New Bristol Coffee & Biscotti Stout

Wow!  You can smell the delicious aroma of coffee as soon as you open the can of this Coffee & Biscotti stout from New Bristol Brewery.  It's a lovely looking stout with a dark brown body and a deep tan head.  The head disappears quite quickly and leaves a very patchy layer behind.

The aroma is coffee, coffee and a bit more coffee with a slight hint of milk chocolate and malt biscuits.  The flavour is sublime as my taste buds were hit with a lovely biscotti taste followed by a generous helping of creamy white coffee that isn't bitter at all.  It does have a slight bitter aftertaste but it's very pleasant.

Carbonation is very light, which gives it a beautiful silky smooth mouthfeel, and it's so incredibly full bodied that I was almost tempted to stick a spoon in it to see if it would have stood up.

I was very impressed with this stout; it is what it says on the can and it has the perfect balance between sweet and bitter, being neither too much of one nor the other.  If you love coffee cream chocolates then I would definitely recommend trying this one.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by New Bristol Brewery, Bristol
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at New Bristol Brewery

Kees Baby Caramel Fudge Stout

 

This pastry stout is a lighter version of Brouwerij Kees' imperial caramel fudge stout but it still packs a punch at 5.3%.  I couldn't see any best before date on the can so I've got no idea whether or not it was in date when I drank it.  

It has a dark brown mahogany coloured body with a small rapidly vanishing tan head.  The aroma is surprisingly light for a sweet stout and although I didn't smell any caramel I did pick up notes of malt and chocolate.

After the slightly disappointing smell and appearance,  it totally redeems itself in the taste test as it is delicious.  It's like sweet, creamy candy covered in milk chocolate and it's so malty.  The sweetness really lingers so it's definitely a beer for the sweet toothed among us.  It has a full body and medium carbonation which gives it a relatively smooth mouthfeel.

It's a lovely sweet stout but it tastes more chocolate than caramel fudge to me.  I'd be really interested to try its big brother in the future and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Brouwerij Kees, 
5.3% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Brouwerij Kees

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

Black Isle Vanilla Stout

This vanilla stout looks like black velvet in a glass with its frothy, tan head that disperses to leave a patchy layer.

It has a sweet smell of chocolate, malt and vanilla and the same notes are replicated in the taste.  Full marks to Black Isle Brewing Co for brewing exactly what it says on the tin.  It has a smooth mouthfeel with a full body and low carbonation.

It's nothing complex but it's a lovely smooth, sweet stout that is enhanced by the hint of vanilla.  I really liked it and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Black Isle Brewing Co, Inverness, Scotland
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Black Isle Brewing Co

Eagle Winter Warmer Ale

This looks like my kind of beer!  I picked this on up at Sainsbury's when I saw that it was brewed by Eagle Brewery, which also brews the Banana Bread beer that I love.  It states on the bottle to serve it chilled but I drank it at room temperature and I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if it were chilled.

It pours a delicious deep amber colour with ruby red tones and it has a small, cream coloured head that retains a thin layer on dispersal.  It has a light aroma of malt, caramel, treacle and cinnamon spice.

Challenger hops add a generous flavour of dried fruit and a lingering metallic bitterness to the initial taste of malt.  There is a slight hint of spice but it's barely noticeable, which is a little disappointing.  The bitterness lingers a little too long but I do prefer metallic notes over citrus in a dark ale.  It's well carbonated and has a medium body to give a tingly mouthfeel.

Although I wouldn't describe it as a winter warmer ale, it's a decent enough budget dark ale with a lovely malty taste and a lingering metallic finish.  It's worth trying for the price (I can't remember how much I paid for it but it would be less than £2) but Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed for Sainsbury's by Eagle Brewery, Bedfordshire
5.3% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at Eagle Brewery

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

Bellfield Dark Sky Porter

 

This is a beautiful dark and fruity porter from Scottish brewers, Bellfield.  It's very dark, almost black, and it has a small, loose and rapidly vanishing tan head.

It has a mouthwatering aroma of roasted malt, treacle, chocolate and coffee with a hint of juicy red fruit.  It tastes as good as it smells too; it's sweet and fruity with notes of chocolate, treacle and caramel with an unusual and interesting coffee and tangy berry finish.

With low but firm carbonation and a full body, it has a smooth but tingly mouthfeel that made it really pleasant to drink.

It's a lovely fruity porter with a delicious sweetness that reminded me of candied fruit.  I have a sweet tooth so I really liked it and Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Bellfield Brewery, Edinburgh
4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Bellfield 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

Robinsons Trooper Hallowed

Just look at the rich mahogany colour of this Iron Maiden beer brewed by Robinsons Brewery.  It has a tight, robust cream coloured head and it gets full marks for appearance as this beautiful red/brown body is what I like to see in a beer. 

It has a delicious malty aroma with a hint of roasted nuts, treacle toffee and tangy Belgian hops.  It tastes delicious too; there's a big hit of tangy hops at first followed by huge sweet and malty notes and it has a lovely dry. fruity finish.  I couldn't particularly identify plum and banana but it's definitely fruity.  It has a full body and it's quite fizzy but the carbonation isn't harsh,

It's a lovely Belgian with a British slant.  The flavour is rich and the fruity plum finish is really unusual.  I loved it and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Robinsons Brewery, Stockport
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at Iron Maiden Beer

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 

Sadler's Peaky Blinder

I tried Sadler's Peaky Blinder many years ago but it's now brewed with different hops and has a slightly lower ABV so here are my thoughts on Peaky Blinder 2.0.  After closing the Stourbridge brewery in 2020, Sadler's transferred their production to Hawkshead Brewery in Cumbria but the Stourbridge site is still stated on the label.

This black IPA is brewed with five malts and five hops, although only four of the hops are listed on the label: Pilgrim, Green Bullet, Cascade and Chinook.  It has a very dark mahogany brown body with a small, tan head that disperses slowly to leave a thin layer.  

The aroma is very appealing with notes of roasted malt, juicy citrus fruit, a hint of spice and the slight tang of treacle.  The first sip reminds you it's an IPA with a big hit of citrus but more orange than lemon as it's not bitter at all.  The roasted malts jump in next together with some sweet treacle and liquorice and ending on a slightly dry note.  The liquorice flavour seemed to intensify as I drank it and I think it lingers on the tongue a little too long for my liking.  

It's softly carbonated to give a smoother mouthfeel than you'd expect and it has a good medium body.

It's a very unusual beer and one well worth trying.

Brewed by Sadler's Brewery, Stourbridge, West Midlands / Hawkshead Brewery, Cumbria
4.4% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Winding Path 885 Porter

 

This porter from America looks like black velvet in the glass.  There's a small beige head on top of the dark body that retains a thin layer.  It smells amazingly malty with hints of roasted nuts and sweet treacle.

It tastes as malty as it smells with additional notes of liquorice, treacle toffee, roasted nuts and some dark fruit.  It has a surprising bitter coffee finish that I didn't mind at first but found it lingered a little too long after a few mouthfuls.  It's well carbonated and fizzy with a full body.

It's a lovely rich, dark porter that tastes like it's brewed with a bit of everything to give it a sweet, dry, roasted, nutty and bitter taste.  I would have scored it much higher if the aftertaste hadn't been a bit too overpowering for me but it's well worth trying, even though Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Winding Path Brewing Co., Dallastown, Pennsylvania, USA
5.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Winding Path Brewing Co.

Three Brothers Brandy Snap

Brandy Snap is a fabulously festive milk stout from Teesside brewers Three Brothers and it's brewed with Challenger hops, eight malts and lactose.

It's a deep mahogany brown colour with a small, loose, tan head that doesn't hang around for long, leaving a flat looking beer that resembles a glass of coke.

It smells very boozy with a big hit of brandy and the delicious sweet undertone of malt.  It's surprisingly lightly flavoured with the lovely taste of sweet malt and a hint of brandy.  It has a medium body and carbonation is very soft so it has a silky smooth mouthfeel.

It's a lovely wintery festive ale that tastes exactly like it says on the can.  I think Three Brothers have got this one spot on as there's just the right amount of brandy flavour to balance perfectly with the malt and hops without overpowering the deliciously smooth stout.

This is definitely one to look out for if it's brewed again and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Three Brothers Brewing Company, Stockton-on-Tees 

6.2% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.25/5

Find out more at Three Brothers Brewing Company

Off Axis Don't Leave Me Stout in the Cold

 

Discount store Home Bargains stock a range of beers brewed exclusively for them under the 'Off Axis Brew Co' banner.  They may be cheap, but they're certainly not nasty and although I haven't scored them particularly highly, they're decent budget beers.

This Off Axis winter stout is brewed with lactose and it's a dark mahogany colour with a small tan head that leaves a patchy layer when it settles.  It has a lovely sweet stout smell of malt, treacle and toffee but I couldn't smell any spice.

The spice flavour is definitely there in the taste; I picked up hints of cinnamon and cloves along with notes of malt and treacle toffee.  It also contains nutmeg, star anise and vanilla to give it a real winter spice taste.  It's well carbonated and surprisingly fizzy with a medium body that feels a little thin for a stout.

It's a nice winter stout and it tastes like you would expect from its description on the can.  Although Ale probably not Be Seeing You again, I would definitely recommend trying it if you see it in Home Bargains.

Brewed exclusively for TJ Morris (Home Bargains), UK
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Hiver Amber Beer

This is a beautiful deep amber coloured beer with a small, robust cream coloured head.  It smells deliciously malty and hoppy with a hint of honey.

It tastes absolutely lovely with flavours of sweet malt, smooth honey and tangy hops, followed by a slightly bitter finish.  It's pretty smooth to drink with soft carbonation and and a decent medium body.

I really enjoyed the amber honey beer.  It's sweet, malty and slightly bitter with a delicious hint of smooth honey.  Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Hiver Beers, London 
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Hiver Beers

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