Wye Valley Dorothy Goodbodys Wholesome Stout

Brewed by Wye Valley
Style: Dry Stout
Hereford, England

jet black with beige head. woody aroma and medium bodied. bitter and creamy.

Courtesy of Ohiodad <P> The aroma is sweet and cola-like. Flat black...fading to dark brown at the base of the glass with a foamy tan head that is a full two fingers thick. Fore is roasty and bitter, but also watery tasting. Almost approaches licorice tasting, but it is somewhat chicory/sasparilla tasting as well. Finish is very mildly chocolate tasting, dry and bitter. English stouts always seem to be much thinner than their North American cousins and this one is as well.

Bottle. Almost black, pours with off white head, roasted malts and bit woody, not particularly full bodied in fact quite thin and not exactly full of flavour but also not too bad just not really my prefered style of stout. Maybe it will better to judge this in it’s cask conditioned form.

1. Cask Handpump at the Crown Inn, Stockport 08/12/2001 Dark coloured stout which is smooth on the palate. Nutty flavour. Slightly bitter hop finish. 2. Cask Stillage at the Upper Campfield Market Hall, Manchester 24/01/2002 Dark coloured with a fully roasted aroma. Very bitter lasting finish. 3. Cask Stillage at the Mill At The Pier, Wigan 09/03/2002 Poured lively. Dark coloured stout with coffee flavour hints. Full roast finish. 4. Cask Stillage at the Memorial Hall, Northwich 20/09/2003 Dark coloured and smooth on the palate with a roast malt finish.

Bottle-conditioned. Deep, dark bronze body with a thick, foamy tan head. Aroma of raisins, plums, cocoa, baking soda, and earthy hops. Flavor is of bitter dark fruit skins and abundant roasted barley. Fairly dry with high bitterness, both from ample hops and roast, and medium-low acidity. Medium bodied. A decent, full-flavored, roasty and hoppy dry stout.

Bottle (500ml). Poured clear very deep mahogany with a huge tightly foamy off-white lasting head, thick lacing. Aroma of yeasty sweet dough, slightly burnt candyish malt and strong resiny pungent UK hops (Northdown, I guess). Tastes like burnt molasses, chewing tobacco, brazilnut shells, some raisins, but this is quite bitter, a combination of the hops and the overly burned malt. Mouthfeel is watery, thin, acidic and fairly lively - with more body this might be worth trying again, but it has the feel of an overly roasted dunkel (texture).

Bottle. Light black with lots of red. Bubbly creamy tan head. Decent roast aroma, mild. Taste is sharp roast and very dry. Thin body. Some black licorice as well. Not terribly flavourful, but serviceable. Ok, wouldn’t buy again.

thick chunky head. Cocoa bitter taste. bitter palate, no aroma. OK stout, would buy again to give it another shot.