Lion Stout

Brewed by Lion Brewery (Ceylon)
Style: Foreign Stout
Nuwara Eliya & Biyagama, Sri Lanka

Poured black into a snifter with a medium dark cream head. No lacing. Smell is of coffee, bakers chocolate, and toffee. Taste is also of these with burnt malt. Really good stout with a thick body and mouthfeel.

Poured from bottle into Snifter. Black (or at least exceedingly dark brown) and opaque with a nice tan head and significant lacing. Aroma of chocolate, molasses, coffee, burnt malt. Chocolate, coffee, molasses and some alcohol. Kind of reminds me of dark rum. Little bit of a sugary alcohol aftertaste that I am not a fan of. Chewy and somewhat thick. Relatively low carbonation and quite smooth. Very easy sipper; almost too easy considering the 8%.

Pours dark brown, inky black in the glass, with a two-finger tan head, very good lasting lacing. Rich malty aroma, molasses, coffee, carob, leather, and pine. Medium body, velvety smooth and dry. Coffee, chocolate, molasses flavors, with some mild earthy grass and pine notes. Medium dry and bitter finish. Very well balanced. It pairs well with spicy Indian food on a cold day.

330 ml bottle from LCBO. Pours a dark black colour with a hint of rubiness and a large lacey mocha head. Aroma nicely balances roasted malt, coffee notes and a pleasant sweetness. Flavour has roasted malt, coffee and sweet chocolate. A really nice balance of roastiness and sweetness. Very creamy mouthfeel. Burnt, slightlly bitter finish. Very impressive.

12 oz can courtesy of the Binnys singles rack (Orland Park, IL). Pours a black opaque pour, some reddish notes, a big brown thick head, cakes and laces very well. Aromas are more subtle, still roasted malt, smoothed over chocolate and cream, light coffee, a touch of dry soda bread, caramel, and a nice smoothness. Initial is roasty, smooth yet tasty, lighter bodied than anticipated, a bit of smooth cream and sweeter chocolate, a touch of coffee, Irish soda bread. Bitterness and roast come in well, but are well balanced by sweetness, nothing thick or cloying, instead this goes down fairly well. Bitterness grows, possibly a bit hot, the head dies down to a good film, but still laces very well. A bit of licorice, a slight medicinal feel further in.. Almost a chalkiness. This is pretty good, and almost gets there, but loses points at the end for me, a bit too boozy for it’s body.

Bottle. Sweet malty aroma with plums and flowers. Dark brown colour with light brown head. Sweet flavour from roasted malt, raisins and nuts. Medium body and medium carbonation. Slightly bitter aftertaste.

625 ml bottle from Keller’s IGA. Pours a deep brown, almost black, with a big tan head. Aroma of milk chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, and hazelnut. Flavor is not as chocoaty, with coffee, hazelnut, roast, caramel, malt, and a little warming alcohol. Medium bodied. Roasty, sweet, with an alcoholic burnt aftertaste. Not my favorite type of stout, but still a solid brew.

330ml bottle (as Sinha Stout) into a Trappist glass. Pours opaque near black with a faint red hue and a medium light brown head that provides good lacing. Aromas of dark chocolate and dark roasted coffee beans with an alcoholic presence. The palate is rich and creamy with cafe mocha and dark fruit flavours (prunes mainly). It finishes with a satisfying bittersweet burnt aftertaste. I have no idea how a brewery in Sri Lanka has come up with such a good stout but this is well worth seeking out.