Freeminer Deep Shaft Stout

Formerly brewed at Freeminer
Style: Stout
Cinderford, England

The aroma is of coffee, chocolate, prunes, and slightly sour. The color is black and it has a small chocolate brown head. The flavor is of roasted malt, coffee, and bitter chocolate. Before it ends on a fanatastic malt bitter note combined with coffee. The body is very soft. It is not thin, but I had hoped for more power.

As far as I could tell inside the dimly lit pub it was black as coal, and didn’t have much head. Really roasty nose with loads of coffee and licorice. It is dry with just above medium bodym is somewhat smokey and buttery, and finishes salty and bitter. An excellent, complex and flavourful stout.

Date: 03/27/2004
Mode: Bottle Conditioned
Source: Whole Foods Market, DC

pours like oil, solid black with no highlights, thin dark tan head, light roasted aroma, big body, rich roasted flavor, lingering bitter coffee finish, bitterness would normally be overpowering but somehow works well in this big brew
-------- /> Date: 11/05/2004

big big bitter, some malt bitterness, sweet character hidden behind the bitterness, too much bitterness but balanced by the rich malt
-------- /> Date: 06/14/2006

bitterness fading in the aroma allowing nice sweetness to come through, creamy body, rich chocolate flavor with just a bit of the prior bitterness in the finish, age has helped termendously

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Blond color; almost no head. Deep chocolate and liquorice aroma. Thick, oily, rich; malt, liquorice, roasted malt. Strong and long final. Lovely and powerful, close to the border with Imperial Stouts.

Viscous black body with almost no head -- passes the 60-watt test, and looks like it could pass at 500 watts. Aroma isn't particularly strong, but I picked up smokiness, coffee, and cherry. Taste is reasonably smokey, but also malty and coffee bitter. The coffee bitterness carries through the swallow quite nicely. Medium body, fairly creamy.

A Mes rate. Bottle at Don from Freeminer.
Murky dark brown with a thin off white collar. This has lasted pretty well considering it’s 8 years in the bottle. Clearly old but holding on to the flavours. Slight oxidisation, really good fruit, lots of liquorice and some pleasant burnt malt just about managing to provide some earthy undertones. Not sure if it was always like this bit it’s a little on the thin side. Lovely finish. Almost smoky, very fruity and a late dry bitter coffee character. Lots going on and very interesting. Thanks Don for a rare opportunity.

Bottle-conditioned stout that looks like motor oil with a chocolate milk frothy and foamy head. Aroma is cacao and coffee beans with notes of vanilla. Deeply malty delicate nose. Taste is before anything very smooth, rich palate like this was an oatmeal stout. Chocolatey with enough roastiness to fit the style. Easy going all around with no acidity. Body is rich, velvety, silky, comfortable. Simply put, this is a real definition of well-crafted english stout.

(Bottle) Pours black with a thick tan head. Aroma of coffee and chocolate. Roasted malt, coffee, and semi-sweet chocolate flavor. Good stout.