Hereford & Hops Blackbird Stout

On tap at the Escanaba Brewpub as the "Blackbird Oatmeal Stout." Pours a deep mahogany, fringe in brown. Head is an off-white. Light nutty aroma. Wow. This is terrible. A totally watered down, flavorless, lightly roasted garbage stout. A bit of salt, tannin and not much else. Minerals and water. Very little body. This is just plain a terrible stout. I can’t tease anything worth anything out of this. Faintly roasty with a bit of chocolate powder. But this is an embarrassment of a stout.

A very sub par sweet stout. Aroma was near nothing. Pour was a flat deep brown with no head. Taste was very weak and boring. A slight coffee flavor with water overpowering. Just a little bit of bitterness in the aftertaste that reminds you that you are drinking beer. Very flat and thin mouthfeel. Blah.

Typical H&H background beer aroma, you know, just plain good ol beery. Just a hint of stout smell. Black with a red tinge. Nice tasting stout, it has more carbonation than I expected and I welcome that. Good roasty flavors; fun, fresh and friendly. Much better than I expected, pleasantly surprised! May be my best H&H to date!

On draught at the brewpub/restaurant in Wausau, Wisconsin. Pours a clear dark cola brown brew with a thick and lumpy light tan head that has some excellent retention and sticky lacing. Aroma of toasted dark malt, a near schwarzbier character, some flowery hops and a touch of chocolate. Taste is smooth, creamy, quite malty with a toasted malt and chocolate flavor with a touch of molasses in the near finish. Finish is sweet at first and then a lingering semi-dry aftertaste with flavor of toasted dark malt. Quite enjoyable.

On tap at the brewery/restaurant in Escanaba. Nearly opaque deep brown body, thin tight cream head. Sweet chocolate aroma with notes of coffee and modest roast. Sweet body with chocolate and diacetyl buttery notes, the latter thankfully not overpowering. Bitter roast finish. Well-balanced with good bite and mouthfeel. Nice.

Draught sample at the brewpub, late July 2006. Creamy smooth head lasting and lasting and sitting atop the thick, oily, opaque body which laces well....dry, roasty-grassy nose, dried chocolate and some burnt/smoky qualities.....sweet initially on the tongue, this dries very quickly though it’s a bit sticky midpalate with brown sugar notes....a bit grapy, touches of espresso bitterness late....exquisitely balanced, supremely smooth and drinkable.

Probably would have been better with the ice cream to ameliorate the texture/ flavor (see official description). Some interesting bitter tastes swamped in sludge.