Stoudts Fat Dog Stout (Vintages through 2003)

Formerly brewed at Stoudts Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Adamstown, Pennsylvania USA

Bottle dated 11/12/01 and purchased from Half-Time in Poughkeepsie, NY last summer. When I purchased this, I thought it was an Imperial Stout. I thought that I got a steal with it being pre-aged. Well, I guess this ended up being a 6% regular stout that was just really old. Sweet, chocolate aroma with some molasses in the nose and a bit of cardboardy oxidation in the nose. Opaque black color with a tan head that is rather quickly dissipating. Start/middle is very sour, astringent, yuck. The finish is somewhat redeeming with some roasty and chocolate notes. Unforutnately, though, this is way past its prime and undrinkable. Was probably a very good beer once.

SCREW THIS CRAP. THERE I SAID IT. THIS IS THE 2ND BEER I’VE HAD THAT’S MADE ME MAD. 750ml bottle. Been sitting around for a few days. I open it. EXPLOSION. OVERCARBONATED. BIG TIME. Usually I wouldn’t care. This time it was all over white fabric. 1/5 FOR APPEARANCE I DON’T CARE. Aroma is chocolate dominated with some roast and coffee in there. Flavor is exactly the same with some acidity. It’s one thing to have a light yellow beer spill on white fabric. But for a stout, that’s a problem. Good thing this garbage is retired. If you want your clothes and blankets ruined, Blanchards in Boston has a ton of these things. To quote the comic book guy from The Simpsons - worst imperial stout EVER!

(750 ml bottles: Obtained in trades with Eyedrinkale and bkelley68, thanks Mike and Brian!) Vintage 27-Feb-03 The head that just would not quit. Pouring this beer into my tulip, half the glass is filled with light brown head, and after perusing the Ratebeer forum for 15 minutes, the head is still quite sizeable. Dark brown color as it pours, but black once in the large glass. Chocolate seems to be the primary flavor here, quite toasty, sweet, fruity, and malty as well, but roast and bitterness are actually fairly light in comparison. I like the flavor, but I’m not even convinced it’s truly an Imperial Stout. In many ways, I think I actually prefer this version of Fat Dog Stout to the new, beefed up version (which most definitely IS an Imperial Stout). There’s much more balance here, the roasty bitterness isn’t oppressive, and the alcohol, which is lower in ABV, is not an assertive schoolyard bully. I’m really digging the toasty finish. The only negative, compared to the new version is the nose, which in this beer, is fairly malty, but also smells vaguely like paint. Body is lighter, what I’d characterize as medium "plus", and the palate is fairly smooth and very fizzy on the tongue. It’s a prettier beer, as the head is still going strong, 45 minutes after pouring the beer. A gentle swirl yields a replentished fizzy topping like when you pour a soda. There’s not much lace, but I really think my tulip glasses are not lace friendly. While I acknowledge that this beer has had a year or so longer to age, I think this beer demonstrates that bigger is not always better. Bring back the old Fat Dog Stout! And wow, I still have another bottle left!

Pours an opaque black with a thick (2 inch) rich brown head. Smell is malty and chocolatey, lightly bitter. Tastes of coffee and chocolate. Creamy too, like a latte. Sweet dark chocolate versus bitter chocolate that you get from many stouts. Lightly oaty. Full bodied with sweet chocolate mocha aftertaste. Very smooth and drinkable for a big flavorful stout. Very pleasant drinking experience.

Bottle 4/13/04 (exactly 1 year old) Pours almost completely black with a big fizzy brown head. The aroma is sweet and green grape-like with a little chocolate. The flavor is dark chocolate, some coffee, and dark fruits with a subtle banana hints in the finish. A bit better than I remebered. Sorry to see it go but those shoes were filled quick with the new impy.

765 mL bottled on 4/13/04 (I’m putting this rating here b/c of the bottle size and that there’s no way this stuff was 10% ABV). Quick whiff of noble hops, followed by chocolate and coffee with a hint of caramel. Nearly black, good sized tan head. Nice chocolate and coffee flavor, plenty of roast charater, herbal hops. Medium-full body, lingering dry roasty finish.

Found a lonely old bottle at my local shop. Light color for the style, medium brown with a light tan head. The aroma is choco-coffee and a bit grainy. The hops have really faded so the flavor is dominated by cold coffee and some vinous notes. The body is medium and rather thin for the assigned style. Interesting seems almost a porter to me.

Deep brown, almost black body. Light brown head. Nose is cocoa, raisons and coffee. Taste is bitter chocolate, espresso , dark fruits, almonds and hazelnuts. Finish is smooth and somewhat bitter.