Thunderhead Cream Stout
Portland Brewing Company

Thunderhead Cream StoutThunderhead Cream Stout
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From:
Portland Brewing Company
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Sweet / Milk Stout
ABV:
6%
Score:
82
Avg:
3.53 | pDev: 9.35%
Reviews:
38
Ratings:
39
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 15, 2016
Added:
Feb 23, 2003
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by bashiba:
Photo of bashiba
Reviewed by bashiba from Iowa

3.74/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The appearance is a nice black color with some burgundy hints, with a nice inch of tan head that leaves slowly.

Smell is great, Dark roasted malts, coffee flavors, some butterscotch, with a slight sweetness to it, very impressed with the smell.

The Taste is a very much dominated by the burnt coffee flavors, but with a nice creamy sweetness coming through with some bitterness on the finish. Not to bad

The mouthfeel is very creamy but a little lighter than I would expect. Not to bad though.

The drinkablitlity is good, the creamyness and slight thinness of this stout helps it go down nice an easy. I eagerly went back for a second.
Sep 21, 2004
More User Ratings:
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Another black beer, this was uber black for the 90s. Heavy roasted notes, and just the slightest sweetened back end.

Taste was more roasty than milk stout lactose-y. Chocolate malt with that lactose was nice. One of the few examples of such a style 25 years ago. Maybe 20. Anyways, the mouthfeel is where it hits its sweet spot, which actually isn't all that sweet but allows for a pretty thick by those times standard to be of easier and better drinking.
Feb 15, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by harpus from Alabama

Oct 10, 2013
Photo of Beerandraiderfan
Reviewed by Beerandraiderfan from Nevada

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Nice black pour, thin beige head. All the usual suspects in the nose, chocolate and coffee with some burnt malt vibe going on.

Smooth taste, fits the bill of a milk stout, as the smoothness is accompanied by a rather dry lactose presence. Smattering of bitterness. Viscosity isn't huge, but this is a milk stout, meant for more sessionable qualities than braggadocio about its thickness.

More chocolate than anything in the mouthfeel, stays away from the coffee, frequently I'll smell coffee as a olefactory assimilation when theres a deep roast stout like this.

A pleasant beer, suitable for aging up to 3 years I would say, in terms of its premium quality. Sure it would and has survived longer than 5, but I've noticed a dropoff after a few.
Aug 24, 2011
Photo of Zorro
Reviewed by Zorro from California

3.76/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Pours a jet black beer with a good brown head. I can not pass light through this beer.

Smell is chocolate and smoke with a hint of acid sharpness. Hint of sweetness and vanilla too.

Taste is sweet chocolate milk at first. The tasty chocolate flavor lasts all the way through and a nice bitter finish. Not real complex but a tasty brew anyway.

Mouthfeel is a little light.

Very pleasant draught here that I can see buying again.
Oct 06, 2005
Photo of Naes
Reviewed by Naes from New York

3.86/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appearance is jet black with a large brown head that disappears quickly.

It has a sweet aroma with hints of roasted malt and chocolate and coffee.

Flavor is roasty followed by a burnt coffee taste.

The mouth feel is light for a stout and is generously carbonated. Despite its light body, a small film is left in the mouth.

Easily consumable.
Jul 23, 2005
Photo of maxpower
Reviewed by maxpower from Missouri

3.16/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Dark black in color, huge foamy brown head that leaves some lacing in my glass, roasty chocolate-coffee aromas. Chocolate milk coffee flavors, decent roasted bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied with a full and creamy mouthfeel, a pretty tasty stout.
Dec 09, 2004
Photo of hero27
Reviewed by hero27 from Minnesota

2.75/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: The label is cheesy but to each his own, I guess. Anyways, pours much darker than I had anticipated. the sun couldn't shine through this stuff..

Smell: Obvious roasted malt aroma. Overwhelmingly bitter smells of coffee & chocolate.

Taste: I wasn't too crazy about the taste of this one. A little too bitter, and lacking the complexity to be an "above average" stout.

Mouthfeel: Could have been more smooth, in my opinion. It says "cream stout"...and it doesn't seem very creamy to me.

Drinkability: Probably wouldn't be downing to many of these things in the future, but the attractive price tag and the fact that it is a decent stout makes it somewhat appealing.
Oct 26, 2004
Photo of Tballz420
Reviewed by Tballz420 from Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Its called Thunderhead Stout, but has similar bottle design and same ABV, so ill assume that tis the same.

Jet black body, some brown hues in the light. Good sized bobbly brown head. Creamy roasted scent. Roast malt taste up front, some light hop in back, pretty standard for this style. A little thinner on the taste than I would hope for. It takes some effort to impress me with a stout, this one isnt bad but doesnt leave me wanting (much)more.
-I always want more beer.
Oct 22, 2004
Photo of canucklehead
Reviewed by canucklehead from Canada (BC)

3.31/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
This beer looks great, all back in black with a monster tan head but alas the taste is a letdown. The main body is too thin and the burnt malts are not really an asset. I could drink a pint easy but I had hoped that this beer was more a cold night sipper.
Sep 21, 2004
Photo of cokes
Reviewed by cokes from Wisconsin

3.16/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Mostly black, trimmed peripherally with dark maroon.
Cigarette ash nose. And potently so. As it warms, it gains a caramel-oat sweetness, but the butts are still there.
Begins with a slick burnt cola notion. This migrates towards caramel later on. Burnt breads and those cigs again. Still, though, the cola remains. Ends with a meager yet drying, fruited hop burst.
Thin, but drinkable. Flawed, but it has its moments...and that's a good thing, because even as-is, this is average at best.
Sep 14, 2004
Photo of trumick
Reviewed by trumick from Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours dark brown no head nice lacing.
Smell roasted malts, coffee, nutty.
Taste is a little weak for a stout but roasty, nice dry finish, slight hops.
Mouthfeel medium bodied, but is too lively. Too much carbination for the style nothing I didn't like just something I am not used to from a stout.
Drinkability is ok I could drink more than two at a time.

This is different for the style, but a nice beer overall.
Sep 08, 2004
Photo of mattcrill
Reviewed by mattcrill from Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours inky black with a meaty tan head.

Smell: Hops, espresso, burnt coffee, and a hint of chocolate at the end. All those are present but none of them are all that prominent.

Taste: Very dry and smoky with a bread-like finish. The dryness is of an astringent quality. It almost reminds me of a cabarnet.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and thick. Pretty stout-like as far as the mouthfeel is concerned.

Drinkability and overall: A very quaffable stout. Pretty run-of-the-mill though. Just ok and bordering on forgettable. Probably one to try if this isn't your favorite style. But don't go out of your way for it.
Aug 31, 2004
Photo of Pegasus
Reviewed by Pegasus from Texas

3.85/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Obsidian in color with a small tan head, actually quite large for the style, and thick lacing. The head retains fairly well. Prominent streams of carbonation are visible when tipping the glass.

Aroma: The sweet aroma quite clearly reveals this as milk stout. The lactose adds a cream aroma, which plays off well against the smoky black malt. There is a quite faint hop note as well.

Taste: Begins with a smoky, roasted black malt note and a slight nuttiness, soon followed by a surging coffee and bitter chocolate wave. These carry through to the end of the taste, where mild hop bitterness appears.

Mouth feel: Perhaps a bit thin for the style, but still smooth and quite pleasant. The carbonation seems a touch lively on the tongue.

Drinkability/notes: A very pleasant example of the style, and surely an excellent fall and winter beer. Tasted in a standard pint tap glass.

Presentation: Package reviewed was a 12 ounce brown glass pop top longneck with a label reading "Thunderhead Stout". This variance in labeling may be due to Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission rules.
Aug 22, 2004
Photo of TPoling
Reviewed by TPoling from Texas

3.8/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours black with a dense tan head. Dark coffee malt nose with hops underlying. Dark roasted coffee, ripe fruit and some spicy hop notes. There is a long bitter finish from both the malt and the hops. A smooth and velvety mouthfeel also adds extra character to this beer that often is not present in many American stouts
Aug 10, 2004
Photo of Mitchster
Reviewed by Mitchster from Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Just called Thunderhead Stout, not "Cream Stout", and served in a taller 12 oz than the one pictured. 6.0% ABV.

Pours out to a opaque black, forming a small dark tan head with poor retention and good lacing. Carbonation is mild to moderate. Aroma is nice...strong tang of sweet chocolate with black walnut, cocoa, full city roast coffee, and a touch of almonds which I equate with a particular yeast strain (think Anchor). Mouthfeel is quite lively for a stout, akin to cola, with a chalky medium-dense body. The taste reminds me of Oregon for whatever reason. Begins with some herbaceous hops, followed by a darkly roasted malts with mild residual sweetness, a very chalky middle that lingers throughout the finish, medium herbal and somewhat empty bitterness, black patent bitterness, a touch of almonds (Dr.Pepper?), moderate huskiness, and a lightly dry, thinner-bodied finish with residual chalkiness and charcoal. Burps are reminescent of Mt.Hood.

A decent brew which is nostalgic for whatever reason, giving me the impression of many stouts I tasted in the same vein while out west. This is thinner bodied that I prefer, but not quite as thin as something like Grants. A little roasted, a little empty, but hey, it's still not bad.
Jul 16, 2004
Photo of kbub6f
Reviewed by kbub6f from New York

3.65/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
It's thick black. It almost has some dark brown highlights. The head on top is dark brown, bubbly, fizzy and leaves a few spots. Smell is nicely roasty, tangy, sweetish, chocolate, mocha. Add some grapes to the sweetish chocolate up front. It turns somewhat powdery in the middle. Cocoa, a little water. Quite dry in the bitter end: chocolate, some veggies. Funny, the taste is a little disproportionately faint, given the big aroma. Improves with temperature: more fruit.
Jul 05, 2004
Photo of HardTarget
Reviewed by HardTarget from Texas

2.93/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Aroma: Nice classic stout nose, roasted malt, a touch of vanilla, cream and nuts.
Appearance: Opaque black with a thin head of small tan bubbles. It left some nice traces of lace down my mug.
Flavor: Nutty start, milky sweet middle, but it has an odd watery end that has me concerned. No alcohol noted in the taste. Some coffee and milk chocolate notes, but mild at best.
Mouthfeel: Nice carbonation level, medium body, smooth texture.
Overall Impression: A decent stout, but didn’t knock my socks off. Too heavy for a session, too light to really scratch my beer itch, but the alcohol is hidden and potent. It seems like a good example of a sweet stout, but don’t scour the earth for it.
Jul 01, 2004
Photo of Thrasher
Reviewed by Thrasher from Oregon

3.77/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The name has dropped "cream." I don't know if the recipe has been changed as well, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that this stout could be considered a cream stout. Pours coal black with twinges of tan at the edges. The head forms reasonably well, then drops, leaving ample wisps of lace. The aroma is predominantly chocolate, with some hint of milk. The taste is initially quite large and sweet, with a big herbal bitter finish. Chocolate shines through, as well as a strong twinge of doppel-ish caramel. This is certainly not as sweet as something like Mackeson XXX, but it's in the same general ball park. The beer grows better as it warms, which is not surprising, but it never fully evolves into a truly delectable treat. For me, the herbal hoppiness gets in the way and never fully meshes with the flavors. I like a lot of what is going on here, particularly the sweet molasses attack, but it doesn't quite jel. However, I got this for a very good price and am satisfied with the purchase; it makes for a better session beer than many larger stouts. Like many of MacTarnahan's beers, it's a pleasant and drinkable underacheiver.
Jun 20, 2004
Photo of hobbes2112
Reviewed by hobbes2112 from Texas

4.07/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
12 oz. bottle that is labeled as "Thunderhead Stout" not "Thunderhead Cream Stout"

Pours blacker than black, only holding it up to a bright light lets you see any of the deep red/brown color. Head is a creamy brown that goes down quickly.

Smell is sweet and chocolate malt, hint of roast/smoke.

Taste is bitter roasted malt, woody tartness, and long lasting coffeelike finish.

Mouth feel is decent, though a little bit sharp at some points. Not quite as much body as I would like either, but it is mostly right.

As far as drinkability goes I think this is up there, I found this easy and enjoyable to drink and will likely purchase this in the future.
Jun 19, 2004
Thunderhead Cream Stout from Portland Brewing Company
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 39 ratings