On tap at Ambulance, noir full-bodied stout plies richly dark-roasted black chocolate malting to wood-charred molasses bittering, dried cocoa powdering, caramel-burnt vanilla sugaring and black cherry sedation. Tertiary chocolate liqueur, black coffee, toffee and anise illusions add to chewy robustness.
HOF TEN DORMAAL ARCANA FARMHOUSE STOUT
Oddly compelling Belgian dark saison combines tart red-wined souring and leathery barnyard acridity with chicory-smoked black chocolate roast. Soy-sauced Blackstrap molasses bittering picks up latent black pepper smidge, cocoa powder tinge and espresso quirk.
DU CLAW X9 COFFEE STOUT
Stylishly easygoing dry stout utilizes Baltimore’s turbocharged Cafe Racer coffee to amplify mellow charm. Bittersweet java prominence stays firm and robust, developing dark-roasted chocolate and dried cocoa tones above the molasses-sapped oatmeal base. Wispy vanilla, walnut and hazelnut notions drape the hop-charred back end (and a light black pepper burn’s detected). Easygoing mineral water crisping allows expressive coffee theme to retain poignancy.
KUKA COFFEE & CREAM STOUT
On tap at Craft House, soft-tongued dry body brings mildly creamed black chocolate fudging to dark-roasted Brazilian coffee roast. Bittersweet espresso-milked cocoa chalking, vanilla bean respite and charcoaled hazelnut-cola conflux underscore soap-stoned coffee finish.
GRIMM DOUBLE NEGATIVE IMPERIAL STOUT
On tap at Ambulance, dry dark-roasted coffee bittering overpowers black-malted dark chocolate tones, Blackstrap molasses astringency and hop-charred oats toasting. Distant blackberry-blackcurrant-blueberry illusions as well as murky cola-hazelnut sweetness deepen heavy mocha finish.
FIRESTONE WALKER VELVET MERLIN OATMEAL STOUT
On tap at Plank Pizza, robust dry stout loads creamy black chocolate richness and espresso-milked cocoa chalking atop oats-roasted burnt caramel sweetness to contrast hop-charred wood resin. Ancillary chocolate truffle, light-roast coffee, fudgy vanilla, black cherry, molasses, cola nut and hazelnut illusions complete the score.
(FISH) THE HOBBIT SMAUG RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
Metaphorical fire breathing dragon brings firey habanero peppering to smoky mocha malting and oak-charred oily hop linger, tailing off as molasses-smoked black chocolate, bitter dark-roasted coffee and dry chalky cocoa drown out the finishing chili heat. Below the surface, black cherry respite and wispy cola nuttiness waver.
BRIX CITY PORTER AUTHORITY
On tap at Plank Pizza, dry porter brings lightly creamed dark-roasted coffee and black chocolate malting to the fore. Subtle black licorice resonance settles below alongside blackened hop bittering. In a can, black-malted dark chocolate musk and dried cocoa subsidy gain musty hop char and seared walnut-cola niche at mocha molasses finish.
WYNDRIDGE BARN DOG CHOCOLATE VANILLA IMPERIAL PORTER
Rich dry-bodied porter brings chewy black-malted Madagascar vanilla bean thickness to syrupy molasses-sapped dark chocolate, lightly pungent Ghana cacao nibs, day-old coffee souring, resinous hop char and earthen musk. Smooth mineral water crisping galvanizes velvety mocha finish.
CHATHAM SPIKE ANGEL IMPERIAL PORTER
On tap at Craft House, laid-back coffee roast greets cocoa-chalked black chocolate malting and lightly hop-charred oak bittering as well as wispy black cherry tartness. Ashen mocha finish needs richer creaminess to resonate better.
CARTON SHIPWRECK PORTER
On tap at Poor Henry’s, rich honey porter soaked in Brinley Gold Shipwreck rum barrels succeeds at re-creating brown-sugared Bananas Foster dessert embittered and emboldened by blackened hop char. Black chocolate roast overrides rummy Kahlua warmth, vanilla-spiced molasses syruping, pungent coffee bittering, toasted pumpernickel retreat, black licorice waft and wildflower-honeyed floral bouquet at bustling finish.
CLOWN SHOES COFFEE PECAN PIE PORTER
On tap at Poor Henry’s, rich pecan-pied 2015 porter brings cold-brewed coffee smoothness to nutty brown-sugared caramel malting. Roasted pecan adjunct fades as black chocolate, black cherry, vanilla, molasses and cacao nibs undertones ascend alongside oats-charred walnut and honey-sweetened hazelnut illusions.
