Rio Grande Stout

a very modest dry stout, with flavors drifting predictably to coffee/bittersweet chocolate tones-- probably not unlike the "stout 101" they teach at fast eddy’s online brewing school to simply teach the fundamentals-- before students are introduced to the incremental adjustments of ingredients that actually lend texture and flavor. you’ve got your water, basic levels of various black and umber malts kilned to resemble italian espresso beans (but oh so sparingly used), plus a brew-by-the-numbers uninspired addition of hops. the beer flops into any glass with no more ceremony than the millionth cup of joe at the denny’s-- and with not much more head, it’s only as black as ebony shoe polish covering a glass of water. it’s grainy, clean, and if taste buds could yawn, they’d blearily note some burnt bread ends becoming soggy in the watery body. so go ahead, grab a sandwich, turn on the t.v., chew gum, insulate the attic while you fold laundry and put out a major grease fire in the kitchen-- NOTHING you do can possibly distract from the full enjoyment of this rio grande stout.

Dark muddy brown body and a foamy, tan head that faded. Usual chocolate and coffee notes, not excessively roasty in the nose. Dry flavor with low acidity and low bitterness. Little depth of flavor and dead aftertaste. Oily feel and too dry to have any body. Hollowness only becomes more apparent as it warms, although some roasty astringency does develop. Very bland stout.

22oz bomber-pours deep deep amber/red hue (like a porter) with a small off-white head. kinda looks like cola and reminds me of SKa Milk Stout in appearance. I must say that the aroma has much more going on than the appearance suggests-smokey, char, chocolate with lots of burnt malt husks. flavors are all there, but the body doesn’t really deliver them that well. Long burnt/char finish. This could make a good porter if there were more chocolate notes involved.