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

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

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

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

To ØI Nocturnal Stout

I am very impressed with this pastry stout brewed exclusively for Beer52 by Danish microbrewery To ØI.  It ticks all the boxes for me: it's dark, sweet and malty.

It's a very dark brown stout with a small, loose beige head that disperses to a thin layer.  As soon as you open the can, the smell is mouthwatering - it's like a warm pain au chocolat with notes of chocolate, flaky pastry, sweet candy, malt and a similar tang of hops that you get in a trappist ale.  

The taste is a sweet toothed person's dream: it's malty and sweet and I was in sweetie heaven with a tasty combination of chocolate, pastry and treacle toffee.  It's a full bodied stout that's lightly carbonated to give a beautifully smooth mouthfeel.

I absolutely loved this Nocturnal Stout.  It's sweet, tasty, malty and smooth: everything I want to experience in a pastry stout.  Without a doubt, Ale Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by To ØI Brewery, Denmark
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4.5/5

Find out more at To Øl Brewery

Trzech Kumpli NESTA

NESTA is the first Polish-brewed stout I have tried and I am very impressed.

It pours a velvet black colour with a tiny head that I had to encourage during the pour.  There is a lot of sediment left in the can but none of it came out in the pour.  I note from Trzech Kumpli's website that this beer should be poured with a complete inversion of the can to create a creamy head, rather than gently down the side of the glass like I did.

I was immediately hit with the delicious aroma of chocolate, malt and treacle.  It's a lovely stouty smell but I didn't really get any hint of fruit, despite it claiming to be a (Tropical) Foreign Extra Stout.

The taste is very impressive; it's deliciously roasty and malty, just what you would expect in a stout.  Notes of chocolate, malt and coffee combine to create a delicious roasted and slightly sweet flavour, with a lingering sweet treacle aftertaste.  I love the balance leaning slightly towards sweet rather than bitter.  

It is lightly carbonated with nitrogen rather than the more usual carbon dioxide which, together with its full body, creates a silky smooth mouthfeel.  

I really liked NESTA and I was just a little disappointed that I didn't detect any fruitiness but I absolutely loved the sweetness of the chocolate, malt and treacle flavours.   It's an absolute pleasure to drink and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Trzech Kumpli (Three Buddies), Poland
6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Brewery

McColl's And All Things Nice

And All Things Nice is a triple spiced stout brewed by Bishop Auckland brewers, McColl's.  

It's a lovely velvety black ale with a very loose, rapidly disappearing tan head that vanishes without trace.  It's a shame that it looks very flat and like a glass of coke after a few minutes as it also smells like coke with the warming spices of ginger, nutmeg and cardamom all bursting out of the glass.

All three spices come through in the taste, although the cardamom takes over a little and drowns out the more favourable spices of ginger and nutmeg.  It also has notes of chocolate, caramel and coffee once your palate gets used to the spices.

It has a medium body that feels slightly thin for a stout and it has low. soft carbonation that weirdly makes it feel flat rather than smooth.  

With sweet, bitter and spicy notes, it's a really unusual combination and I love the spicy finish so it's a shame that the cardamom took over.  It's a one-off brew so Ale not Be Seeing You again anyway.

Brewed by McColl's Brewery, Co. Durham
5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3.75/5

Find out more at McColl's Brewery

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

Drop Bear Beer Co. Bonfire Stout

Wow!  This is one very impressive alcohol free stout that’s brewed in the UK with Chinook hops.

It’s a dark brown beer with a frothy, loose tan head that disperses quickly to leave a patchy layer.  It is very aromatic with a burnt caramel, malty, smokey and roasted nut aroma.  It has a very crisp and dry flavour with roasted nuts combining with malt and the perfect level of smokiness.  It has quite a smooth mouthfeel with low carbonation and a thin body.

The smokiness is absolutely perfect.  It’s often done really badly and I’ve had a lot of smoked beers that taste of ash or bacon but this one is divine.  I have to applaud Drop Bear Beer for brewing a smoked beer that I like and it doesn’t even have any alcohol in it!

You would not guess that it only has an ABV of 0.5% as it looks, smells and tastes like a stout.  The low ABV has the benefit of being low calorie too and there are only 55 calories per can.

I don’t think I have ever rated a zero/low alcohol beer so highly; it’s definitely one I’d recommend and Ale Be Seeing You again!

Brewed by Drop Bear Beer Co.,  Haverfordwest, Wales
0.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at Drop Bear Beer Co.

Beer Ink Lampblack

This is a very dark brown stout with a loose, cream coloured head.  The head disappears so rapidly that it almost disappeared during the pour so I had to straighten my glass and add a bit of force to get some semblance of head at all.

It has a good stouty smell; the aroma is intensely chocolately, malty and slighty fruity.  The aroma is replicated in the taste with notes of chocolate, malt and a tangy fruit flavour (blackberries according to the can).  The chocolate flavour intesifies and lingers.

The body is quite thin for a stout, I'd say it's thin to medium bodied but more on the thin side.  Carbonation is decent but there's not enough of it to maintain a head for more than a few seconds.

The addition of tangy, tarty blackberries gives it a very unusual taste but it didn't mix well with the chocolate for me.  It's a bit too tarty for a stout but well done to Beer Ink for trying something different.  Worth trying but Ale not Be Seeing You again.

Brewed by Beer Ink Brew Co., Huddersfield
4.6% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 3/5

Find out more at Beer Ink Brew Co.

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

The Kernel Dry Stout Taiheke Wakatu

This is a lively bottle conditioned dry stout from London brewery, The Kernel.  It's a beautiful dark brown ale with a frothy, surprisingly robust dark cream coloured head.

It has a strangely floral aroma and a hint of citrus.  It's very alluring but a little strange for a stout as it smells quite heavily perfumed.  The taste is definitely dry!  It doesn't have any particular flavour competing for my attention; it's just dry.  There is a malty hint to it though so it's very drinkable.  It has a medium body and is well carbonated with perfectly balanced bubbles.  

It's a very unusual stout and I love the dryness of it.  I would have liked a bit more malt to boost the flavour but it is what it says on the bottle and I can't fault that.  It's well worth trying but I wouldn't go out of my way to have it again, so Ale not Be Seeing You.

Brewed by The Kernel Brewery, London
4.5% ABV

My rating:

My Untappd score: 4/5

Find out more at The Kernel 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