Carolina Brewery Old North Street Stout

Brewed by Carolina Brewery
Style: Dry Stout
Chapel Hill, North Carolina USA

From the growler brought to the Carolina tasting. Thanks Todd! pour was very black with a balanced roasted malt, chocolate, and creamy flavor. Hops noted, but do not take away from the rich roastiness that makes this beer. Roasty without being bitter. The best beer I have ever had from Carlina Brewery, Impressive.

Growler brought to the Carolina tasting by Libeerian, thanks Todd. I was surprised and also saddened when I saw a big growler full of black beer, and then realized it was not the Foothills Sexual Chocolate. But then I was also surprised, because it was a new stout from a brewery that I have little experience with. It pours just like I would imagine it would, black, with a tan head. Smell is full of roasted and chocolate malt flavors. Some sweetness as well. Taste is dry yet not overly hopped like the CBC Porter was. Smooth and highly drinkable this one was. Better the warmer it got, and at the end of the night, there was some left, so I got another big glass of it. It was really good at almost room temperature. A really fine dry stout for certain.

From notes 5/5/03: Pours black as black can be. Creamy tan head adorns the top. Looks wonderful. Aromas of roasted malts and bitter baking chocolate, not sweet chocloate. The taste falls in line with the aromas with roasted malt feel, followed by a bitter chocolate bite. A little hop balance here too with the bitterness. Not too terribly creamy mouthfeel, this one seems a little too watery for my liking. That being said, it does have an inherent richness to it that pleases me. I shouldn’t always compare stouts to Guinness, but I can’t help it. This beer is pretty comparable, albeit not as thick or creamy.

This is a dangerously drinkable ale. Jet black liquid. Brown, khaki head. Nose has typical musty dryness. Winey malts and dusty corners make a great dry stout. Not too dry though which was nice. Raisins and peaty dirt. Flavors are suprisingly fruity, but the dry malts lie underneath them creating an inviting and warming drink. Molasses at first and then merlot and then mossy clay. Good beer.

On tap. Black pour with a thick, foamy brown head. Aroma and flavors are fat roasted malt, with faint notes of bitter chocolate. I thought it was pretty plain - probably what Beamish would taste like without the nitro.

Draught at the brewpub in Chapel Hill. Black with thin brown head. Coffee and chocolate aroma and flavor. Slightly sweet. Modertaely carbonated. Wish they would nitrogenate it.

Draught. Appears opaque black but since Carolina brewery filters their beer, I’m sure some reddish/brown hues would show up on the edges if there were brighter lights in the bar. Head is medium thick and brown but doesn’t last too incredibly long. Aroma is of roasted barley, coffee, caramel, and chocolate with maybe some hops trying to sqeeze their way through. Flavor is roasty, nutty and chocolatey with some upfront caramel sweetness that becomes dry fairly quickly in the finish. Hop bitterness is moderate with, surprisingly, some earthy hop flavor apparent. Body is quite full and silky smooth proving a dry stout doesn’t have to be thin.

Draft at the brewpub: poured black with a thick brown head. Coffee and chocolate and roasted malt aroma. Chocolatey flavor with a nice touch of coffee. Full bodied with a light walnut finish. Good.