Orkney Dragonhead Stout (Bottle)

Bottle. And the caps off...this stout pours a very, very dark brown, you could say black but the mind and eye is known to play tricks. The head is tanned and the foamy layer leaves a nice lacing around the inside of my chalice glass. There’s a big roasted aroma here, slightly burnt too. Actually it’s quite dominate and really holds back any other aromatics coming through. Dark chocolate and coffee are competing for a place but once again the burnt malt pushes them aside for the final sprint. I’m anticipating the flavour to mirror the nose and sure enough it doesn’t let me down. It’s bitter in the mouthfeel and the body is somewhat thin and watery. There’s as much balance here as a playground seesaw sitting a six foot ten steroid abusing sumo wrestler on one end and Mary-Kate Olsen on the other. It’s not a bad stout by any means it’s just not that great either.

Dark, with light foam. Taste more as it gets more temperate. smooth, well balanced, pleasant, but also not very exciting. some saltiness behind coffe and roasted malt. too short a finish.

Roasted malts, just a bit bitter from hops, strong coffee and chocolate taste, burnt, biscuits, dark fruit.

500 ml bottle from Meny Liertoppen. Near black colored body. Dense, mostly lasting tanned head. Initial aroma of plums and ripe apples, followed by a pleasant scent of cocoa and mild coffee. Taste is toasted dark malts, a distinct plummy fruitiness and milk-chocolate. Mild earthy bitterness and a salty note. Good body. Feels soft and smooth in the mouth. Dry, slight bitter coffee-ish ending. A really nice one

Bottle. Bishops Arms. Järntorget, Gothenburg. Black colour with a small brown head. Roasted malt, coffee, licorice, light sweetness, earthy hops, faint smoke, mildly sour. Light bodied. Good, drinkable session beer.

Dark brown, rocky milk chocolate head. Peaty smoke, some sweetness, Coffee, some licorice. Easy drinking, a bit too light and thin. Could we ask for an imperial version of this? But it is a lovely session beer, and I’d really like to try a cask version.

Bottle (500ml). Poured black with a good sized, thick, foamy, tanned head which lasted extremely well. A rich chocolate aroma with toasted malts, cappuccino, leather and plums. Flavor was a mild sour/lactic bitterness with bitter/dark chocolate, black coffee, almond loaf, light woody notes, hints of prune juice and an earthy finish. Light to medium bodied with soft carbonation, a dry mouthfeel, medium texture and a good length finish. A superb session stout - drinks well above its alcohol content.

Huge dark brown lasting head. Apparently opaque black body. Big roasty cocoa aroma with sugary licorice and hop notes. Dry burnt chocolatey coffee taste with metallic toffee notes. Some faint fruitiness, too. Thin body. Mild, smoothish mouthfeel. Dry pine needle and burnt coffee aftertaste. Burnt coffee taste lingers for a long time. Too thin and dry, but otherwise great. With more body this would be an awesome beer. (0.5l bottle, Centra, Oslo.)