Boscos American Style Stout
Boscos Restaurant & Brewing Co.

Appearance: This one's a very dark brown, not quite black by a longshot body. Light, bubbly, beige head.

Smell: Charred-up roasted malts encased in a hollow chocolate shell, toasted nuts with American hops notes of mint and citrus.

Taste: Nutty toastiness with heavy roastiness akin to black patent malt. Mild, middling chocolate. Faintly dark fruity tucked underneath the grapefruit hoppiness edged by a little sprig of mint. Moderate bitterness. The chocolate tries to come forward, but the heavy roast holds it back. Burnt, chocolate-hinted finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: So-so, at best.

The Boscos' website describes this beer as follows:

"Boscos American Style Stout

American craft brewers have adopted and altered many style of beer. Boscos American Style Stout is a good example. Full bodied, as most consumers perceive stouts to be, this beer also has a generous addition of American varietal hops including Cascades. Most traditional stouts do not have assertive hop character.

O.G. 1065 I.B.U. 50"

I saw this American Stout on tap at the Nashville location and gave it a shot in lieu of the London Porter on hand pull. Not a bad alternative to the Porter. The beers aroma is a balanced attack of roasted malt / caramel-type malts / American hops; with no real off notes to detect. The taste is equally as blended, with the roasted character offering no rough grain textures, but contributing a smooth coffee robustness and bittering. The hops complement the bittering with a firm kick of citrus and pine. The caramel malts take on less character, giving a pleasant counterpart to the roasted grains and bitterness. The texture is lighter than expected, but does not become watery or thin. Firm right into the finish, but easily drinkable. The beer does not knock my socks off, but is one of the cleaner stouts out there. Go get one.