Otter Creek Otter Mon

Name: Otter Mon
Date: 12/15/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

dark brown, wispy beige head, bits of lace, sweet chocolate aroma with a touch of roasted, dry chocolate flavor, lots of roasted for balance, lasting roasted and hop bitter finish,

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.6/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **/4

Pours a barely transparent dark mahogany brown with a dense, frothy tan head. Aroma of lightly sweet earthy dark malts and a touch of doughy yeast. Starts semi-sweet and fairly rich with an earthy dark chocolate and caramel maltiness. A pretty true to style and enjoyable stout.

22 ounce bottle from City Market in Burlington, VT (October 2007), consumed at cellar temperature from a Maudite glass. The large-bubbled, quick-fading tan head half-fills the glass above the opaque inky liquid, disappearing into a small ring without leaving much lacing.....the aroma, cocoa and a bit of Grape Nuts, hints of vanilla and a sprinkling of earthy hops as the nostrils work harder; touches of molasses show up -- fairly complex and interesting, but on the weak side....alas strong filtration is evident immediately upon tasting, the cardboardy mouthfeel is flaccid and never appeals, providing little support for the bittersweet chocolate, the carbonation seeming a bit forced and really thinning the body out by the finish, which is reminiscent of 7UP with just a dash of Coke and Nestle Quick thrown in. Drinkable, but on the whole, another disappointment in a series that looked promising at the outset but is generally failing to deliver.

22oz bottle. Nose of toasty bread crust, malted milk balls and some light char and smoke, very nice smelling overall, but unfortunately it doesn’t taste anything like it smells. Instead it tastes weak, almost watery, with some stale coffee and confused black malts and a motor oil flavored oatmeal note.

Pours black with dark brown head. Nose is roasty dark malt, chocolate, rummy spirity notes, and nuts. Tastes dry and stays rather dry for my palate, giving dark malt coupled with a dark chocolate and some definite spirity notes as it wamrs. This one is original and enjoyable.