Old #38 Stout | North Coast Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
North Coast Brewing Co.
California, United States
northcoastbrewing.com
Style: Irish Dry Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.40%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
53 IBUs
Added by kbub6f on 10-18-2001
Ratings: 1,252 | Reviews: 663
3.97/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From notes taken 04/17/17:
Dark reddish brown, mostly opaque. Golden brown head, with fine uniform bubbles, a spongey texture, good retention, and clingy lace. Cocoa, coffee, booze, toasted grain, light dark fruit notes. Not as balanced or strong as I would like. Overall, reminds me of those dark chocolate covered berries, good but a little too sharp. Palate has a little better balance, quite toasty-toasty along the lines of dark chocolate, some toasted grain, a little toffee, a little vanilla, a little smoke, only moderately fruity-sweet, and then some earthy hops and some booze peaking in the balance at the finish. Full-bodied, smooth, fairly thick, but thinned out by an even, consistent medium carbonation of tingly and then velvety suds. Flattens fast. Plenty of heat, but I don’t think the ABV is terribly high, doesn’t say on the label.
856 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From notes taken 04/17/17:
Dark reddish brown, mostly opaque. Golden brown head, with fine uniform bubbles, a spongey texture, good retention, and clingy lace. Cocoa, coffee, booze, toasted grain, light dark fruit notes. Not as balanced or strong as I would like. Overall, reminds me of those dark chocolate covered berries, good but a little too sharp. Palate has a little better balance, quite toasty-toasty along the lines of dark chocolate, some toasted grain, a little toffee, a little vanilla, a little smoke, only moderately fruity-sweet, and then some earthy hops and some booze peaking in the balance at the finish. Full-bodied, smooth, fairly thick, but thinned out by an even, consistent medium carbonation of tingly and then velvety suds. Flattens fast. Plenty of heat, but I don’t think the ABV is terribly high, doesn’t say on the label.
856 characters
3.62/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.88/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Black color with a thin beige head with short retention.
Aroma with predominant notes of licorice and roasted coffee. Hints of dark fruits, some charcoal and cocoa nibs.
Flavor with notes of cola, a bit of charcoal, roasted coffee beans, resiny and citrusy hops, mild cocoa nibs with mint and licorice. Quite dry aftertaste with a lingering roasted coffee note.
Medium body with medium carbonation.
Well executed Dry Stout (rather an American Stout), not sweet with lots of roasted coffee and hop notes. Hops are sure noticeable given its 53 IBUs, but they don’t take over the flavor from roasted barley and dark malts.
621 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Black color with a thin beige head with short retention.
Aroma with predominant notes of licorice and roasted coffee. Hints of dark fruits, some charcoal and cocoa nibs.
Flavor with notes of cola, a bit of charcoal, roasted coffee beans, resiny and citrusy hops, mild cocoa nibs with mint and licorice. Quite dry aftertaste with a lingering roasted coffee note.
Medium body with medium carbonation.
Well executed Dry Stout (rather an American Stout), not sweet with lots of roasted coffee and hop notes. Hops are sure noticeable given its 53 IBUs, but they don’t take over the flavor from roasted barley and dark malts.
621 characters
3.83/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
4.44/5 rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.33/5 rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.05/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.86/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Look: Pours very dark brown with a brown head.
Smell: It has a coffee aroma with molasses, roast, and a bit of chocolate.
Taste: The flavor has coffee, roasted malts, unsweetened chocolate, and toast.
Feel; It has a moderate body with a dry finish.
Overall, this is a roasted malt driven ale with a dry aftertaste highlight by the complexities of the malts.
365 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Look: Pours very dark brown with a brown head.
Smell: It has a coffee aroma with molasses, roast, and a bit of chocolate.
Taste: The flavor has coffee, roasted malts, unsweetened chocolate, and toast.
Feel; It has a moderate body with a dry finish.
Overall, this is a roasted malt driven ale with a dry aftertaste highlight by the complexities of the malts.
365 characters
3.77/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 12 OZ bottle into a pint glass. The appearance is a dark brown to black with a large tan colored head. The aroma has a sweet chocolate smell mixed with some caramel malt. The taste is boozy chocolate with some caramel.
235 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 12 OZ bottle into a pint glass. The appearance is a dark brown to black with a large tan colored head. The aroma has a sweet chocolate smell mixed with some caramel malt. The taste is boozy chocolate with some caramel.
235 characters
3.57/5 rDev -6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a dark mahogany color with a towering head of craggy, khaki foam with nice retention. Aroma smells primarily of roasted malt with notes of dark chocolate and toffee.
The taste features a substantial dose of herbal, peppery hops that mostly dwarfs the roasty malt base. A touch of caramel and molasses lends modest complexity to the malt profile. Medium body and fine carbonation make for a smooth, robust mouthfeel that suits the style fine.
Overall, this stout is more hop-forward than I prefer, but you may like it if that’s your thing.
551 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a dark mahogany color with a towering head of craggy, khaki foam with nice retention. Aroma smells primarily of roasted malt with notes of dark chocolate and toffee.
The taste features a substantial dose of herbal, peppery hops that mostly dwarfs the roasty malt base. A touch of caramel and molasses lends modest complexity to the malt profile. Medium body and fine carbonation make for a smooth, robust mouthfeel that suits the style fine.
Overall, this stout is more hop-forward than I prefer, but you may like it if that’s your thing.
551 characters
3.71/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.67/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Black with tan head. Smells of malt with a hint of sweet mint. Pretty typical stout taste. Minerally with tastes of chocolate. Well carbonated and fairly refreshing. In short, solid, but nothing special.
203 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Black with tan head. Smells of malt with a hint of sweet mint. Pretty typical stout taste. Minerally with tastes of chocolate. Well carbonated and fairly refreshing. In short, solid, but nothing special.
203 characters
3.32/5 rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
3.51/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Nice and dark coloring. There's not a whole lot of flavor while drinking it, it's kind of watery, but more flavor comes thru on the aftertaste. it's definitely on the light side for a stout beer.
195 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Nice and dark coloring. There's not a whole lot of flavor while drinking it, it's kind of watery, but more flavor comes thru on the aftertaste. it's definitely on the light side for a stout beer.
195 characters
3.58/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.9/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Dark cola color with some reddish brown highlights.
Aroma is roasted malt with something like figs in the background.
Taste is roasty malt backed with the same fig note with a hint of sweetness. I don't know if there really is anything in there that really is sweet but it tastes that way to me. Hop level is higher than what I've found in other stouts and is apparent from the start lasting all the way through. Rounded dry finish.
Texture is medium-full with a creamy sorta thickness.
I like to keep some stouts around for those who like the style and this one serves as well as any.
592 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Dark cola color with some reddish brown highlights.
Aroma is roasted malt with something like figs in the background.
Taste is roasty malt backed with the same fig note with a hint of sweetness. I don't know if there really is anything in there that really is sweet but it tastes that way to me. Hop level is higher than what I've found in other stouts and is apparent from the start lasting all the way through. Rounded dry finish.
Texture is medium-full with a creamy sorta thickness.
I like to keep some stouts around for those who like the style and this one serves as well as any.
592 characters
Old #38 Stout from North Coast Brewing Co.
3.83
out of 5
based on 1,252 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Need to find this again - after the fact review. Dark pour with creamy head. Aroma is nearly perfect pure roastedness. Flavor follows similarly - never too dry or imparting any other flavors than delicious roasted malt. Finish is clean leaving me wanting more. Fantastic stout.
277 characters