Foothills Total Eclipse Stout

Brewed by Foothills Brewing
Style: Stout
Winston-Salem, North Carolina USA

As I sit at the bar, a sniffling mess of a man, I see Foothills Eclipse Stout attempting to avoid me. I will have none of this. I may be ill, but I’m not dead. I order a pint. My only pint of the night, that’s right! Since my nose is somewhat out of commision, it is a bit difficult to pick up on the aromas. Toffee, roasted malts and espresso, perhaps? *sniffles* Creamy tan head. First sip is of beer/snot. *Clears nasal passage/throat* Yeeeeeees....much better now. Heavy coffee flavor here, also picking up toasted bread and malts. Creamy mouthfeel, medium-full body with a slightly bitter hop finish that lasts well in to next week. At the bottom now and the lacing still lingers all the way from the top. I remember likiing this beer the first time I tried it about 6 months ago. Then again it was a 2 oz. pour as we tasted every Foothills brew in an attempt to choose ONE for our bar. Regrettably, we went with the ESB. My votes were for the 2 IPAs or this stout. Now I remember why. Nice, well-balanced and earthy stout.

Growler sampled on 7/2/06 courtesy of boboski: Pours a rich opaque black with a nicely-lacing frothy tan head. Real toasty biscuity malty aroma has a hint of dark fruity complexity. Body starts full and viscous but not very sweet and thinning some toward the drier, earthy, mildly chalky and roasted finish. A pretty decent stout.

Black opaque pour with a sticky tan head, great thick lace. There is a spiced earthen roast feel to the nose. Flavors are well-integrated, with coffee and small bitters in the mouth. Small amounts of esters protrude throughout the pull. The finish is dry roasted. The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth. If this were a bit more complex, it would really be hitting on something!

GABF 2006. Black body. Small tan head. Nose is roasty, light coffee and chocolate notes. Taste is more chocolate, sweet malts, light coffee and roasted malts. Pretty much a standard stout but was delicious. Creamy feel. Medium overall. Robust finish to this with more roasty notes, chocolate and light coffee.

From notes 3/21/05: A good ol’ CO2 stout; no flavor-numbing nitro here. Kudos for that! Pours a rich chocolate brown with a creamy light beige head. Sheets of lace cling to the glass, eventually sliding back down into the liquid. Roasty aromas of charred malts. Ground coffee already infused with hot water and ready to be discarded with the pot’s filter. Very pleasing scents. Flavors offer up more of the same, with an obvious roasted malt feel. Coffee bean. Some vanilla bean peeked through for me. Bitter baking chocolate. Smooth creamy feel; a smooth stout doesn’t always need to be artificially tinkered with via a nitro-tap, and this proves it. Durable and sturdy mouthfeel. Very clean and smoohly drinkable. Hop presence in the aftertaste to wipe the slate clean enough and leave a satisfying roasty finish.

Opaque black with a fluffy tan head, and oodles of lacing, Total Eclipse is full bodied and assertive. Dark chocolate and roasty malt dominate the flavor and the chewy palate is great match for blackened beef or chicken. A fantastic stout.

A very drinkable stout. Pours a black with small tan head. Heavy, full bodied beer. Very rich, roasty. Coffee and chocolate notes. Smoke. Chewey. Bitter finish. The best Ive had from Foothills.

Gorgeous oily black brew with a thick tan head. Big coffee aroma with lots of roasted malt. Mocha flavors abound with a nice thick and chewy mouthfeel. Nice little alcohol kick at the end. Another solid Foothills offering.