a great mixture of chocolate, malts, butterscotch and an earthly yeast. The body is chewy and coats your mouth in a film of musky flavors. The taste is a carbonated version of the nose. Butterscotch, burnt grains and chocolate chase an initial alcohol bite. A nice strong chedder would go wonderfully with this beer.

UPDATED: MAY 7, 2011 Très intéressante dès le départ avec un arôme de porto et chocolat. En bouche, ce qui frappe le plus c’est le tabac, le cuir, bien intégré avec le malt rôti. On sent l’alcool seulement loin en gorge, vraiment agréable.