Lion Stout

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

I never would have expected to be from Sri Lanka. Not that I would know what exactly to expect from Sri Lankan breweries in the first place... A thick, generous, long-lasting tan head appeared first, on top of a dark (near pitch-black) body, with very slight ruby highlights when held up to the light. Sweet malty aroma with the presence of dark-roasted/burnt grains. Hefty stout-ish flavors: dark roasted grains, sweet chocolatey maltiness, and some bitterness from the hops. Thick, sweet, sticky mouthfeel with a little bit of carbonation. Very dry and bitter finish with some sweetness lingering behind. No trace of the 8.0% abv--very well hidden in the dense Sri Lankan jungle of flavors. A really good stout, a real surprise to me. I had seen this a few times but never really went for it. I’m glad I did, this has instantly become a new favorite.

Bottle (330ml). (in my Trois Pistoles chalice). Pours thick almost black, hint of red - mocha head, rocky, quick dimishing, not much lacing. Aroma is burnt chocolate, malt and coffee (yum!) - a touch of appropriate sourness, a bit of yeastiness and bitterness in the background. Taste - instant hit of balanced chocolate/malt/coffee, followed quickly with a bit of tart wine, then bitter coffee and chocolate rushes in and grabs you ... Nice mellow, bitter finish - not too heavy, but substantial. Very, very good, not a lot of alcohol in the flavour for an 8% stout - excellent value for money, could drink many of them at a sitting. Packs a wallop!

Sort cremet øl, med tykt lag skum. Duften er karamel/chokolade/kaffe/brænd. Smagen er meget fyldig, og særdeles afrundet. Anelse lakrids Absolut den bedste stout jeg har smagt til dato.

Bottle. This is fantastic! To drink this beer, you feel like eating a fine piece of dark chocolate. The best stout I´ve ever tasted. So many impressions from malt, chocolate, raisin and ?? Outstanding and fantastic.

Probably the best deal on a beer out there. Flavor is hints of coffee, chocolate and dark fruit, has a slightly bitter finish. Very good straight forward stout. I keep coming back to this one.

Pours just about black with a nice tan head that diminishes quickly. The nose is roasted malt, coffee, a bit of chocolate and hint of molasses. The flavor is equally enjoyable, with roasted malt and coffe standing out, with coffee and chocolate in the mid to finish. Clean and dry in the finish, with very little bitterness. Mouthfeel is smooth and a bit creamy.

I read one comment that spoke of it being a great cigar beer and i totally agree with tthat. This is what I wrote on my own spreed sheet: Chocolate-like finish with a full fun body.

625ml bottle. Pours black with a thick, two fingerwidth, creamy, mocha colored head. Dissipates extremely slow and remains very lacy. Aroma of lightly roasted chocolate malts, some mocha coffee, a dash of sweet dried fruits, and a hint of hoppiness. Very creamy palate with a dry and light bitter finish/linger. Flavor is first roasty and mocha, then moves to a light sweet fruit/plum/raisin, then finishes milky and chocolatey with a licorice kick. Overall, a surprisingly good stout! Very creamy, milky, and balanced. Glad I saw it burried on the shelf at only $3.