Ace Of Spades Double Stout
John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House

Thanks to Truh for the heads up on the tapping of this one...enjoyed with lunch today.
Arrived slightly chilled in a standard shaker...pitch black in color with no light passing through. A half a finger of tan head sat on top and all but a thin layer went away after a few minutes.
Not a huge splash in the nose...most likely due to it being still a bit too cold, but was able to grab a nice balance of dark chocolate, caramel malt, and an earthy character.
The taste is fantastic...not overly done for the style, but came across as a heavy stout indeed. Mildly sweet flavor, with a gentle balance of dark chocolate and roasted espresso.
Quite hoppy indeed...and registering at 55 BU's according to the beer menu. Finished semi-dry and very clean.
Mouthfeel above average for a stout, but maybe a bit thin for a double stout...either way, the carbonation was divine and this one went down too easy.
Another winner for me...McLovin!

Figured out the only card I needed with this one on 6/5/2006. 16-oz. pint in a shaker glass at the Harvard Square location.

On the menu as “Our double stout is full bodied and rich, but still accessible. Assertive hop character complements slightly sweet malt notes of cocoa and espresso. Malt: Pale, Crystal, Munich, Chocolate, Roast. Hops: Centennial, Magnum. O.G.: 17.5 BUs: 55” Huge, winter comforter froth of thick stuff that settles to a kooky mess of bubble action and lace everywhere. Pitch black dark obsidian hue, concealing the devil who hides inside. Lots of chocolate and plenty of smoky roastiness on the nose, hickory and wood stain notes too. Starts with a tootsie roll chocolatiness and a coating of licorice and brown sugar on the mouth; ends with an interesting breadiness on the tongue. Hops are present too, and a bit reminiscent of Smutty’s latest imperial stout.

A well balanced stout, not too over the top with its double character, and eminently drinkable.