Half Moon Stout
Penobscot Bay Brewery

Half Moon StoutHalf Moon Stout
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From:
Penobscot Bay Brewery
 
Maine, United States
Style:
English Stout
Ranked #65
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
79
Ranked #26,519
Avg:
3.37 | pDev: 11.57%
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
34
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 08, 2024
Added:
Jan 21, 2010
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  2
In 1609 Henry Hudson entered Penobscot Bay in the vessel the "Half Moon". Four hundred years later the Half Moon is back in Penobscot Bay! Based on an old porter recipe described as brave, proud, or "Stout". A one hour mash of pale, crystal, chocolate and wheat malts, and a large portion of roasted barley yield this dark, full-bodied stout with a heavy aroma of fresh roasted coffee. The mild Fuggles hops balances the bitterness.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 2.5 by Fettpopps from Massachusetts

Feb 08, 2024
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Rated by jbolger from Connecticut

3.14/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
11/5/21 1st impression - thin. 2nd impression - coffee. Lacks depth, complexity. No sweetness. Somewhat unpleasant.
Nov 05, 2021
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Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

3.59/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Deep brown color. Lasting head with streaky lace.

Cocoa to mocha (e.g. mild coffee) blend to the nose. There are some freshly ground coffee bean notes.

Thinner body but with a typical carbonation level. The stout flavors are all here but with less umph. Baker's chocolate finish with a shorter aftertaste.
Aug 19, 2020
 
Rated: 3.78 by ummswimmin from New Jersey

Jan 05, 2020
 
Rated: 3.48 by brewnme from Maine

Nov 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.52 by Fitzy01 from Maine

Oct 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.56 by mmorris15 from Maine

Dec 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.27 by zekeman17 from Pennsylvania

Dec 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.82 by rpjordan from Maine

Feb 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by nebula1999 from Connecticut

May 25, 2014
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Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire

3.3/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
From the 650 ml. bottle. Sampled on March 16, 2014.

It pours a very dark brown to just about black color with a lingering tan head. It looks like a stout should.

The aroma is overly sweet and sugary with less in the way of dark malts. Some milk chocolate,. But there is something off putting about it.

The body is light to medium but reasonably smooth.

The taste has this same sort of buttery, oily, dark malt and chocolate mix that I cannot describe in any other way. It really doesn't propel itself into anything special and tends to be too sweet.
Mar 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by mctizzz from California

Dec 27, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by NHSTEVE from New Hampshire

Nov 27, 2013
 
Rated: 2.75 by RIKIM from Rhode Island

Nov 23, 2013
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Reviewed by BirdsandHops from Oregon

3.23/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A: Pours black with three fingers of light tan head that fades into a thin cap with decent lacing.

S: Roasted malts with sweet cocoa at first with notes of tart and sour fruits toward the finish.

T: Roasted malts here as well with tart cherry flavors coming through more than in the nose. There are subtler notes of char and chocolate.

M: Medium-thick body with mid-high carbonation, this beer has more carbonation than normal for the style, but not too much.

O: An alright stout overall, though I suspect an infection based on the high carbonation and tart fruit presence.
Nov 18, 2012
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Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.7/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Competent stout, brought back from very recent Maine trip. Pours black and is lacey. A good roast nose. Above average mouthfeel. Dry Irish style finish. Grows on me to make it nicely drinkable.Chocolate, coffee. A tad acidic. Some decent hop bitterness.
Aug 30, 2012
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Reviewed by GarthDanielson from Virginia

3.27/5  rDev -3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is a dark ruby-red coloring leading into black, with no head. Slick and wet looking on the pour. The nose is sweet, with chocolate and toffee notes, as well as some cookie tones. Flavors are light and dry, with rich hazelnut and chocolate notes on a roasty backbone. The aftertaste is rich and roasted, with a darkly sweet, smooth, and dry finish. The body was lacking throughout in order to support the flavor profile this stout brings to the table. Just seemed unbalanced throughout.
Jun 03, 2012
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Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

3.38/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #58 (November 2011):

LOOK: Lights out

SMELL: Roasty, slightly acrid, yeast, charcoal, woody

TASTE: Roasty grain, burnt sugar, woody hops, coffee, charcoal, ripe fruit, dried grass, earthy, overly roasty

Old school or to style, whatever your take is. Sipping it for what it is, the roasted twang gets the better of this brew. Lively and rustic, but the roasted flavors seem to take over the palate. If the roasted flavors were tamed a bit more, we'd have a clear winner. Worth a try at the very least.
May 02, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by ygtbsm94 from Utah

Apr 23, 2012
 
Rated: 2.75 by rderedin from Maine

Mar 31, 2012
Half Moon Stout from Penobscot Bay Brewery
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 34 ratings