Overload Stout
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

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From:
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
 
United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
9.5%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.23 | pDev: 6.86%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
19
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 26, 2020
Added:
Jan 30, 2011
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
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Ratings by DIM:
Photo of DIM
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I was excited when I got an email about an imperial stout made with Wilbur chocolate and coffee at my local Iron Hill. I was less excited to see vanilla beans in the description on the menu.

a: Served in a mug, I guess this was black. It was served to me with a thick, brown cap.

s: I'm surprised that chocolate cake batter is the first thing I noticed. The vanilla comes on strong as it warms and the coffee is fairly muted. Not much in the way of beer aromas.

t: Differs from the smell in that the coffee is much more prevalent. This starts off sweet with milky chocolate fudge and vanilla. The finish dries out with roasty bitter chocolate and some fairly strong coffee. As this warms the vanilla, unfortunately, becomes stronger and stronger. The alcohol is very well masked.

m: The nitro body feels more thin than creamy. Surprising, because they do a good job with their nitro here.

d: Overload is an apt name, this was just a bit too busy for my taste. I've tried and loved chocolate stouts large and small here at my local Iron Hill; and the coffee porters have been great. I'd love to try a coffee and chocolate something without vanilla sometime.
Jan 30, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.05 by BigMike from Pennsylvania

Dec 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by Curt3 from Ohio

Mar 27, 2020
 
Rated: 4.21 by GreenMind from Pennsylvania

Apr 22, 2018
 
Rated: 4.4 by roast_90 from Pennsylvania

Nov 11, 2016
 
Rated: 4.31 by The_Kriek_Freak from Pennsylvania

Aug 13, 2016
 
Rated: 4.04 by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

Jul 18, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by buzzy from Pennsylvania

Jun 06, 2016
 
Rated: 4.24 by Evan from Maryland

Mar 18, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by cdtoffers from Pennsylvania

Oct 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by DrBier from Pennsylvania

Jul 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by OldManBike from Pennsylvania

May 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Durandal_777 from Pennsylvania

May 17, 2014
Photo of stakem
Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Draft offering at the Lancaster location. Served in a wine glass. The brew appears black in color with a darker than khaki colored silky head. As the cap fades, it produces some patchy lacing effect.

The aroma is fresh with a scent of coffee blended with roasted grain and a milky chocolate sweetness. Some vanilla combines with earth and a touch of citrus hops as the brew warms up. Overall a well balanced and enjoyable set of aromatics.

The taste is sweet upfront with notes of vanilla that bring out flavors of chocolate. Plenty of roast and earthy coffee character blends into a bitterness of highly kilned grains. A touch of citrus hops and mild alcohol. It gets progressively roasty and bitter as it warms up.

This is a medium to fuller bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. Quite a wowing and solid brew to say the least. The standard Iron Hill RIS is great, this takes it to the next level of complexity and overall enjoyment. Would seek this out again.
Mar 12, 2013
Photo of sholland119
Reviewed by sholland119 from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On tap at the brewpub, 3/10/11.

A-Ruby highlights at the bottom of a glass of dark brown, with a frothy light brown head and no lacing.

S-Mocha, sweet chocolate and a nice medium roast. Well balanced.

T-Sweet lactose, sweet chocoate, mild bitterness. This is one tasty brew. Great milk stout quality with a really nice chocolate presence.

M-Medium bodied, nice creaminess.

D-Excellent brew, doubles as a fine dessert substitute.

HV
Mar 18, 2011
Photo of mikereaser
Reviewed by mikereaser from Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The full appearance is hidden by my mug club mug but the foam is a nice frothy tan that has no plan of leaving the top. Aroma is a nice blend of coffee vanilla and chocolate. One sip and you're greeted with the same chocolate with the coffee and vanilla taking a backseat until the finish. This beer is nice and smooth and way too drinkable. I could sip on this all day, preferably in front of a warm fire.
Feb 16, 2011
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served on nitro at IH Lancaster.

A: The stout is a black boldness, dark and forboding with an off-white head, amplified by the nitro, sitting calmly overtop everything.

S: The nose is heavy with chocolate and vanilla, polar opposites both seeking attention. Lactic oatmeal adds a distinct sweetness and coffee cuts through all flavors delivering a rich aroma.

T: Mmmm sweetness. The quadrifecta of coffee, vanilla, oatmeal, and nitrogen is heavenly. Coffee, a bitterly acrid flavor, is right at home amongst the oatmeal lushness. Behind the two, vanilla and chocolate are in strong supply. Each sip is creamy, a foamy blast of chocolate, vanilla and coffee, a surprisngly good stout from Paul and crew.

M: The nitro aids and hampers the stout, giving it creaminess while holding back its aspirations. Unchecked, this stout could soar like a phoenix. Please, take it off of nitro.

D: Another big stout that I don't mind sipping through. The smooth oatmeal, chocolate and vanilla are dangerous together. Matched with coffee, watch out. Not to be repititious, but take it off of nitro.
Feb 12, 2011
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
On nitro- tap @ Iron Hill Lancaster on 1/29/11. Served in a 10 oz footed Pils glass.

This pours fairly black, with some ruby coming out along the bottom of the glass, and is topped with a thick finger of mocha colored head. Just a great nitro-induced look to this, with heavy swathes of lace sticking to the sides of the glass like crazy. The aroma smells of fresh coffee grounds that mingle with some floral and leafy hop notes before a delicious tangy mix of vanilla and chocolate greets the nose. There is a touch of alcohol in the back but it merely adds a bit of extra warm sweetness to the proceedings.

The taste is sweet and creamy with chocolate and vanilla upon first sip, which then quickly moves into fresh roasted coffee character and some citric hop bitterness that starts to stretch into the backend of the profile before meeting an extra wave of chocolate and caramel flavors. This finishes with a mix of dry roast and some lingering leftover earthy hops. The mouthfeel is full bodied yet still creamy and smooth in the mouth despite the high ABV. I mean the alcohol is just MAGNIFICANTLY well hidden here. I could have sworn that this was 6% if it wasn't for the overall heavier feel of the flavors.

While this didn't quite come off to me like the most full flavored or complex Stout out there, it's the nitro pour here that elevates this and really puts it over the edge. I mean it's so smooth and creamy; it literally went down like a fuller bodied Guinness at times. Just unbelievable drinkibility for a Stout this big and its probably one of the most dangerously quaffable beers that I've had in some time. I initially went with the 10 oz pour because of the high ABV but could have easily gone the full 20 oz mug without straining my palate in the least. Fantastic stuff!
Feb 01, 2011
Photo of ffejherb
Reviewed by ffejherb from Pennsylvania

4.92/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
On nitro-tap at Iron Hill Lancaster on 1/30/10.

A - Deep coffee brown coloration, though bordering black, with a creamy nougat-colored nitro head that retained very well.

S - Smells like a Three Musketeers candy bar dipped in a vat of coffee and doused with vanilla extract. Wow! Smells amazing. Nougat. Caramel. Coffee. Chocolate. You get the picture!

T - For lack of a better, more verbose description... this stout is freakin' delicious! The coffee, chocolate and vanilla elements all work together quite eloquently and beautifully. Nothing dominates the flavor too much. Finishes with a slight coffee bitterness with no alcohol presence whatsoever. This is simply amazing and quite scrumptious to say the least!

M - Super creamy nitro mouthfeel with a smooth, velvety texture and medium body. Finishes bittersweet on the palate.

D - OK, I think it is official... I am hereby dubbing Paul "THE Stout King of PA." Oompa Loompa, Shokolad, and now Overload. This stout completely blew me away!
Feb 01, 2011
Overload Stout from Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 19 ratings