Pike XXXXX Stout

Brewed by Pike Pub & Brewery
Style: Stout
Seattle, Washington USA

Bottle shared by sliffy...or was that puddintane? Black pour with a short tan head. Aroma of coffee, dark fruits...a bit vinous. Flavor of coffe, some smoke, dark bitter chocolate and some roasted malt. Rich and smooth body with a bitter smokey finish.

Draught pints at Redbones, 11/7/06 and 12/10/06
Deep, deep raven-black beer is opaque through the middle, but upon settling, and against the light, shows garnet-auburn tints on the edges, with some clarity at the sides. Creamy, beige/light-tan head sits atop the beer, not very much of it, but quite well-retained, providing moderate lacing.
Very interesting bittersweet nose has a cohesive mix of cola, prunes, raisins, brandy, dates, maraschino cherries and moderate roast. It smells fluffy....with vanilla cream notes lingering long on the finish and medium sweet cherry notes really adding a great strength of aroma. Not sure what’s creating the cherry vanilla-like nose, but it’s tastefully done. Some light milk chocolate and very light bakers chocolate give additional balance, while a light, fruity hoppiness emerges with warming. Probably the responsible party for the cherry notes, and sure enough, some light citrus notes emerge as well, over time. But aromatic and juicy are the hops, only lightly done and not bitter in the least. Promising is the aroma.
A combination of chewy, almost caramel-molasses-like consistency, well-placed jabs of dry roast and then a softly sweet cherry vanilla flavor certainly pleases. Very well balanced, though tending somewhat sweet, the initial chocolate-caramel-vanilla flavors evolve in to a vast sea of dark fruits. Raisins, prunes, dates, cherries...A faint bit of tartness, be it dark malt or lacto induced helps nip the sweetness and the finish ends with a toned-down roastiness, that incorporates more light chocolate and a touch of leafy, juicy hops. This beer is all about warming. Though it’s good cool, the complexities that emerge as it breathes/warms are just plain impressive. All the interesting, unique flavors of a foreign stout, even something like De Dolle’s, but with plenty more chocolate, light hops and vanilla creaminess bringing back in to the American realm. None of the sugary sweetness of a foreign stout and more complexity than your usual oatmeal or standard brewpub stout. No alcohol noted in aroma or flavor. Fairly engaging carbonation is low to moderate, fitting the bill aptly.

22 oz bottle via Liquid Solutions. Pours a midnight black with an average size tan head. Nose is espresso and licorice. Taste is the same with some burnt malts. Very roasty aftertaste.Medium body, easy to drink. A very good solid stout.

Bottle courtesy of Tpaliga: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a medium brown foamy head with low retention but good lacing. Aroma of roasted malt is pretty dominant with some light coffee notes also noticeable. Taste is quite dry with limited chocolate and coffee note and a medium bitter finish. This is like an imperial take on a dry stout, which is probably not something that I’ve really been looking for. Interesting but still way too dry for my taste buds.

22oz bottle from Secret Santa. Aroma: Deep, semi sweet roasted malt with big chocolate character. Coffee, anise, chalk, and some dark fruits. Smells really good. Appearance: Pours very black with no discernible highlights. Dark tan head was full and creamy with great retention. Great lacing. Flavor: Heavy roasted malt, coffee, smoke, dark fruits, and a light hop pineyness. Roasted malt and hop bitterness is fairly high. Palate: Medium-full bodied and creamy. Moderate carbonation. Overall: Good one. Nice roasted malt qualities and a great rich mouthfeel.

Bottle: Black with a tan head. Aroma, dark fruits, roasted malts and some chocolate. Flavor, chocolate, dark fruits and a dry roasty bitterness on the finish. Pretty good stuff.

Bottle. Another local beer I have been wanting to try since I heard of it! Pours a very dark black color with a nice velvety dark tan head. Looks quite delicious! Aroma is quite pleasant too. Hints of coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, and nuts hit the nose. Flavor is mostly coffee and roasted malts. Hints of sweet chocolate come in as well. Flavor is dry as well and leaves the mouth in that state for a long while, asking to be replenished with another sip. Another delicious local beer I am proud of.

Dark velvet like pour with a pleasant but not overwhelming aroma. Small head looks very similar to an imperial stout. Thick roasty chocolate flavor with only a hint of alcohol. Medium mouthfeel and respectable finish. Not bad