Pike XXXXX Stout

Brewed by Pike Pub & Brewery
Style: Stout
Seattle, Washington USA

Serve in English pint

Appearance: solid black with an espresso crema head which. Head fades into a lovely collar while bubbles linger in the middle. Swirls with crema spots and a slightly thicker collar.
Nose: tarry and roasty. Brewers licorice, tar and char, dates, and black bread. Thick and sticky. Nutrient rich top soil, fudge, melted bakers and black chocolates. Charcoal. More brewer’s licorice and dates.
Palate: thick and rich, soft and creamy with a massive dose of char tar and burnt goodness in the back. Black root, brewers licorice are followed by tart meaty dates in the back. Burnt front to middle with tart meaty dark fruits dominating back with dry ash in finish drying the palate while inducing thirst. Pure cacao nibs and bakers chocolate in the breath. Burnt wood and charcoal underneath. Flavors are seamless as they melt into and out of each other.
Final Thoughts: a fine standing stout indeed. In Florida at least Pike Pub & Brewery is exclusive to the Total Wine brand of liquor/wine/beer superstores. If you want some and you don’t live in Seattle, Washington then you know where to go. Tell them Kristyn sent you.

650ml brown bottle. Deep brown/black pour. Large and creamy tan head, left well defined lace rings on the sides of the glass. Aroma is on the sweeter side with raisins, cocoa/chocolate and a bit of coffee. Hops start to show up as the beer warms up. Flavour starts with roast malt, black coffee, finish is more towards dark chocolate with noticable hop flavours. Long lingering roast malt bitterness. Soft mouthfeel, medium bodied, light carboantion, feels pretty silky on the tounge. Very drinkable.

Black pour with a bit of a dark red tinge to it and a small to medium tan head. Sugar and toffee in the smell, very thick and inviting. Heavy malt in the flavor with some caramel and toffee taste and some chocolate and coffee lingering in there as well. A very nice chewy mouthfeel that lingers on the tongue. A slight bitter finish, similar to but far more mild than a dry stout. Extremely tasty, hope to visit their pub the next time I am in Seattle.

Bottle. Pours a nice coffee black with a roasted tan head. Nose is dark roasted coffee, nice. Flavors are full of that dark roasted coffee as well. Really nice hints of chocolate too. Smoky flavors become more predominate a little latter in the bottle. Gets to me a little too much smoke come the end. The beginning is awesome and the smokiness is well done but just gets old. Still a good stout!

2003-04: Black with a brown head. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate and a little fruit. Flavor starts our fruity and finishes with coffee and smokiness.

{thoughts} Wonderfully dry but hampered by a monotone molasses character in the flavor.

{elements} Deep black hue; thick, tan cream. Rich roast, dark chocolate, dark cherries and molasses aroma. Moderately sweet, soft cherry-like acidity, firm bitterness; big, dominant molasses flavor along with a sulfurous tinge and some espresso. Medium-full bodied, slick texture, full carbonation. 22 oz bottle.

Jet black with rich, frothy mocha head. Big nose of coffee, chocolate malt, and sweet dark sugars. Flavor is roasty with fantastic mix of coffee and chocolate, with out an astringent finish. Creamy mouthfeel. Great stout.

UPDATED: FEB 14, 2007 2005: On tap at the College Inn in Seattle; also bottled.

Pours a deep black with a nice tan head.The aroma is the expected coffee and roasted grain, with a lovely full nose of black cherry. Flavor is rich - dark chocolate, coffee, cherry, molassas, plum, with a well-balanced but unobtrusive hop finish - and the mouthfeel equally so, full and satisfying and not the least bit watery like some of its competitors. The commercial description alludes to the "strengh of character of Imperial stout"; this is not an idle claim. An excellent big-beer styling at only 6.2%.

Sampling the ’05-’06 in Febraury ’07, the beer retains a very nice roastiness along with a lactic, almost sour aroma and flavor that is quite enjoyable.

2006: In bombers this year, at 6.6%. The coffee flavors are really heavy, especially late in the flavor profile, but this is really nice stuff. It’s drier than most of the imperial stouts, with a powerful burnt-coffee bitterness in the finish.

Note: This one comes into its own as it warms, and needs to be served at cellar temperature or above.