Freeminer Deep Shaft Stout

Formerly brewed at Freeminer
Style: Stout
Cinderford, England

Pint, bottle conditioned. Coal black with a creamy brown head. Starts off with a slightly bitter taste that turns into a dry smoky flavor then on to dry finish with no bitter after taste. The 6.2 ABV is well hidden. I have yet to have a beer that matches the commercial description as well as this one does. This was given to me by a friend as a gift at Christmas time . It is certainly one that I would drink again. An excellent stout!

Bottled March 16 2003. Thanks Heemer77! This beer, going on 2 years of age, pours a pitch black with a small dark tan head, that rapidly disipates. Aroma, as it decants in to my tulip, pours forth with a strong sense of smoke and roast. Smells like pepper crusted bacon with a pot of old black coffee sitting next to it. First thing I note upon sipping is the slight looseness of body, but it holds up a medium to medium-fullness throughout the bottle, not gaining any thinness as it warms or finishes. Aside from the body, let’s talk flavor, because this beer has plenty of it. One of the best roasted flavors I’ve encountered yet. Somehow, almost all the expected astringency and bitterness has vanished, leaving a delightful black coffee and anise flavor. Combining with the malted oats, it has a chewy, very mellow and oatmeal-like flavor. Sweetness is left in the background, but there is no lack of balance here. Finally, I’ll end my rambling with a discussion of something that I love to see, maybe more than anything, in a beer: hops done right. Wow. It’s like the fuggles they use were destined for this beer. They create a rich, yet somehow still green, earthy, smokey and only lightly bitter sensation through the middle of the body, ending on a juicy, tree sap sort of note. Sticky and just present enough without getting in the way. They are just one of the many elements of this beer, rather than being the element. This beer reminds me much of both Bell’s Porter and Kzoo Stout. I’m really getting to like these top tier beers listed in the "Stout" style.

Very foamy for a stout. Seems like its from carbonation, or maybe an older bottle turning a bit. The aroma is also a bit funky, somewhat acidic and little malt presence. The flavor decently crisp at first, then gives way to a roasty aftertaste. I still can’t get behind this beer, its funky at first, overshadowing the barley’s presence.

Poured nice and dark with some creamy colored head, but a bit thin for my stout tastes. Flavor was full, robust, and complex. A definite smokey, malty stout that is very pleasing.

This one poured an almost pitch black but not completely opaque with not much of ahead but a brown collar. Smells of woody smokiness as well as the usual chocolate and coffee scents associated with stouts. A very thick and creamy body on this tasting of roasted coffee with dark fruits. There is a slight bitter hop finish to round this one out for an excellent taste. An excellent overall taste that has a lot going on, I wished I had picked up more than one of these when I had the chance. Mouthfeel is very impressive as this is one of the thickest stouts I have had. Highly recommended.

Death black color with a thin head. Heavily roasted aroma and quite bitter as well. Bitter, bitter, and more bitter taste made up of chocolate and coffee. Tasty, but I really could not drink a lot of this.

BLACK Coloring. Espresso Head. Roasted Malt, Bitter Chocolate..More Coffee Though.... Little Dry/Bitter at the End and DAMN, Not a Bad Stout..

dark as locking yourself in the closet. If you were inside this beer, you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. The smell of roasted barley, smoke, and coffee permeates your senses. Bitter chocolate, french roast coffe grounds, ginseng, flavors run around your taste buds with hops, oats, and oak. Overall a wonderfull Englis stout.