Diesel Brewing Asphalt Simcoe Stoudt

While at The Warwick Hotel in Hummelstown, I ordered a bottle of Diesel Brewing Asphalt Simcoe Stoudt, as Diesel was there pouring to help give the new brewery some exposure. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, and toasted malts. The taste is chocolaty and spicy with pepper and plenty of citrus accents. Tangerine, grapefruit, orange, lemon, and mint all make appearance and yield a flavor similar to an Andes candy. The alcohol content is 6.3% ABV. While I thought this was a very decent hoppy stout, I would suggest they change the name before they get sued by Stoudt’s.

Pisgah Bacon Stout

While at the Thirsty Monk in Asheville, I ordered a glass of Pisgah Bacon Stout (I’ve also seen it spelled Benton’s Bacon Snout). The beer pours a black color with a thin filmy tan colored head. The aroma consists of smoke, bacon, chocolate, and toasted malts. The taste is very smoky and has a good helping of bacon, charcoal, and smoked malts. A chocolate base with hint of caramel provides the backbone, and the finish leaves smoke behind. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 6.5% ABV. This was a well-done, charcoal and smoke-infused, bacon bearing beast of a beer. It takes an acquired taste to like the mix of these flavors, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Shipyard Blue Fin Stout

For International Stout Day, I opened a bottle of Shipyard Blue Fin Stout. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, cardboard, and coffee. The taste is chocolaty with plenty of burnt flavor. There is some toasted malts and a hint of coffee. The finish is dry and roasty. The alcohol content is 4.7% ABV. This was a moderately good dry stout with some roasted flavors. I would drink this beer again, but wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

Beach Brewing SeaDevil Stout

Following a beach trip to Virginia Beach, my sister and her husband brought be a grenade of Beach Brewing SeaDevil Stout. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, coffee, toasted malts, and caramel. The taste is bold with strong coffee and toasted malt flavors on the front end before revealing a dark chocolate and caramel backbone. Dry and toasted malts linger in the after taste. The alcohol content is 10% ABV. I thought this beer struck the balance between hops and chocolate very well while maintaining a toasted malt and coffee presence that made it memorable.

New Glarus Road Slush Stout

Another beer my buddy Bob gave me was New Glarus Road Slush Stout. The beer pours a dark brown color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, milk, oatmeal, toasted malts, and caramel. The taste is dry and chocolaty with lots of toasted malts making up the backbone. A milky finish sweetens the beer up a bit, and an oatmeal flavor is left behind on the tongue. The alcohol content is 6.2% ABV. This was a decent stout, but it also wasn’t overly memorable. If I saw it, I’d drink it, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get it either.

Jester King Farmhouse Black Metal Imperial Stout

I ordered a bottle of Jester King Farmhouse Black Metal Imperial Stout from Michael Jackson’s Rare Beer of the Month Club. Note the photo is of the non-Farmhouse version. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that leaves a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, barnyard funk, vanilla, and lemon. The taste is full of toasted malt flavor and plenty of dark chocolates. There is a light funk about the beer before some caramel and hay come out on the tongue. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. This was a delicious beer and it had a great flavor, but I definitely liked the original version of this beer compared to the Farmhouse version. The light funk was great, but it definitely killed the milky chocolate goodness of the original.

North Coast Old No. 38 Stout

I received a bottle of North Coast Old No. 38 Stout from Bob Pack in a beer trade. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly beige colored head. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, sweet caramel, vanilla, and molasses. The taste is smooth and chocolaty with a nice roasted malt flavor and a great molasses accent. There are touches of vanilla and caramel, and the finish is dry and toasty. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV. I really enjoyed the dark chocolate flavors in this beer with great molasses and caramel accents. It was quite the Irish dry stout, and I would love to get my hands on another beer.

Odell Bourbon Barrel Stout

I picked up a bottle of Odell Bourbon Barrel Stout while I was in Denver. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that leaves a good bit of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, vanilla, bourbon, oak, and caramel. The taste is smooth and chocolaty with a good roasted malt flavor leading the charge. A warming bourbon finish comes out and burns the back of the mouth before vanilla sweetens it out. There is a lingering oak taste as well. The alcohol content is 11.5% ABV. The flavors in this beer are smooth and well balanced, and it provided a nice warming finish to get rid of the chill on those winter nights.

Murphy's Stout

Another beer I acquired in my mixed cased was Murphy's Stout. The beer pours a black color with a creamy tan head about a finger-width high. The aroma is filled with coffee and cream. The taste is smooth and mostly tastes of coffee with a bit of cream accent. There is a good chocolate undertone. The alcohol content is 4.0% ABV. This was a decent stout with good chocolate and coffee flavors that put a great emphasis on the creaminess of the beer as well.