Pike XXXXX Stout

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

650ml brown bottle. Deep brown/black pour. Large and creamy tan head, left well defined lace rings on the sides of the glass. Aroma is on the sweeter side with raisins, cocoa/chocolate and a bit of coffee. Hops start to show up as the beer warms up. Flavour starts with roast malt, black coffee, finish is more towards dark chocolate with noticable hop flavours. Long lingering roast malt bitterness. Soft mouthfeel, medium bodied, light carboantion, feels pretty silky on the tounge. Very drinkable.

Bottle shared by emacgee. Pours dark brown with a small tannish head. Nose of lactose, oats, malt, light cocoa, molasses. Flavor is roasty with some cocoa and smoke and finishes very bitter in an unpleasant way.

Bonus from MaltOMeal a while back. Distinct prune and molasses aromas. Flavor is slightly fruity but mostly roasted malt. A hint of some cocoa in the flavor and a bit of a chalky texture. Finish is a bit too hopped up and bitter but that won’t force me to pour this one out.

Compliments of ericandersnavy. Sadly I am totally in agreement with jthg who rated this right before me. I wanted so much to like this beer but found myself having problems with it the second I smelled it. Pours is nice, viscous dark black. Only allows a little light. Head is two fingers creamy mocha. Nose shows some molasses, chocolate, mild coffee, very rich, and then I start to pick up the precursors of the astringency I was to taste. Flavor is rich and roasty upfront but very quickly turns to an overpowering bitter/astringent character. Not sure if it was hops or grain but it was very undesirable. Coffee comes through, thought I may have picked up some acetaledehyde. The body is very full and velvety but very quickly turns to bitterness. Very lasting astringent bitterness. Ended up not being able to finish this one.

I was not impressed by this beer. The beer didn’t taste done - the malt completely over powered this beer and left the mouth with a malt bitterness in the mouth. I feel bad rating this beer low seeing how everyone else rated it higher. Maybe I got a bad bottle?

Bottle. Pours a nice coffee black with a roasted tan head. Nose is dark roasted coffee, nice. Flavors are full of that dark roasted coffee as well. Really nice hints of chocolate too. Smoky flavors become more predominate a little latter in the bottle. Gets to me a little too much smoke come the end. The beginning is awesome and the smokiness is well done but just gets old. Still a good stout!

Pours black with a small brown head that doesn’t last at all. Aroma disappoints me with only a slight bit of dark chocolate and anise, with more emphasis on herbal pine, burnt coffee, bitter tea, and just really burnt and astringent overall. Similar taste overall, but with a bit more fudge, but otherwise....and the ashy finish seems off. Medium bodied, mild creamy texture. I like it’s half-imperial stout approach, but the flaws bother me too much.

Pours as dark as night with a milk chocolate coloured head. Aroma is of citrus, mainly grapefruit and lemon, pine, chocolate, ash, smoke. Taste very citrusy, lemon, grapefruit, ash, smoke, coffee, dark chocolate, and tar. Nice mouth feel. Another hop bomb out of the PNW, but very nice enjoyable beer.