Honey Stout
Grindstone Brewing Co.

The previous reviewer pretty well said it all regarding this stout. It’s a really solid offering from Grindstone – easily the best beer I’ve had from them to date. The only aspect of this beer that I feel compelled to expound further on is the taste profile. The beer starts, as Karst says, with an almost sweet, chocolate flavor. I personally find the initial palate to be the only thing lacking about this beer. That first taste of chocolate malt makes the progression to the finish an abrupt one. Mid-palate to aftertaste for this beer is intensely roasty and flavorful for the style. All the requisite notes of burned malt, coffee, balancing hop astringency, etc., are there. This renders the initial taste bland and boring in comparison. It’s as though you started with a Brown Ale and finished with a nice Stout. A little out of balance, for my taste, to be put in the class of something like Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout. But, a nice brewpub Stout, nonetheless. And we could sure use a few more of those around the country…..

Note to Grindstone: Get a nitro tap, please!!!

Pours a near black with a 2 fingered brown head that keeps a sticky persistant rete of lace on the side of the Grindstone pint glass. Aroma of chocolate and fruit (currants?) and starting with a almost sweet chocolate malt tempered with a pleasing flavor of burnt malts and dark roasted cofee that is well balanced with bitter and dry finish of hops and burnt malts. Very clean tasting due to lager yeast. Creamy mouthfeel and a roundness in the middle of the taste. Another winner from Taz at Grindstone brewpub in Columbia, Mo.