Shorts Mystery Stout

Brewed by Shorts Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Bellaire, Michigan USA

Sounds and feels like this version is slightly different than what is listed. Black pour with a tan head that receded quickly. Not a ton of lacing, but it is there. Some roast aromas, more cocoa and chocolates. Tastes reciprocates, but there is some espresso type tones in there as well. Not creamy, but not watery either with just enough carbonation. The coffee roast is how it finishes and it lingers a while. Not really much alcohol presence. It is just a little bit thin, with the offset being there is no problem putting some quantity of this down. Will look forward to trying to get some more from Shorts.

Another nice offering from Shorts. From growler. Pours a nice enough looking creamy black color. Aroma is a nice mix of oats and roasted chocolate. Just a tad bit weak. Flavor is very nice: roasted marshmellows, oats, bakers chocolate, and molasses. I liked the way this one changed its profile a little with every drink, although the toasted marshmellows usually were the dominate flavor. Slight alcohol burn, which was nice. Medium creamy mouthfeel. Nice.

Growler from northernbrews, thank you much! Deep brown with a 1/2 finger creamy tan head, fading to a thick ring and thin film. Big milk chocolate and oatmeal up front, as well as roasted malts and a bit of salted nuts. After nosing it a bit some anise shows up. Flavor is a bit more burnt than the aroma led on, and I pick up on some dark berries. Finishes semi-dry with bitterness peaking around a 3-4. The body is thinner than what I’d expect from a 12.5% impy, but maybe the recipe’s changed since the bottled version. Minimal carbonation, I’d suppose from being growlered. The flavor seems to be missing something, as if it doesn’t seem big enough to be an impy stout.

Crushed with Jakebra at BSAF. Bitter nose with chocolate and roast. Flavor is dominated by oatmeal and dark, bitter chocolate. Pretty thin-bodied but full of flavor. Pretty nice.

On tap at BSAF. Poured a deep brown/black color with a frothy, quarter-inch beige head that left some spotty lacing. Aroma of roasted malts, light coffee (espresso), light smoke, a bit of earthy tobacco, and some soft hops. Smooth, muted entry with some lightly bitter bakers chocolate and a moderate roasted malt paired with a sharp ashy, charcoal-like smokiness that ends abruptly with some faint hop bitterness. Low carbonation and smooth on the palate. Overall, the flavor was just too abrasive and unrefined to find it enjoyable, and the aroma wasn’t much better.

courtesy of fogdog. Partial growler in a grolsh bottle. Pours black with flat head. Aroma of strong chocolate malts. Taste of roasted malts with caramel and light charcoal mouthfeel with notes of smoke, light bitter finish.. Really could not tell this was a 12.5% beer. Wish we had a lot more to share.

Growler from lampeno420, thanks! This was my first growler ever received in a trade. Pours a black color with a light tan head. I get coffee, roasted malt, anise, chocolate and some smoke. Flavor is quite roasty with nice notes of bitter chocolate and a lot of coffee. Also some faint notes of dark, dark berries. I really enjoyed this, all three monster pours of it!

Courtesy GodofThunder. Black pour, thin sparse light tan head. Mild roast, slight licorice, some lactose-like sweetness on the aroma. Mild roast on the taste, sweet finish. A roastier stout, but still nice.