Belgian Stout
Spearhead Brewing Company

Belgian StoutBelgian Stout
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From:
Spearhead Brewing Company
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
Belgian Dark Ale
Ranked #18
ABV:
6%
Score:
86
Ranked #19,791
Avg:
3.77 | pDev: 7.16%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
24
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 29, 2022
Added:
Jun 27, 2012
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
Spearhead Belgian Stout is a smooth, complex black ale. Cascading bubbles swirl upward, capped by a beautiful mocha coloured head. Brewed with Demerara sugar, Curaçao orange peel, coriander and Trappist Ale yeast, this unique unfiltered stout has a luscious creamy texture and delightfully dry finish. It offers notes of chocolate and espresso with hints of banana, orange and tropical spice. Savour every mouthful.

35 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of bluejacket74
Reviewed by bluejacket74 from Ohio

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16 ounce can, can't read the date on the bottom of the can. Thanks to Brutaltruth for this one! Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like orange peel, banana, coriander, roasted malt, dark chocolate and coffee. Taste is pretty much just like the aroma, but there's also some dark bread and dark fruity flavors noticeable too. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and coating with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought it was a good overall brew, I'll have to try more of the Spearhead brews in the future when I get the chance!
Oct 29, 2022
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

3.92/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
From the 16 oz can in a snifter. This interesting little brew pours a dark
blackish brown with a nice head of brwon foam that settles to a thick ring,
thin clumping layer, and shows some light lacing. Nose of dark coffee, dark
bakers cocoa, dark fruit hints, and faint coriander dashed with subtle orange
zest. Flavors surpass the nose with dark cocoa, dark coffee, coriander, orange zest,
faint banana, dark breaded notes, dates, subtle cherry, and char. Mouth feel
is medium full, smooth, medium light carbonation, and a bitter malt finish
that is medium dry.

Overall, unique and interesting

Cheers
Oct 11, 2022
 
Rated: 3.9 by travelguy from Ohio

May 29, 2021
 
Rated: 3.92 by ikidunot from Canada (ON)

Aug 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.73 by kevinlater from Canada (ON)

Feb 03, 2016
 
Rated: 3.83 by nyrblue2 from New York

Sep 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.84 by andrenaline from Canada (ON)

Apr 04, 2015
Photo of BGDrock
Reviewed by BGDrock from Canada (ON)

4.37/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance:solid black with a dense, mocha coloured head that has great length and incredible stickiness - leaves thick veils when swirled - beautiful, one of the best looking beers I've poured

Aroma: cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander; lightly of dark roasted coffee, chocolate, dates, banana, and altogether intriguing

Taste & Mouthfeel: lovely dark chocolate and burnt coffee - which quickly leads to a surprisingly bitter finish originating from the roast and a decent dose of hops; there are some fruitier, somewhat tart notes in that malt flavour - orange peel, a little like a Terry's Chocolate Orange; pleasantly creamy on the tongue, if not velvety, with medium carbonation; a deep, pure cocoa flavour lingers even longer than the bitterness

Overall: an aggressive first few sips transitions to a synchronized dance of flavours, flowing together beautifully and crafting a unique and interesting stout; this one's for dinner, not dessert
Mar 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.47 by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

Feb 09, 2015
Photo of WillAndSarah
Rated by WillAndSarah from Canada (ON)

3.25/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
A very nice stout, but I expected more of that fruity Belgian yeast goodness from the description.
Dec 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.91 by Ultrarunner100 from Canada (ON)

Dec 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by zweird from Canada (ON)

Dec 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.32 by mjacquard from Canada (ON)

Dec 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by DaPan from Canada (ON)

Dec 09, 2014
Photo of DaveBar
Reviewed by DaveBar from Canada (ON)

3.67/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Purchased at the LCBO as a single. Served at 8deg C in a tulip

A- Opens great and pours a nice dark high head. Very dark brown.

S- Lost of caramel chocolate and coffee

T- Oopsy! Not so good. Bitter. Lacks the substance it deserves

M- Not bad. Not great.

O- Ok beer. Will not buy again.

Food Pairing

This ok beer went well with..... Tacos

Enjoy
Nov 27, 2014
Photo of BuckyBeerBeaver
Reviewed by BuckyBeerBeaver from Canada (ON)

4/5  rDev +6.1%
Looking for a good stout to replace his beloved La Vache Folle, which the LCBO in its infinite wisdom decided not to sell this year, Bucky decided to sample Spearhead’s Belgian Style Stout (“BSS”). BSS came in a brown 355 ml bottle with no visible ‘best before’ or production date and was 5.8% alcohol by volume.

BSS poured a near black colour and was impervious to back lighting, with 1.5” of dense, crema coloured head leaving some modest lacing down the glass as it slowly faded to a thin collar and film. Its aroma was a tempting combination of dark chocolate, dark roasted coffee and that distinct Belgian yeast. The flavour very much followed the nose, with dark chocolate followed by the Belgian yeast, ending in an Italian-roast coffee flavour with a distinct espresso bitterness that lingered as an aftertaste. I’m not picking up any of the orange peel and coriander in the ingredients list, but it doesn’t really matter since the core flavours and aromas of a good stout are all present. Medium bodied with a mellow carbonation and resulting soft mouth feel, this could become Bucky’s ‘go to’ stout for the winter months.
Nov 25, 2014
Photo of thehyperduck
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

3.92/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
355 mL bottle from a sixer picked up at the LCBO; listed at 5.8% and with no bottling date information. Served a little cooler than cellar temperature.

Pours an opaque black colour, generating one finger of dense, creamy tan-coloured froth. It only sticks around briefly for a Belgian-style brew, opting instead to fade into a bubbly film and collar over the next couple of minutes. Minimal lace. The aroma is malty and inviting, dominated by notes of brown sugar, molasses, dark chocolate and a touch of roasted coffee bean. Hints of spicy coriander and citrus peel are also detectable, with suggestions of raisin and fig. Big fan of the bouquet on this one.

The taste follows the nose quite closely. Roasted malts, dark chocolate and coffee are big contributors, with lots of demerara sugar sweetness. Some light banana notes mingle nicely with notes of dark fruit and citrus, which then lead into a complex finish. There's lots of roasty, char-like astringency at this point, more dark-roast coffee and a spicy hit of coriander and Belgian yeast. Finishes somewhat dry, with the burnt, charry flavour overpowering any residual sweetness. Medium-bodied, with gentle-but-prickly carbonation and a relatively smooth, soft feel in the mouth. This isn't an especially strong ale, but the bold flavour and ashy aftertaste limit its drinkability, somewhat.

Final Grade: 3.92, a B+. Spearhead's Belgian Style Stout is only the second or third example of this pseudo-style that I have had the opportunity to try, but I must say I'm enjoying it thoroughly, and I'm glad that there are more bottles in the fridge for later. The charry bitterness is a bit much for my tastes, but the way I see it, that's merely one Con in a sea of Pros. Fans of Belgian-style dark ales looking for a "lighter" example that doesn't skimp out on the flavour should strongly consider tracking this tempting brew down.
Nov 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by BigGruntyThirst from Canada (ON)

Nov 02, 2014
Photo of TerryW
Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)

3.24/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
A coffee dark brew with next to no head and no lace.

Lots of chocolate and charcoal both in the nose and to taste. Tarry. Too much burn I think to be really enjoyable. Some caramel sweetness as it starts to warm up. Soft to drink on the palate.

Too one dimensional. Too much char.
Jun 13, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by TheSevenDuffs from Canada (ON)

Apr 06, 2013
Belgian Stout from Spearhead Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 24 ratings