Mad River Steelhead Extra Stout

Brewed by Mad River Brewery
Style: Stout
Blue Lake, California USA

Opaque espresso colour, tan head. Sweet brandy aroma. Rich flavour, coffee-brandy malt tones.

Dark brown body with a small brown head. Sweet caramel and roasted malt aroma, some fruit. Sweet roasted malt and coffee flavor, some light fruit.

(06.12.06) 12 oz brown bottle from beeronthewall.com. Poured opaque black with small tan head. Soft carbonation. Expresso coffee/chocolate aromas. Medium bodied stout that starts dry with tiny malt sweetness and smoke/expresso coffee/burnt malt flavors. Finished dry and astringent with lingering burnt flavor and bitterness. Some chalkiness in the mouth. Good dry stout with pronounced smoke flavor.

With a little more noteriety, this beer can really go places. It’s got all the characteristics of a really great stout. Aroma was roasty, chocolatey, rich, strong, and coffee beans. Appearance was a nice dark black with highlights of red (only a faint amount). Mouthfeel is the kryptonite of this beer as it’s a little thin (that’s being nitpicky really because it’s not bad). Flavors were distinct with roasted coffee beans, cream, bitter chocolate, vanilla, slightly smoky and very earthy. Excellent stout!

bottle. dark black pour with thick creamy tan head. malts, chocolate, hops , oak barrel and small alcohol aroma. nice coffee, roasted malts and chocolate finish. flavor dies a little quick. easy drinking stout.

bottle. Pours very black with a tall, brown head. The aroma is of coffee, chocolate, oats. Espresso and roasty dark chocolate make up the flavor with some licorice, toasted oats, and almonds. This has all the qualities of an imperial stout, just on a much, much milder level. Very easy to drink at any time, but it still packs plenty of appealing stout qualities.

Average tan head over a black pour. I guess I’m against the grain on this one. A good solid but very unremarkable stout. Not much roast malt in either the aroma or flavor make this one a good one for those who don’t like a Guinness. Timid, some chalkiness in the palate, watery. Brewer’s description: "Extra Stout can convert even lite beer drinkers to Stout lovers." I couldn’t say it any better myself!

Thick black appearance, fine cocoa brown head, slowly thins to nothingness...despite that, a nice looking stout. Aroma reeks of oils, lush maple and anise, ...feels more like an imperial stout with the twisted, decadent flavors it gives off. Bittersweet espresso mixes with a licorice whip. Deep coffee and chocolate, with lingering brandyish feel. I like it! Takes charge of the mouth from first sip, blasts with thick, slick, oily roasted malts...a bit brash and bold, a little flinty, mineral-y, ...losing points from not being more rounded and friendly. A bit too abrasive. Not that I don’t still like it, just don’t love it. A few faults too many. Full bodied, bracing, thick, lingering, dry finish. Quite a decent stout, ...if it fails me in other ways.