North Coast Old No. 38 Stout

Brewed by North Coast Brewing Company
Style: Dry Stout
Fort Bragg, California USA

Old 38 is an almost black ale with a reddish tint and a tan head that fades to a tight film. It leaves nice lacing on the glass and stays the whole way down. It has a roasted aroma that’s sweet and a touch tart. There are notes of coffee, licorice and brown sugar. It is medium-full bodied and incredibly smooth. It feels a bit fluffy in the mouth. The finish is dry and dusty. The flavor is very roasted, almost smokey, with notes of coffee, chocolate, and caramel. It’s a touch sweet and syrupy, but perfectly balanced. I think this may be the stout on which I originally developed my palate. The malt and hops just work together on a new plane of beer existence. I could drink a bucket of this. This is like a beer custom made for me.

Robust malty with a slightly coffee aroma, poured a dark brown with a large creamy head that was slightly tan in color, head stayed on most of the way, eventually giving way to thicker creamy cap, left good lacing on pint, great roasted malt flavor with chocolate, coffee, walnut, slight smoke and slight burnt malt flavors mixed in. Slightly sweet taste gives way to very slightly bitter with a light touch of smoke, very nice balance. Slightly heavier than light body, creamy and smooth texture, lively carbonation at first gives way to a nice soft carbonation, a very nice medium bitteersweet semi-dry finish. A very good stout! This has become one of my favorite Stouts. A great job by North Coast on Old#38. Will definitely drink many of these. Served in a Pint.

Old No. 38 Stout pours to a beautiful, deep ebony color, with a creamy tan head, and a moderate carbonation. The nose is just packed with big stout aroma. Coffee, roasted barley, chocolate malt, and some piney hop aromas flood the nose. The palate is firm with lots of good dark malt flavor. Very vibrant and robust flavors of coffee, dark chocolate, roast, and some nice fruity estery flavors coat the tongue. This beer finishes with more chocolate malt character up front, then ends with a very long, dry, roasty, and piney hop bitter finish. This is an exceptional domestic version of an Irish classic. Without a doubt one of the best domestic versions of this style being brewed today. This beer would work well with a number of dishes. Stout and shell fish are a natural together. I would pair this beer with lobster, crab, clams, mussels, or scallops. This would also make a wonderful desert beer. Try it with chocolate layer cake, or chocolate pudding.

Black with cappuccino head / Rich, sweet coffee and caramel nose / Medium, creamy, body with a little spritz, and a full finish / Flavors of roast coffee, roast barley, nuts, and a touch of sweet toffee and hops on the finish

12 0z. Bottle. Poured a very dark brown color, which had a very chocolate nose. The taste was of chocolate and coffee and were very well matched. I would definitely try this again, except I am stopping drinking tomorrow!

This one rung a bell with me. Pours dark brown with a tan head. Nice malty aroma, with roasty chocolate coffee blended. Big round malty flavor with notes of roast and chocolate, and a nice full body. Easy drinkin'.

Pours dark with a hint of brown. Very hoppy and robust stout. Head is fuller than many stouts. hits a nice balance of bitter and deep.

Pours reddish black with a quickly dissipating, fluffy head. Roasted malt aroma. Roasted coffee flavor that doesn't overwhelm combined with a good dose of hops. It's the hops in this that I love. Slightly lingering bitter chocolate flavor. Very smooth and very nice.