Whole Foods Old Plowshare Stout

Brewed by North Coast Brewing Company
Style: Dry Stout
Fort Bragg, California USA

Bottle (12oz). Deep ruby, nearly opaque, nice one inch lasting tan frothy head, nice drapes of lacing (3+). Very dry aroma, bitter chocolate, some coffee, burnt treacle, a fair amount of herbal bitterness. The taste is mostly chocolate and low-level fresh herbal bitterness - simple but damn that’s lovely. Creamy, luscious mouthfeel, sweet and nicely dry in the finish - damn this is good stuff, I’d drink this all the time!

An organic dry stout, I wonder if it will taste like anything. Burnt siena with a thin tan pond scum of a head. Aroma of dark and roasted malts with some smoke and peat. Taste of roasted malt, mild chocolate and a touch of sweet malt. Moderate dryness to the finish and the astringency takes holds of the sides of the mouth. Better than I thought it would be.

Bottle. Heavy malt aromas of toasted, dark chocolate and mild coffee, moderate herbs and resin for the hops, light earth for the yeast and a hint of tar. Head is large, rocky, off-white with fair lacing and is fully lasting. Color is clear dark brown. Flavor starts lightly sweet and acidic, then the long finish is lightly acidic and moderately bitter. Palate is medium, watery, with a lively carbonation and has a fairly dry finish. A nice toasty tasting Dry Stout.

Old Plowshare Stout is a very dark reddish brown ale with a frothy, bubbly light brown head that has great retention and leaves lumpy lacing. It has a slightly sweet, roasted, almost charred aroma. It is medium, maybe medium-light bodied. It’s quite smooth with a dry finish. There is a touch of toffee-like sweetness and a nice coffee-like bitterness. It is well balanced, simple and very drinkable.

12 oz. bottle. Pours a deep brown with amber highlights. A one inch tan head that fades relatively quickly leaving behind very little lacing. Coffee, caramel, and roasted malt on the nose. Medium high carbonation that is a little prickly. Very dry in the mouthfeel. Earthy notes, some coffee, and malt sweetness on the palate. A little on the watery side. For a stout, I would definitely say it lacks body and flavor. Probably closer to a porter. Not a bad stout for the summer months though.

Deep dark brown coloured body with a smallish off-white head. Aroma of heavily roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and a hint of prunes. Medium-bodied; Strong roasty flavours throughout with a good sweetness overlayed. The roasty malt characteristics cover the beer nicely and the bitterness and semi-sweetness continue on to the aftertaste efficiently. Overall, a good stout - definitely worth trying if you can find it! I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Whole Foods in Vienna, Virginia on 31 December 2006.

very dark red/ruby pour. The aroma is quite nice. Loads of cocoa powder! Its like smelling cake mix. WOw, the flavoris really quite nice. loads of chocolate, cocoa powder, touches of coffee in the finish with a nice lingering bitteress. Very sweet overall, and not really what i would consider a dry stout. Kinda thin for a stout also, I think this would be at home in the porter category.

Many thanks to HogTownHarry for donating this to me. Appearance: Dark brown/black with a beautiful creamy pancake mix colour head. Aroma: Creamy, milky, burnt malt, quite sweet with some pepper. Flavour: Creamy with malt and sweetness, nice light carbonation with an enjoyable bitter malt finish. A great little stout.