Dragonhead Stout
Orkney Brewery

Dragonhead StoutDragonhead Stout
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From:
Orkney Brewery
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
English Stout
ABV:
4%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 11.69%
Reviews:
193
Ratings:
310
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 09, 2021
Added:
Sep 01, 2002
Wants:
  26
Gots:
  23
Dragonhead is a legendary stout: dark, intense and fully-flavoured it is our tribute to the Vikings and their cultural legacy in Orkney. On the nose, this black stout has a smooth roasted malt aroma giving bitter chocolate, dark roasted coffee and smoky notes balanced by hints of spicy Goldings Hops. On the palate, the dark roasted malts combine to give a rich, rounded palate of chocolate, toast and nut, with a satisfying spicy hop finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.25 by Tenebris

Dec 09, 2021
 
Rated: 4.04 by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

Nov 06, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by msscott1973 from North Carolina

Apr 14, 2021
Photo of nick_perry
Reviewed by nick_perry from North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Black color. Thin tan head. Aromas of cinnamon and vanilla. Smooth mouthfeel, but I wish it were a bit creamier. Very dry. Strong chocolate malt. Flavors come out as it warms up a bit. Alcohol-wise fairly light - 4.0% ABV. Not bad, but rather unremarkable.
Mar 09, 2020
Photo of mntlover
Reviewed by mntlover from Tennessee

4.06/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours black tan head light lace. Nose is nice roasted malts good chocolate, nice smells sweet and smooth. Taste is not as smooth and sweet, roasted notes not as much chocolate more lighter roasted coffee. Lighter feel. Overall not a bad English stout.
Dec 23, 2019
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Bottle to English pint glass.
The appearance was a beautiful black color in the glass and yielded more of dark brown color in the pour. Eggshell white to semi-tan colored finger's worth of head slid inward to leave a light foamy film of lace coating here and there.
The aroma had some dusty sweet milk chocolate flowing into some roasted coffee grounds, roasted grains and ash and a bit of dusty dark fruits. Light tickle of earthy hops underneath.
The flavor seemed to lead with a dry roasted nutty to coffee edge then some milk chocolate and dusty dark fruits. Dark toast with some baker's chocolate right before the aftertaste hits which seems very subtle and mainly with some dark fruits and dark toast.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied,perhaps closer to full bodied. A fine sessionability embraced some stickiness and dry feels, shy roasty grip. Good carbonation. Finish takes on the roastiness to meld with some dryness and sticky dark fruits.
Overall, I'd say pretty nice English stout where the ABV matches style goals. Nice one to have this time of year.
Oct 26, 2019
Photo of Hanglow
Reviewed by Hanglow from Scotland

3.72/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
An accomplished Guinness killer from Orkney. Looks great in the glass, taste is long and relatively complex for standard 4% stout. Not one I personally would drink a lot of in one go, but that is personal taste
May 13, 2019
 
Rated: 4.18 by firkingroovin from Illinois

Dec 11, 2018
 
Rated: 3.26 by WynnO from Florida

Nov 17, 2018
 
Rated: 3.98 by Macamah from England

Oct 14, 2018
Photo of NotAlcoholicJustAHobby
Reviewed by NotAlcoholicJustAHobby from Vermont

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
L-The beer pours black and glossy. The head is a tan two fingers of thick foam that looks like the surface of your hot chocolate on a cold winter day. The head recedes to a thick film leaving light lacing behind.
S-The nose is dark chocolate with a bit of mustiness. Hints of light coffee and smokiness underly the chocolate.
T-Smokiness is more prevalent on the palate than in the nose. Dark chocolate and coffee blend together well. The smokiness outlasts these elements and linger on the tongue.
F- Mouthfeel overall is medium. Carbonation is restrained.
O- A decent low abv stout option. This will appeal more to those fans of smokier beers than it does myself. Worth a shot.
Aug 19, 2018
 
Rated: 3.94 by cwkash from Kentucky

Jul 29, 2018
 
Rated: 3.82 by TheEpeeist from Maryland

Dec 10, 2017
 
Rated: 3.88 by _nickg_ from New Jersey

Aug 09, 2017
Photo of Smakawhat
Reviewed by Smakawhat from Maryland

4.02/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

Deep dark rich burnt walnut dark brown to black body color. Touches of mahogany red, with an almost creamy nitrous head that's a good mocha brown, two fingers tall, with a shallow settling puck. Some lacing, touches of some light and clarity coming below the heads edge, but a real impressive nice looking stout.

Aroma is gold dust. Thick malted qualities, slightly fruity almost jammy ester, but a malt angle that pushes wood and teak like qualities to the hilt. Cedar and balsam like sweetness, with an incredible smokey quality of fireplace like embers. Giant smoked and burnt wood like quality, flirts with molasses just a touch but stays away from sweetness. Just wonderful.

Palate with the 4% abv displayed does give to notions unlike the nose and appearance suggest. A large and inviting aroma, is toned down by a much more session-able quality. Light bodied and thus more subdued flavors. Palate hits with ashen and smoke qualities, as to more hinting rich and meatier suggestions than the aroma suggests. Tannic but also some smokey berry ester quality just peaking out of this brew. Leaves a bit of cigarette like cheap ash feel though on the finish.

I realize this is lighter stout, but the aromas quality feels like it cheats me. I mean can we get this up to 5% even with more body? I could so rock this if it could.
Aug 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.46 by BlueShepard19 from Kentucky

Jun 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4.29 by akopczyk from Ohio

Jan 15, 2017
Photo of Radome
Reviewed by Radome from Florida

4.01/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from a 500 ml bottle.

L - Extremely dark brown color that seems opaque in glass, but showed as clear with ruby highlights when being poured. Head is light brown, thick and creamy.

S - Strong, dark malt aromas of brown sugar, chocolate, espresso and light smoke. Bitter note in the finish that seems to be a mix of acrid smoke and earthy, woody hops.

T - Flavor start out as a conventional stout with strong coffee and chocolate-milk notes. These are followed by a strong, bitter shot of campfire smoke mixed with earthy hops.

F - Thinnish body. Low carbonation, as expected for style. No alcohol presence. Moderate bitterness may have contributors from more than hops, such as roasted barley or other grains.

O - An interesting stout with nice chocolate and coffee notes along with strong smoke and roasted barley.
Dec 02, 2016
 
Rated: 3.24 by Dalv from Romania

Nov 18, 2016
Photo of TonyLema1
Reviewed by TonyLema1 from South Carolina

3.41/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
L; black in color, with a nice, lacing tan head
S: roasty malts, and that British smell
T: definitely coffee and roasted malts
F: a little more watery than I thought, slightly bitter finish
O: nothing special
Oct 02, 2016
Dragonhead Stout from Orkney Brewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 310 ratings