Drakes Coffee Stout

Tap @ Toronado in Jan 2006. Black as the night with a crumbling foamy brown head. An intense coffee and roasted malt flavor that was too powerful for me. I’m not a coffee drinker, although I enjoy many other coffee stouts. I couldn’t finish this one.

On Nitro at O’Brien’s. Pretty good coffe aromas coming out of this wonderfull looking dark brown ale with a super cascading fluffy tan head. Flavors didn’t really impress me however. Coffee fell off, hops were not very prominate, and it was mostly just a roasty sourness. Still good, just not a favorite.

Pours wtih a black body topped by a light brown, creamy thick head with a good amount of lacing. It’s better sweet with notes of malt, roastiness and a touch of coffee. Reminds me of a generic dry stout with a hint of coffee. A little thin and watery for a stout.

Draft at o’Brien’s. Pours tar black with a tan head. Aromas of raw coffe beans. Palate is very watery. Tastes like an old cold coffe with some fizz. Nothing like the rich, thick and creamy speedway stout. This was full of flavor but without complexity of flavors. Thumbs down. Oily and bitter finish.

Draft at Barclays. Pours very dark with a medium head that has nice lacing. Aromas and flavors are dominated by coffee and chocolate. Full palate with a long bitter sweet finish. As someone said before this can replace the esprersso after a meal.

(Draft. 04/2006). A fine substitute for coffee in the morning, with big aromas of espresso, chocolate and muffins (maybe that was just the kitchen ... I don’t know ... very pleasant nonetheless). Deep, dark, approaching black with just a hint of red. Some lace from the medium, foamy (on CO2) brown head. Rich, malty notes of roasted grain and coffee with a hint of chocolate. Full bodied. Wake yourself up with this one!

Draft at brewery on nitro tap. Pours coal colored with a smallish beige head that leaves some traces of lace. Aroma is dominated by roasty notes, malts and coffee intermingle nicely. Flavor also features the dark, roasty malts, hints of chocolate and more coffee. Medium body and little carbonation. A good beer experience overall, but I’d have liked it a bit better as a coffee imperial I think. Nonetheless, good job.

Terrific stout! Huge waft of roasted coffee and slight burnt malts. Very black with slight crimson on the edges. The flavor shines with deep roasted coffee, strong maltiness with some bitterness of hops on the finish. Lean body and quite quaffable. Rodger, well done!