Sadly, nebulous maroon-hued winter stout lacks expectant spicy seasonal intrigue and lusty mocha wanderlust, allowing witty Yuletide moniker to be more notable than muddled watered-down flavoring and diffuse charcoal aroma. ‘Dark Holiday’ seasonal claims to be “much more than you deserve for X-mas,” but thin roasted malting, dim chocolate-cocoa confection, concealed raisin-fig meekness, and dirty earthen whimper deaden impact. Understated hop-oiled cocoa-dried astringency blemishes dulled red-purple grape frolic, smothered pineapple-grapefruit slip, and cryptic anise snip.
Tag Archives: dry stout
(DE DOLLE) SPECIAL EXTRA EXPORT STOUT
Musky tan-headed mahogany-hued strong ale/Imperial Stout blend conveys syrupy dark chocolate-spiced expectancy to contrast highly hopped dark fruited souring. Dehydrated fig-banana-cherry conflux and coarse hazelnut lunge bedeck tranquil gingered cinnamon seasoning before dry port-sherry-bourbon finish picks up strong alcohol acridity.
RIVERSIDE 7TH STREET STOUT
DESCHUTES OBSIDIAN STOUT
SAPPORO BLACK STOUT DRAFT
Odd. An imported Asian dark beer in sturdy 22-ounce gold and black can effectively re-creating Euro draughts. While coffee-espresso bittering and kiln-smoked caramel malting stand out, it’s not particularly thick, rich, or creamy. Still, despite being ultra-smooth, it’s hardy to the bittersweet mocha-oiled finish.
OMMEGANG STOUT
Unexpected peat-mildewed earthen ash aromatics invite fertilizer comparisons whisked away by wood-smoked black chocolate linger and mildest espresso tease of deceptive cola-hued Irish dry stout. Powdered cocoa dryness gets peppery respite at thinning hop-toasted oats finish. Could use richer lactic resonation and more aggressive bittering.
DOGFISH HEAD CHICORY STOUT
SAPPORO STOUT DRAFT
DOGWOOD STOUT
SEBAGO LAKE TROUT STOUT
ALLAGASH BLACK BELGIAN STYLE STOUT
Dramatic Belgian-styled chocolate stout works Blackstrap molasses thicket into candi-sugared black chocolate-spiced initiation and apprehensive oats-flaked hop-charred espresso-mochaccino reminder of musty 7.5% alcohol full body. At midst, vague coffee-grounded charred coal insinuation coarsens murky blackberry-blueberry-pureed digression. Peated hazelnut-walnut slunk, wavered pumpernickel toasting, gnarly tobacco chew spew and tertiary anise-currant bittering disperse lactic black chocolate lead-in.
DOMINION OAK BARREL STOUT
Excellent vanilla bean-fermented heavyweight soars to dramatic heights as resinous oak chips pick up acute soured Baker’s chocolate continuance, brazen molasses-espresso-toffee swell and oily soy-sauced black cocoa buttering. Toasted hops and ashen embers deepen oats-sugared hazelnut impression, stewed prune loom, vegetal descent and wood-soaked bourbon finish for well-defined dry lactose stout.





