Pisgah Nitro Stout

Brewed by Pisgah Brewing Company
Style: Dry Stout
Black Mountain, North Carolina USA

Draught at Barley’s in Asheville. Pours dark ruby red, with a very impressive foamy tan head. Aroma is first and foremost strong, rich coffee, with notes of chocolate to back it up. Flavor is very smooth and creamy, but with a giant coffee character. The finish is mildy bitter, but finishes each taste very cleanly.

Draft at Barley’s Taproom in Asheville, NC on 11/1//2008. Black pour with a big, brown, creamy head that is long lasting and leaves a sheeting lace. Coffee laced aroma with hints of chocolate and licorice. Smooth and creamy, full bodied and lightly carbonated. Dark chocolate sweetness that is soft and subtle, balanced nicely by a soft bitterness derived from roasted malt more than hops I believe. Very drinkable, borders on being a cream stout, as the bitterness is understated, but certainly not a detriment. Seems under appreciated by other raters, but I found it to be quite good.

Draught. Pours a deep, deep ruby with a super-huge, level tan head. The nitro makes the whole beer very even and creamy in appearance. The aroma is just tasty. It has everything one may expect from a traditional Irish dry stout, but with more coffee. The coffee is very rich, rounded, and roasty. It’s a bit gritty in the mouth for the style, but certainly not a problem. I guess I’m just used to nitro stouts to being so smooth and a slightly sweet. Tons of roasted coffee beans come out in the flavor with a bit of dark chocolate to balance. This is very palatable. One of my favorites in the style.

Brown pour with a fluffy tan head, drippy lace. Light roast and chocolate malts on the nose. Thin-medium bodied. Creamy mouthfeel. Light roast, chocolate, and coffee. Pleasant hoppy finish. Overall a solid, easy drinking stout.

Nitro-tap. Very dark brown pour that starts out as a sea of creamy tan bubbles. Finally rounds out to a nice tan head on a used motor oil colored brew. Smell of some smoke, roast malt and hints of coffee and cocoa. Taste is a mellow melding of the aromas. Everything very blananced. Like a much improved version of Guiness. Pretty clean coffee, dry finish. Very smooth, very drinkable, but I thought the aromas and flavors were a bit more subdued than I would have liked. Pisgah makes good brews that are always worthy of trying.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown body with a lush, creamy off-white head. Smell: Roasted malt aroma with hints of cream and licorice. All fairly light, mind you. Taste: Mild sweetness amidst the flavor of roasted malts. Subtle hint of licorice. A bit of that black patent char thrown in as well, but not enough to make a face over. Finishes roasty and dry. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Strikingly soft mouthfeel. Drinkability: Highly quaffable, if you’re into the dry stouts.

Draft @ Barley’s (NC): Pretty much what you’d expect from a dry stout on nitro as far as the maltiness, creaminess, and smoothness. That being said, this one has a little added vanilla flavor and a pretty dry finish that reminds me of oatmeal.

Draught on nitro @ Barley’s Asheville. Pour was black with a thin white head. The aroma was of weak malts. Flavor is presented with silky smooth mouthfeel. There is good roasted malt flavor and a sweetness associated with caramel or toffee. This was in many ways like Guinness but sweeter and not as dry.