Pike XXXXX Stout

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

Serve in English pint

Bottle 650 ml
Aroma smoky oily roast, hint of coffee, some alcohol, hint of soy sauce, salt and burnt wood.
Appearance dark brown with creamy beige top. Some lace. 4-.
Flavor and Palate : medium bodied. Soy sauce , dark malts with smoky roasted feel. Decent yet felt bit uninspiring.

Bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy, brown, mostly lasting. Body is opaque black (flashlight tested). Aroma is moderately to heavily malty (roasted/burnt grain, chocolate/cocoa, coffee), lightly to moderately hoppy (resin, grapefruit). Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, velvety/creamy texture, lively carbonation. I just can’t get wild about the aroma (too heavily roasted and too much aromatic hop presence), but it’s pleasant enough. Very nice in all other aspects though...luscious mouthfeel, solid black with a nice head, well balanced (just a little too abrasive/tart for my liking...it’s definitely American styled). Not a 4+ for me, but not too far from it.

UPDATED: MAY 7, 2009 Tap@Brewpub, Apr 09, 3.6: Strong sweet coffee aroma. Black colour, brown head, good lace. Sweet, bitter, roasted, coffee finish. Medium body, nasty bitter finish. Well brewed but not exceptional. Bottle@chris o, Aug 07, 3.4: Black berries and black currant aroma. Black color, brown head, good lace. Sweet, bitter, roasted coffee, black currant. Roasted dry mouthfeel.

Very dark brown color with a full tight bubbled dark tan head. Head lasts and lasts, with a thick web of lacing. Dark caramel and a herbal hops twist. Lightly roasted grains in the background. Grassy to wintergreen hop scents. Somewhat light in the nose, a mild stout to strong brown aroma. Smooth and with a mild silkiness. A touch biting in the finish distracts slightly. Light dark chocolate in the start. Light grapefruit and lemon zest come in as the sweetness in brought into check with a touch of acidity that leads to a moderate dark chocolate bitterness. Linger is long and day with a chocolate nibby bar and mild coffee bitterness. A stout’s stout. It’s all in there somewhere. Nothing amiss, nothing extravagant; just a solid stout.

Opaque with frothy tan head and brown ring, good lacing. The aromas hint of smoky burnt dark and chocolate malts, espresso, touch of molasses, mild berries, aromatic hops, and dusty yeast esters. The taste is bitter and twangy, coffee and chocolate at the forefront (piney notes show up at the end). Undertones of peat and salt, wood, and chalky yeast. The finish is a tad too short but some bitterness and smoky characters do linger around a bit. The mouthfeel has a crisp and lively nature, very dry. Interesting to say the least, more a dry stout than anything else, and a darn good one at that. Be ready for a surprise, a love it or hate it brew. Not an extra stout however. Another stout via Acrodizer, thanks buddy!

Dark black color, medium head. Roasted malts, some hop bite. Flavor is full, coffee and chocolate. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is malty with a slight bitterness. Very similar to the 2000 release. The flavor is slightly less intense, subtler in this release.

UPDATED: SEP 27, 2006 Bottle (12oz). Shared with blankboy and mds, blankboy’s bottle. Bit of a gusher, deep opaque black-brown, average creamy brown head. Minty/grassy/herbal hop aroma, deep roast coffee malt. Taste - similar, roasty, somewhat sweet. Solid body, bitter long finish, acidic - solid!

22 ounce bottle courtesy of daknole. Pours a very dark brown color appearing an opaque black in the glass. Medium frothy brown head. Decent head retention and lacing. Aroma of chocolate with lots of dark, roasty leathery tobacco notes. Taste is dark, dark roasted malts, leafy bitter hop notes, tobacco, coffee. Fairly bitter. Smooth, creamy, medium-full bodied.