Love Lane Maple Syrup Stout

 

I have a sweet tooth and I love stout so I was really looking forward to trying this maple syrup stout from Love Lane Brewery in Liverpool and whilst it is nice, I was a little underwhelmed.

It has a dark brown body with a small, loose tan head that tries to disappear as it's poured so I had to straighten my pour to get a decent head and take a very quick photo.  

I was a bit disappointed when I leant in for a smell as I only got a very slight whiff of maple syrup beneath the malt and treacle notes.  I think if it didn't say maple syrup on the can I wouldn't have noticed it at all.

The taste is more like it; it's sweet and tangy with notes of dark chocolate, treacle and maple syrup.  It has a bit of a liquorice aftertaste and weirdly, it's slightly soapy.  It has low but firm carbonation and a decent medium body.

It's a very rich and dark stout that's surprisingly easy to drink considering it's high ABV of 7.4%.  There's just nothing particularly special about it, which is a little disappointing as I was really looking forward to it.  I'm glad I've tried it but Ale not Be Seeing You Again.

Brewed by Love Lane Brewery, Liverpool
7.4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.5/5

Find out more at Love Lane Brewery

O/O Brewing Porter Porter

As shipbuilding is very much a part of our heritage here in north-east England, I just had to take a moment before opening this Swedish porter to appreciate the stunning label artwork by Carl Bjerkås.  

It's a beauty both inside and out with a dark brown body and a deep tan head that lasts well and retains a thin layer.  It smells amazing with notes of malt, treacle toffee, dark tangy fruit (maybe cherry) and chocolate.

The flavour is quite light in comparison to the aroma.  As well as malt there are notes of tangy fruit and delicious smooth milk chocolate, followed by a slight bitter finish.  Mouthfeel is perfect for a porter with low carbonation and a medium body.

It's a lovely tangy bittersweet porter that is very pleasant to drink.  I would definitely recommend trying it if you're a dark ale fan and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by O/O Brewing, Sweden 
5.4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at O/O Brewing

Robinsons Trooper Fear of the Dark

I have been so impressed with the Iron Maiden beers brewed in collaboration with Robinsons and their chocolate stout, Fear of the Dead, is no exception.  

Now that's what a stout should look like!  It pours a dark brown with a robust, thick and tight tan head.  The aroma is quite light but I picked up notes of malt, treacle and chocolate.

There's nothing light about the flavour; it has a lovely taste of chocolate, treacle, malt and a hint of roasted nuts.  It has a full body and medium carbonation that gives it a lovely smooth mouthfeel.

I love stout and I love chocolate so this one is a winner for me.  It's not a heavy stout so it's very pleasant to drink and the chocolate is delicious.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Robinsons Brewery, Stockport
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Iron Maiden Beers

Loch Lomond Hit It Chewy

 

When I saw a stout with a Star Wars reference in Lidl's beer festival, I just had to have one.  This is a Scottish tablet stout brewed with lactose by Dumbarton brewers Loch Lomond.  For anyone who doesn't know what it is, a Scottish tablet is a buttery, crumbly fudge and it's delicious.

This is a very dark brown, almost black, stout with a tight tan head that retains a decent layer.  The aroma is mouthwatering with notes of sweet caramel, chocolate cake and treacle bursting out of the can.

I could taste the sweetness in my first sip and the sweet chocolate and treacle flavours reminded me of a pastry stout then it does something different.  The Pacifica hops add a touch of bitter citrus and dryness to the finish.  There's also a hint of coffee to swing the bitter balance away from full-on citrus.

Mouthfeel is relatively smooth with low but firm carbonation and a medium body, which is slightly thinner than I would expect in a stout.

It's a lovely sweet stout but I felt that the flavours could have perhaps been a little stronger to match the amazing aroma.  I would definitely recommend trying it if it's brewed again and Ale Be Seeing You.

Brewed by Loch Lomond Brewery, Dumbarton, Scotland
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Loch Lomond Brewery

BrewDog Cake Cartel

Ooh I wanted to try this hazelnut stout from BrewDog as soon as I heard about it and it did not disappoint.  This is definitely one for the sweet toothed beer drinker.

It's a very dark brown stout with a small, rapidly vanishing tan head that doesn't leave a single bubble behind, giving it a very disappointingly flat appearance.  It makes up for it in the wonderful aroma though - it's as sweet as candy with notes of malt, caramel, milk chocolate and raspberry jam.

It tastes like liquid chocolate cake with a huge helping of malt, a dash of candy floss and a sprinkling of nuts.  It leaves a lovely sweetness of the lips and it's very moreish, although it doesn't taste as nutty as I expected.  Brewed with lactose, it's a very smooth stout with low carbonation and a full body.

This is a lovely rich, dark, sweet pastry stout and it tastes exactly as would expect from the can.  If it hadn't lost its head so quickly and tasted a bit more nutty, it would've been a five star beer but for taste alone, Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by BrewDog, Ellon, Aberdeenshire 
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at BrewDog Brewery

Stewart Brewing Cocoa-Nut

I love chocolate and I love stout so I snapped up this chocolate and hazelnut stout when I saw it in Lidl's beer festival.

It has a traditional stout appearance with a black velvet body and a small tan head that leaves a patchy layer when it settles.  It smells incredibly nutty and I could smell them as soon as I opened the can.  Underneath the nutty aroma there are delicious notes of chocolate, malt and even more nuts.

The taste is deliciously dark with loads of malt and hints of chocolate and liquorice.  The chocolate is dark and slightly bitter and there's no prizes for guessing the aftertaste: it's nuts!  It has a lovely full body and medium carbonation, giving it a relatively smooth mouthfeel that I like to see in a stout.

With an ABV of 7.1%, it's a very rich and decadent stout.  The dark chocolate bitterness is a little bit too much for me as I don't really like dark chocolate but the nuttiness is amazing and it tastes like it says on the can.  It's definitely one I'd recommend trying and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Stewart Brewing, Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland
7.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Stewart Brewing

Monastère Double

Now that's what I call a BINGO beer!  Monastère Double scored a full house on my beer scoring sheet - that's a huge 50/50 covering appearance, aroma, flavour, mouthfeel and overall.

It is a beautiful mahogany brown colour with a tight tan head that retains a thin layer.  The aroma is to die for with notes of malt, caramel, treacle toffee and tangy Belgian hops.  It gets better with the taste as my tongue was hit with an explosion of sweet treacle, roasted malt, tangy hops, raisins and a hint of chocolate.  There's even a slight liquorice finish to add to the complex flavour profile.

With a full body and medium but firm carbonation, this is an outstanding double.  It is faultless and even better that it came in a 500ml can to prolong the experience.  This was a bargain from B&M and I really hope Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by United Dutch Breweries, EU
6.4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 5/5

Find out more at Monastère 

Sheep in Wolf's Clothing & Six Degrees North Whisky Barrel Aged Black Lager

 

Look at this lager!  It thinks it's a stout!  With its dark brown almost black body and tight dark cream coloured head, you would be forgiven for thinking that you were about to drink a stout.  It even smells a bit like a stout with a strong malt aroma and a hint of whisky from the barrel ageing.

The taste is quite subtle but I picked up notes of tangy hops, malt, dark fruit, whisky and roasted nuts.  It's well carbonated but not too fizzy and it has a medium body which is surprising for a lager.

It's an interesting and unique flavour, although it is quite a weak flavour possibly due to the low ABV of 2.8%.  The head is perhaps the most impressive and long lasting I've ever experienced in a lager.  As it's a limited edition collaboration, Ale not Be Seeing You again, but I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for more Sheep in Wolf's Clothing beers.

Brewed by Sheep in Wolf's Clothing Brewery, London, in partnership with Six Degrees North
2.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Sheep in Wolf's Clothing Brewery

Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer

I like Guinness, I like coffee and I LOVE Guinness Cold Brew Coffee Beer!

With its black velvet body and thick, creamy head it looks just like a regular Guinness but you know it's something different when you get the unmistakeable whiff of coffee.  It's not overpowering though, it's more a hint of coffee on top of the chocolate and caramel notes of Guinness.

The flavour is lovely, it's chocolate and caramel followed by a hint of coffee.  It's not bitter at all and it works well with the full body and smooth mouthfeel we know and love from Guinness.

The rich notes of coffee and caramel are perfectly balanced and the overall flavour reminds me of the coffee creams you used to get in Milk Tray so if you liked them, you will love this.  I can't fault this Cold Brew Coffee Beer and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Guinness Brewery, Dublin
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 5/5

Find out more at Guinness Brewery

Tiny Rebel Stay Put Raspberry Ripple

 

Following my review of Tiny Rebel's Stay Put Mint Chocolate Chip, next up is their other Covid-19 lockdown limited edition marshmallow porter - Raspberry Ripple.

It's a very dark, almost black beer with a small, very loose beige head that pretty much vanishes as it's being poured.  My disappointment at the lack of head was quickly forgotten when my nose was hit with the mouthwatering aroma of raspberry ripple ice cream.

The taste isn't quite as strong as the smell but it's lovely.  Notes of tarty, sweet raspberries combine with vanilla and chocolate and it's like drinking ice cream.

It has a medium body with low carbonation that gives it a smooth mouthfeel and you get the added bonus of soft raspberry chocolate bubbles bursting on your tongue.   

The flavours are perfectly balanced to give a sweet, tarty easy-drinking porter and I thought it was delicious.  It's very moreish and I would buy more of these if they brewed it again.  If I could, Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Tiny Rebel Brewing, Newport Wales
5.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Tiny Rebel

Brains Dark

Welsh brewers, Brains have been brewing their dark ale since the 1920s.  I think that's pretty impressive that an ale has been in continuous production for so long and I couldn't wait to try it.

It's a very dark brown ale with a semi-tight frothy beige head that disperses slowly to leave a thin layer.

The smell is not what I was expecting at all.  In addition to the malty fragrance that I was expecting, there's also metallic notes of copper coins and a very fragrant, slightly soapy fruit that reminded me of lychee.

The flavour is delicious: malt and sweet dark fruits with hints of treacle, chocolate, liquorice and coffee, followed by a dry, nutty finish.  No flavour takes over and they all work beautifully together.  It has a good medium body and relative soft carbonation to produce a silky smooth mouthfeel.

Although the smell is a bit weird, it makes up for it in the taste.  I loved how the treacle, chocolate, coffee and liquorice flavours developed as I was drinking it and I hardly noticed the slightly odd smell after a few mouthfuls.

I'd be more than happy to have a Brains Dark again so Ale Be Seeing You!

Brewed by Brains Brewery, Cardiff
4.1% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Brains Brewery

Tiny Rebel Stay Put Mint Chocolate Chip

 

When Tiny Rebel released limited editions of their marshmallow porter, Stay Puft, for the Covid-19 lockdown, I just had to try them.  First up, it's Stay Put Mint Chocolate Chip.

It's a very dark brown beer with a small, loose beige head that retains a small layer of foam.  The aroma is very light but it definitely smells of mint choc chip ice cream with notes of chocolate, vanilla and mint.

The taste is very impressive.  It's a smooth, vanilla, chocolate porter with a hint of mint and a slight coffee aftertaste.  It's a very unusual blend and I didn't think it would work in a beer but it is stunning.  It's like drinking ice cream.

It has a medium body with decent carbonation that is quite soft, so it has a lovely smooth mouthfeel.

It's a delicious porter.  The flavours are perfectly balanced to just give a hint of mint without it being overpowering.  It's very moreish and I would buy more of these if they brewed it again.  If I could, Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Tiny Rebel Brewing, Newport Wales
5.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Tiny Rebel

Seven Bro7hers Sling It Out Stout

Made with upcycled Kellogg's Coco Pops, Sling It Out Stout is a lovely sweet and malty stout from Manchester brewers, Seven Bro7hers.

With a dark brown body and a small, tan head, it looks like a typical stout but I knew that I was going to taste something above average from the intense malty aroma.  I couldn't really smell any chocolate at first as it's so malty, but I did get a hint of it as I started to drink it.

The flavour is delicious with a mouthwatering combination of sweet malt and more sweet than bitter chocolate.  It has a medium body with low, soft carbonation that produces a silky smooth mouthfeel.

This is definitely one for anyone who has a sweet tooth, like me.  I love intense malt flavours and with the added sweetness of the chocolate, this was right up my street.  It's a beautiful stout, although it's quite a simple chocolate and malt flavour, but it gets a big thumbs up from me and  Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co, Manchester
5.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co

Thornbridge Lord Marples

 

I've had a few Thornbridge beers over the years but I didn't realise that Lord Marples was their first ever beer.  It all started here!

It's a deliciously dark  mahogany brown coloured beer with a small, loose, beige head that disperses slowly to leave a thin, patchy layer.  The aroma is mouthwatering, especially for a bitter fan like me; it's a traditional bitter smell of malt, caramel, honey, tangy hops and dark fruit.

Flavour is quite light but definitely bitter; it's a stunning mixture of caramel, honey, malt and dark fruits with an unusual bittersweet finish.  It's very well carbonated and has a thin but not watery body.

It's quite an unusual bitter in that its balance leans towards the sweet side but its light flavour make it a very nice, easy drinking beer.  I love bitter so Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Thornbridge Brewery, Derbyshire
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Thornbridge Brewery

Innis & Gunn Blood Red Sky

 

This ale is a stunning colour; it's a rich mahogany red with a loose beige head that disappears very rapidly, leaving just a few bubbles behind.

It's brewed in rum barrels and there's a definite boozy, rum aroma along with malt, fruit and a hint of vanilla.  The flavour is a bit bland at first as the vanilla overpowers the other flavours, but it gets sweeter as you drink it when the malt and spiced rum flavours start to come through.  It's thin bodied and surprisingly well carbonated considering it has no head.

It has the appearance of cola and the spiciness of the rum makes you think of cola too.  It's a shame the vanilla took over as it would've been a lovely scotch ruby ale if it had been balanced a bit more towards maltiness.

It's worth trying but it was a little disappointing, so Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Innis & Gunn Brewery, Edinburgh
6.8% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Innis & Gunn Brewery

Signature Brew Nightliner

This is a dark brown porter with a small, very loose, rapidly vanishing beige head.  There is some sediment in the can so it neeed a careful pour.

It smells like freshly brewed coffee, and so it should as coffee is one of the ingredients listed on the can.  I got a whiff of malt after the initial coffee hit and then a bit more coffee.  It's definitely oozing with coffee and it is what it says on the can.

Following the huge coffee aroma, I was expecting a massive flavour kick but I was very disappointed.  It's very lightly flavoured with coffee that isn't bitter at all, but it isn't really much of anything else either.  It has a medium body and is very softly carbonated so it feels nice and smooth to drink, although it did remind me of a cold, weak coffee.

Quite disappointing really, the taste just didn't deliver what I expected from the amazing aroma so Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Signature Brew, London
5.7% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 2.75/5

Find out more at Signature Brew

Wiper and True Milk Shake

 

Milk Shake from Bristol brewers Wiper and True is a dark, creamy stout brewed with lactose.

It's a very dark, black velvet stout with a small, tight, beige head that retains a thin layer.  It smells delicious: lashings of malt and loads of chocolate produce a sweet and roasted mouthwatering aroma.

The flavour is awesome.  A combination of sweet chocolate, malt and vanilla tantalises the taste buds and leaves a fabulous roasted malt taste on the tongue.  It's full bodied and lightly carbonated to give a velvety-smooth, silky mouthfeel.

It really is a delicious milk stout.  It may appear be a no-frills chocolate and vanilla stout but it's so very moreish and easy to drink that Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Wiper and True Brewery, Bristol
5.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Wiper and True Brewery

Brass Castle Bad Kitty

  

Bad Kitty is a vanilla porter that is so dark and velvety when it's poured that you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a stout.  It has a very impressive huge, frothy and tight tan head that lasts and laces.

It has a very light aroma of chocolate and vanilla and it smells a bit like a glass of cola.  The flavour is also quite light, it reminded me of a very milky chocolate milkshake.  I think all of the vanilla has sapped all of the flavour out of the porter.

It's quite softly carbonated with a medium body so it has a lovely smooth mouthfeel and it's very easy to drink.  It's just a bit too weak on flavour for me.  It's very vanilla all round and there's nothing bad about this kitty.  Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Brass Castle Brewery, Malton, North Yorkshire
5.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.25/5

Find out more at Brass Castle Brewery

Left Handed Giant x Highland Park Brewery Intrinsic Value

Instrinsic Value is a vanilla and blueberry imperial stout brewed by Bristol brewers Left Handed Giant (LHG) in collaboration with Los Angeles brewers Highland Park Brewery.  

As you would expect from a beer brewed with fruit, there is some sediment in the can so it needs a careful pour.  It pours a very dark brown with a huge, tight deep tan coloured head which is possibly the darkest coloured head I've ever seen.

It has a very distinctive and appealing aroma of chocolate, vanilla, malt and fruity blueberries so this is a beer that smells as good as it looks.  The all-important taste is not disappointing at all; it is delicious.  Smooth milk chocolate, fruity blueberries, sweet malt and vanilla all combine beautifully.  It's actually not as sweet as I expected, it's a bit earthy, woody and dry with a bitter chocolate finish.  A hint of blueberries keeps appearing every now and again.

It's a very full bodied beer that's well carbonated to give a bit of a tingle to an otherwise smooth mouthfeel.  With such a high ABV of 11% there's not even a hint of raw alcohol in the taste but it's quite warming which makes it feel incredibly boozy.  

LHG have produced some cracking beers and Intrinsic Value is no exception.  I would definitely recommend this imperial stout and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Left Handed Giant Brewing, Bristol
11% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Left Handed Giant Brewing

Wychwood Diceman

 

Wychwood is a brewery that rarely disappoints and Diceman is no exception.  

It's a jet black stout with a thick, tight, beige head that is surprisingly robust.  The aroma is a little uninspiring; malt and treacle on a strong metallic base, however, the ale redeems itself in the taste test.  It is a lovely stout with notes of treacle, malt, dark fruit, and liquorice followed by a hint of chocolate to give a bittersweet chocolate finish.

It has a medium body and it's well carbonated with hard but not harsh bubbles that somehow manage to give a silky smooth mouthfeel.

Diceman is like a liquorice toffee in a glass and I loved it.  It's just a shame it lost a few points in the aroma as it deserves a higher score than 3.75/5.  It's the taste that counts so Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Wychwood Brewery, Witney, Oxfordshire

5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Wychwood Brewery