Baumgartner (70), Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA Aug 9, 2008 Bottle poured to glass. Pours almost black with a small tan head. Smooth mellow, dark chocolaty roasted notes, with a mild hop aroma. Smooth creamy mouth feel. A nice well rounded stout that is not overly complex or bitter.
FlacoAlto (2203), Tucson, Arizona, USA Nov 18, 2008 A solid pour produces a three finger thick, lightly browned, fairly dense, tan colored head. The beer is a very dark brown, really almost black color that shows a brilliantly clear, rich ruby hue when held up to the light. The aroma smells up front of chocolated, but is quickly dominated by toasted grain notes, some burnt raisin aromas, burnt grain notes as well as notes of charred whole grain bread crust.<br /><br />
This is nice and roast focused without being too harsh. Up front this has a lightness to it that quickly gets a touch viscous as the beer slides across the tongue; the light-medium body helps to balance the dominant roast character. This does finish with a big roast character that produces a dry, bitter finish that lingers on the palate. A touch of dark cocoa is noticeable up front just before the roast character fully kicks in. The beer is then dominated by blackly toasted bread / grain notes, lightly sharp black coffee flavors and a touch of burnt-induced acidity. A touch of malty sweetness becomes a bit more noticeable as the beer warms, but this still finishes quite dry.<br /><br />
This is a nice example of a roast forward stout. I like that it remains balanced / in check and the roast character does not get overly astringent or acidic. I would be quite happy reaching for this when I wanted a session stout. oakbluff (241), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Oct 24, 2008 12 ounce bottle- dark with ruby red, decent clarity.Off white head, reasonable lacing. Nose- chalky, powdered chocolate milk, toast. Taste- again a chalky texture, anise, dark fruits light roast. Medium body, medium to high carbonation. Finishes dry. alexsdad06 (688), Ohio, USA Oct 4, 2008 12 oz. bottle from Tmoney99. Pours a clear dark brown with ruby highlights and a medium sized tan head. The aroma is moderately sweet milk chocolate, mild roasted malts, slightly nutty, all with a light earthiness. The flavor opens with a nice combination of semi sweet chocolate and roasted malts. A black coffee bitterness assumes control in the finish. Maybe a tad thin in the mouthfeel department, but a solid beer nonetheless. Jmichael (589), Asheville, North Carolina, USA Sep 8, 2008 dark clear brown with full head, sweet aroma, milky palate, sweet front to smooth finish, good stuff. emerica56 (494), Bristol, Rhode Island, USA Sep 4, 2008 Pours a nut brown with a thin tan head some spotted laceing along the sides of the glass. The nose is not very strong and it has some hints of roasted malt mixed with earthy hops. The flavor is slightly sweet with a roasted and bitter after taste. Overall it is nice with a good amount of carbonation and a nice bitter sweet flavor but the body is lacking a little bit.
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