Pike XXXXX Stout

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

Serve in English pint

A very nice deep black stout. Lacking complex flavor and much of an aroma (But how many beers really have great aromas? This isn’t wine.). However, much of its lack of complexity it makes up for as an outstanding pure blue color stout. It’s drinkable, a little bitter, dark black, roasted, with moderate alcohol flavor and content. Simple on the palate, low on the hops. Perfect for cold weather or the pool. The pool might seem weird but it is not too thick, richly flavored, or high alcohol content (ie. can consume copiously) but can enjoy cold and warm (I live in Texas - if you drink outdoors in the summer your beer is cold after 90 seconds).

UPDATED: SEP 26, 2006 2005-2006 release A decent stout. Pours dark with small head. Coffee aromas. Thin feel. Good taste, slightly smoky. Nothing outstanding but plesant. 8/4/6/3/14

2006-2007Wow. New recipe for sure. Aroma still dominated by coffee, but a hint of sourness. Much more hops in both aroma and flavor, like the 3F Black Sun. Dry and slightly bitter at the end. Thicker in the mouth as well. I like the change! 7/4/8/4/16

Lots of lace; good beige head; nearly black color where no light shines through. Semi-sweet chocolate aroma. Relatively mild smell. Stronger flavor of unsweetened coffee. Long aftertaste of solid bittering hop. Relatively thin body compared to many stouts.

Bottled. Beer is opaque, dark brown wih a small, light brown, frothy, diminishing, mostly lasting head. Aroma is very roasty. Malty with moderate-to-heavy notes of roasted grain, chocolate, coffee and molasses; Hoppy with a moderate note of resin; Yeasty with a trace-to-light note of dusty basement. Miscellaneous light woody note, trace of dried currents/raisin. The flavor is heavily sweet, moderately bitter with a long, lightly bittersweet, trace acidic finish. Nice palate: The body is full, the texture is velvety and the carbonation is lively. Seems more like an Imperial Stout than a standard Stout. Nice richness.

tap at the brewpub - Pours black with a moderate, enduring tan head. The aroma is roast malt and coffee. This full bodied brew has a taste to match and the coffee flavor is at just about the right moderate level. The finish is mildly dry and bitter. Good stout.

Pours mahogany-tinged black into an English pint. Mocha micro head with excellent retention recedes leaving slight spiders. Cocoa and smoke aromas. Thin to medium bodied with upfront dark chocolate turning to a lasting charred chocolate syrup and espresso finish.

Pour is a dark, dark brown with nice dark tan head. This one is full of bittersweet chocolate and coffee. Slightly roasty with hints of fruit and hops. It has the silky mouthfeel of an oatmeal stout. Tasty.

UPDATED: DEC 12, 2011 ***on tap at the sugarbowl***
same as below. Great on tap.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a Pike beer... where will this go? Black beer with a dark brown cap, good consistency, really good lacing with sticky messy lacing and permanent rings. The aroma is damn fine. A bit of sweet and freshness (from the hops for sure - a light citrus), soft chocolate with a bit of bakers bitterness, some roasty stuff from coffee. I like the citrus in here. Nothing here is overpowering. A touch earthy. Man, this is an excellent drinking beer. Very well placed bitterness, creamy chocolate blended with a lesser amount of coffee grinds. I can tell there are citrusy hops (grapefruit) here but they are portioned very well. Maybe a bit too bitter on the finish as it lingers heavily. There might bit a hint of biscuit as well. Smooth with a bit zip, some lingering coffee, long hop finish but it’s good because it takes nothing away while adding some needed complexity. I may be ignoring the coffee. I need more!