Marin San Quentins Breakout Stout

Brewed by Marin Brewing Company
Style: Stout
Larkspur, California USA

Thick black opaque pour with a fluffy brown head. Smell is standard roasty malt with bits of chocolate and/or coffee at times. Upon first sip its easy to see this is excessively overcarbonated for a stout. (or any style) not sure if its just my bottle, but its like drinking black champagne. Taste is semi dry roasty malt, and is fairly one-note and simplistic but nice overall. Not great, and I’m hoping it was just this bottle with the freak carbonation. "Creamy texture" as stated in the commercial description couldn’t be farther from the truth in my experience.

Damn, I just love knowing how contrarian I can be to the consensus. Yesterday it was a 3.7 Barley Wine I slap a 4.5 on; today it’s a 3.7 Stout I slap a 2.2 on. If all my ratings fell within .5 of the average I’d be concerned. This one, I just don’t see the appeal. One of those woody stouts that don’t sit too well in the gut, not a lot by way of aroma, not a lot by way of flavor, not much palate. Just kinda boring, except for the you-have-to-force-it-down part.

22 ounce bottle purchased at BevMo in Vacaville, CA. Aroma is full of coffee, chocolate, and plenty of roastiness. A bit of licorice is also evident. Very aromatic and quite pleasant. Mildly transparent dark dark brown body with a moderate tan head that leaves some attractive lacing. A bit carbonated to start, becoming a little chocolate like with notes of dark chocolate and some roasted, burnt, and malty flavors. Some nutty coffee flavors finish this beer with a long, roasted, lightly hopped finish. Smooth and quite drinkable.

22oz bottle - pours opaque black color with huge light brown head, so big I had to actually spoon some out to get more than a bit of beer in the glass. Aroma is creamy, bit of roastyness, faint chocolate and light coffee, bit of caramel. Flavor is malty, slightly chewy, bit roasty, slight caramel, bit of herbal hops, slightly acidic bite from this being a bit overcarbonated. Balanced, mildly sweet finish.

Almost black with a bit tan head. Roasty and bitter aroma. Flavor is a little buttery sweet roastiness. Some coffee, chocolate, bitterness.

Bottle: Pours black with a medium tan head that lasts half the glass. Nose is heavy with roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee. Taste is roasty and coffee filled, finishes with hints of bittersweet chocolate. Lighter bodied than the "creamy" description, this is still tasty.

Date: 02/17/1999
Mode: Bottle
Source: Chevy Chase, DC

black, frothy tan head, rich malt aroma, lots of roasted and chocolate, rich roasted malt flavor, smooth character, touch of bitterness in the finish

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.7/5.0
Score: *4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Oh such a hoppy treat in a stout. Got to get in on tap though! You know that’s not some pasteurized preservatived bullshit -- you go to get it fresh!