Nashoba Valley Robust Stout

Charred brown. Fluffy pad of mocha-gray foam dwindles to a lasting ring. Divine roasted wood aroma with hints of caramelized sugar, chocolate fudge, and molasses. Creamy and softly carbonated. Early tingle of lactose, but it’s not the least bit astringent. Lightly gritty with caramelized sugars and a tease of beautifully placed roasted grains, which complement the thickset cakey malts. Remarkably soft, but it possesses a sharp, deepening edge of char along with an earthy hop twinge. Decadent blend of meaty molasses and chocolate fudge carries things through the center as roasted-wood notes lend flashes of dryness. Moderately tannic and dry, with a roasted-hull edge. Finishes chewy and malty with long notes of sorghum molasses, coffee, lactose, and toffee-drenched nutty roast. Really nice, authentic example, and oh, that aroma.

I guess I’ll put my rating in here for now, until I can figure out where it belongs. My bottle was purchased from Julios late April and just says Special Reserve on it. An email to the brewery has received no response.
Pours a red-amber-garnet beer, good yellow-tan head, with some retention. Smells of crystal malt, hint of light roast and some nuttiness. Bits of bread and dough and then a full hops flavor, floral, and lightly resinous. Flavor is all hard crystal malt, this is quite filtered, with some caramel notes, bits of fruit and bitter, high-alpha hops. Bit watery on the end, hints of toastiness. Seems to me like a over-hopped, American amber ale. The bottle I had was not remotely similar to a foreign stout.

Black in color with a tan head. Aroma is of dark fruit,malt, chocolate, roasted malt. Flavor is of sweet malt,bready and spicy. Silky and slick mouthfeel that clings to your palate.

Nashoba Valley Special Reserve. Deep brown body, thin light cream head. Roasty aroma with molasses, a touch of smoke, and hints of tart chocolate (Hershey’s syrup). The body is very dry and quite tannic, with wood, roasted malts, and soy in addition to a slight vinous (red wine in this case) character. Long, earthy finish. A bit on the astringent side. Could use some plummy or raisiny sweetness to open up the palate. Thanks Tom (OldGrowth) for the bottle!

Labled Special Reserve, Bottle: Black with almost no head. Rich dark malts with a touch of port in the aroma, along with bits of molasses and rock candy. Very light carbonation, thin bodied, starts and ends lightly bitter. Thanks OldGrowth!