NAME: Sam Adams Nitro Stout
TYPE: Stout
ORIGIN: Boston, MA
ABV: 4.8%
REVIEW: Pours jet black, beautiful thick foamy head, fresh roasted malt smell, sweet, slightly tart on the tongue with a little smokiness, and a little vanilla, watery finish. The head is the best part of this beer. Tasted like a root beer float. The rest of it, not so much.
goodwilltasting grade: B-
NAME: Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Stout
TYPE: Stout
ORIGIN: Lexington, KY
ABV: 8.0%
REVIEW: Pours black like coffee, almost no head. Smells strongly of coffee, vanilla, molasses and a little charcoal. Sweet, smoky, a little caramel and coffee tastes towards the end. Mouthfeel is a little flat and sort of watery but otherwise a pretty complex tasting stout. BTW pairs figure skating is manly, right?
goodwilltasting grade: B
NAME: Maine Beer Company Mean Old Tom
TYPE: Stout (aged on vanilla beans)
ORIGIN: Freeport, ME
ABV: 6.5%
REVIEW: Jet black pour with a creamy, khaki head. Roasty, malty smell, medium-light bodied stout. Toasty, slightl burnt taste with subtle coffee notes and just a hint of vanilla at the end. To be honest I expected a little more, but still I’d choose this over Guinness. And yes, it would go well with my wife’s delicious chocolate chip cookies.
goodwilltasting grade: B-
More adventures with European beers!
NAME: Birrificio Del Ducato Verdi
TYPE: Imperial Stout (brewed with chilies)
ORIGIN: Gruppo, Italy
ABV: 8.2%
REVIEW: Pours black with a foamy, cream colored head. Nutty, roasted smell, rich chocolate taste, creamy mouthfeel, sweet finish with a touch of heat at the end, both from the chili and from the booze. It’s the Mexican hot chocolate of beers. But from Italy. Delicious.
goodwilltasting grade: A-
Brought this beer to Christmas Dinner at a friend’s house. Here’s the review:
NAME: Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout
ORIGIN: Brooklyn, New York, NY
TYPE: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 10%
REVIEW: Pours jet black, with a light champagne color head. On the nose you get cocoa, coffee beans, a little vanilla. The taste is smooth, roasty, nice bitterness that reminds me of dark chocolate, a little boozy and smoky at the end. Velvety mouth feel, kind of heavy. I’m usually not a huge fan of Brooklyn Brewery stuff but this was a solid, full-bodied stout, went great with our roast rib eye and mashed potatoes!
goodwilltasting grade: B+
Here we have Anchor Steam’s 2013 Christmas Ale! This is something I look forward to all year. The recipe changes year to year so it’s always a surprise what they’re coming out with.
Winter Warmer Ale, 5.5% ABV. Dark black coca cola color, minimal head with moderate lacing. Pine, nutmeg, clove on the nose, nice nutty, roast-y taste with subtle sweet hop finish. Well done Anchor! I like it more than the 2012. But not as much as the 2011.
goodwilltasting grade: B+
Mikkeller Black Buffalo. Denmark. Imperial Stout aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels. A whopping 19.4% ABV.
This beer is serious. And you should be too if you’re taking on the Black Buffalo. Jet black, used motor oil color, roasty malt smell with a hint of that bourbon, rich bittersweet chocolate notes that give way to straight sweetness, heavy, velvety mouthfeel with a warming finish. Drink it after dinner as a digestif like you would a nice port wine. Could go well with some dark chocolate and berries, but for sure stands up on its own. Drink it closer to room temperature. People drink stouts too damn cold.
goodwilltasting grade: B+
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