Lion Stout

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

Pours black with a quickly diminishing light brown head. Lovely smooth roasted flavours, licorice, chocolate etc. Nothing to really grab you by the bollards, but this is a very fine stout. Lengthy bitter finish.

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Poured out a light sucking black beer and I poured it with a large, thick dark brown head that retains itself at a skim level and leaves behind great sticky lacing throughout. The aroma is sweet and very thick. Milk chocolate, coffee, raisins, prunes seems to come out when warmer. I also may have tricked my brain into smelling something smoky once or twice only. Overall it is very soft on the nose. Tasty stuff - sweet, a bit of soft milk chocolate, some fruit, a touch of alcohol and ends bitter. It’s very soft on the mouth with light carbonation, no alcohol burn and a finishes off with a nice super soft coating and mild bitterness. Damn, this stuff goes down wickedly smooth.

330ml Bottle: Wow, what a stunning find in the singles aisle at the LCBO. The label advertises chocolate, coffee, and toffee, and it actually delivers on all counts. Aroma of deep chocolate and molasses, pours pitch black with an oatmeal-like head that leaves quickly. Hits immediately with chocolate and coffee, lingers to a bitter toffee on the back of the mouth. Hints of licorice afterwards. So much going on, but so well done I’d do it again in a second. Strong on alcohol, but at 8% I expected it to be stronger. Excellent stout.

Nothing frightens me quite like the small inset image of Michael Jackson on the rear label of my Lion Stout bottle. Actually it would be more accurate to call him "Spectral Michael Jackson," judging from his ghostly half-materialization out of the inky darkness. Why does he have a look of horrified shock in his eyes as he sips this beer? Maybe he wagered the life of his first born that it would taste like crap. Whoops, Mike, this is a very good stout. It smells chocolately, tastes the same, with roasted malt flavor and a nice amount of hop bitterness as well. It definitely holds its own against the best of the stouts. Buy this, so next time Lion Brewery can afford to get the REAL Michael Jackson to pose for their label. The one who led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 1996.

UPDATED: MAR 21, 2007 330 ml bottle. Pours a dark brown almost black with foamy brown head and beautiful cascading effect. Bit of sour red grape aroma with a fruity alcohol undertone. Very smooth, bit of a chocolatey bitternes. Roasted mocha flavor. Nice warming character. Great stout.

Bottle. Pours black with a huge light brown rocky and frothy light brown head. The lacing is very good leaving a nice lace down the whole glass, with a head that is mostly lasting. The aroma is of coffee and it is grainy, there is also hints of burbon too. The initial taste is very sweet without much bitterness. The malts shine through, they are nutty, coffee and chocolate. I can also taste brown sugar and it is also a little spicy. There is a alcohol taste to this. There isnt much hop flavor in this one. The bitterness and malt flavor lastes for a little while. The body is medium to full, with a creamy texture, and soft carbonation. In the finish there is also a alcohol burn that is quite heavy.

Bottle at my 1000 Rates Celebratory tasting, 8th Jan 09, courtesy of tashi. Pure black with a creamy/tan head. Loads of malt character but with a wonderfully smooth palate and a delightful creamy finish. Lots of soft chocolate, lighlty roasted malt.

Pours black with a thick foamy brown head. Milk chocolate and creamy vanilla aromas, with soft roasted coffee undertones throughout. Flavor is as expected from the aroma with a weird balance between the chocolate and creamy vanilla flavors. A bit on the light side though. Palate is medium with plenty of creamy, roasted chocolate and coffee flavor lingering. Could use a bit more body, but has a nice creamy mouth-feel none the less. Well balanced and super easy drinking.