Chelsea Ard Righ Irish Dry Stout

Brewed by Chelsea Brewing Company
Style: Sweet Stout
New York, New York USA

Pours a very dark brown. The nose is of smoked and malty qualities. Flavor profile is robust and rich. After the initial flavors hit you a different robust quality hits you in the back of the mouth. Lots of carbonation hitting your mouth and an even liquid feel. Overall I have to say this is pretty drinkable and well worth trying.

Tap at Barcade. Pitch black with a thick tan head. Aroma is great, sweet milk chocolate, malted milk balls, toast and light earthy maltiness. There is a soft roastiness but it doesn’t overwhelm the sweet chocolately flavour. A touch of spiciness on the back. Very creamy/oily palate. Lingering cocoaish flavour. Rich and well-balanced. Much better than the cask version I sampled initially.

Cask at the Brazen Head. Dark black, ruby highlights and a thick tan head. Aroma is lovely, roasted barley, light coffee and dark chocolate with a hint of rye spiciness. Some cola-like sweetness as well. The flavour is not quite up to par though, thin-boded with light roast, toasted malt and a touch of alcohol. There is also a light soapy character along with grassy hops that doesn’t add much either. A bit of a let-down. 7 4 5 2 10

Draft @ Barcade. Roasty and thick nitro pour with a lasting head, Theres a light smokiness which I quite liked. A nice fresh hoppy balance to the chocolate notes. Very nice indeed.

On tap at Barcade. Deep dark black in color with a nice off white head that left a nice lacing on the glass. Malty roasty coffee aroma. Malty toffee chocolatety flavor. Roasty notes. Nice bitter chocolate finish. Creamy. Full bodied. Very nice beer. Very drinkable.

on tap @ Coles Buffalo NY. Deep black with brown tint. Malty, coffee, chocolate. Rye adds a nice touch. Nice roasty flavor. Good stout

Nitro at Brazen Head. Poured the standard dark brown with creamy tan head. Attractive striped lacing. Aroma of dark roast coffee, chocolate, earth and toasted hazelnuts. If I really concentrate I can pick up some mild rye spiciness in the flavor, but it’s basically enveloped by the dark chocolate malts. Overall, just the standard dry coffee flavor of most stouts, with a slightly roasty-bitter finish. Not a standout.

On tap at the brewery. Contains rye, which I like although it did not add much value here. Rye gives it a kick, there is also chocolate malt. It’s a sipper, with fruitiness. Aggressive on palate, which I found throughout the product line on tap here. Jet black with red highlights, a whisper of a head. Faint cloudy lace.

It was black and appeared opaque until I held the glass up to the setting sun and a ruby red light came through. There was an initial sweetness followed by the hops. The result was slightly out of balance as the hops remained in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel was a little thin for a stout.