Hereford & Hops Black Springs Double Stout

Pours very dark, almost black. Or why not - its black. About an inch of thick dark tan head. Excellent lacing throughout the pint. Not much of an aroma to it, a bit of roasted malt, but not a whole lot. Very nice taste, lots of sweet chocolate, some good roasted grain, and a bit of strong coffee. I can’t pick out a hop bitterness at all, but sense that they are there keeping the whole works nicely in balance. Very full bodied and delicious.

Pours dark dark brown with dark tan head. Aroma of dark fruit, dark chocolate, and cofffee malt. Flavor follows aroma. Slightly on the thick side, but very good.

Had this one on draught in Wausau, Wisconsin. Very dark brown color and completely opaque, very thick brown head with a nose of cherry and chocolate, very pronounced chocolate malt and coffee malt flavor. Pretty good.

Nearly black coloration, with crimson highlights peeking through...slim cocoa-tan head...very stoutly... Aroma is chocolate and cream...rich and luscious...very invigorating! I like it, I like it! Bittersweet cocoa, a hint of molasses...I said I liked it, right? Taste: mmmm,....HMMmmm!!!...richness, chocolate and cream, again...quite a tasty stout! Medium to full in body, with a long, sweet finish. Sweetness is really the key note here...you just keep drinking and drinking...a taste-errific treat!... ...nothing steps in your way...for stoutophiles, this is a keeper!

On-tap at the brewpub: Black stain over dark ambered edges. Densely compacted yet fluffy-esk cocoa colored head caps the dark at about a finger high. Keeps a good skimming and lacing glazes the glass with thick foamy curtians and strings. Aroma is light but seemingly rich of milk chocolate and a touch or coffee roast. A bit of fruity tang intersedes underneath with a bit of apple and dark cherry. Flavors are quite supple and abundant of milk chocolate. Nice milky sensations fill the palate with an ease as candy bar chocolate makes its way all through the experience. Finishes light and airy with a nice little wrapping up of roasty and slightly bittered coffee. Simple, bold, and holding. Great use of chocolate tones in this. Feel is about medium with a creamy, bold sense of firm silky smoothness. Low carbonation makes for easy downability. Perhaps the cornerstone of the Hereford’s beers. By far the best they have to offer and proud of it. Good stuff.

On tap into shaker glass. Foamy beige head over an almost-opaque (transluscent at the edges in light) ruby black-brown. Dense, small bubble, slowly cascading lacing demonstrates an effect that cquiroga once dubbed "lacing over lacing," where one sheet of bubbles seems to reveal a substratum of even more bubbles, which subsequently cascades down the glass. Sub-surface "racing" is dense and slow; perfect. Beautiful to look at and play with. Smell was caramel, butterscotch, bread and a bit of roast underneath. Flavor is roasty and caramelly up front riding a mouthfilling wave of carbonation, blending into burnt coffee and very dark unsweetened chocolate in a dry finish. The body is on the medium side of full, or the full side of medium; in any event, not as full as I’d like. Lots of hops in the finish as well and a bit of acidity in the middle. I’d probably classify this as a dry stout; it’s certainly not imperial. Still, damn good beer.

GABF '03. Almost black color with decent tan head. Caramel start with watery sweet mouthfeel. Warm, light finish.

Draft (sample), Wausau WI location, July 03. Coal black, head was still thriving by the time I got to this late sample (30 minutes); strong chocalaty (hints of peppermint & espresso) nose cuts the fried fish, super-smooth velvety mouthfeel, medium-sweet chocolate-espresso flavor, hints of prunes; star of the show.