Tweeds Tavern Stout
Twin Lakes Brewing Co.

 

This one came to me courtesy of my local, in-person trader, @tone77 but during its time in my backlog while awaiting inCANsion in The CANQuest (tm), it decided to become a "problem child". It pooched up on one corner of the lid, requiring that I hustle it into the reefer to prevent any further untoward ocCANerrences. It has had ample time to settle & become viable so tonight is the night.

From the CAN: "Fresh*Local*Delicious"; "Est. 2003"; "Unfiltered [-] Unpasteurized"; "Preserving the Art of Brewing"; "Twin Lakes Brewing Co. is dedicated to 'Preserving the Art of Brewing!' Our all-natural ingredients include Deep Rock well water, the finest grains, 100% whole flower hops and cultures yeast. Twin Lakes beers are produced according to historic methods and truly, FRESH, LOCAL, DELICIOUS!™"; "Emblematic of the 18th century working mans brew, Tweeds Tavern Stout bears the name of one of the older brewing facilities in the Mid-Atlantic. This opaque, dark ale has a balanced body with mellow, milky and surprisingly mellow flavor. Roasted malts impart hints of coffee, chocolate & caramel topped with a thick, foamy, mocha colored head."; "35 IBU"; "Malts: 2-Row Barley, Black Barley, Caramel, Wheat & Oats"; "Hops: Tattinger".

I tried to use the tab to open the vent, but the inner pressure was too great so I employed other methods to Crack! it open. Once acCANplished, I beCAN a slow, gentle C-Line Glug that quickly gave 'way to a pseudo-cascade. It finally settled into two-plus fingers of dense, foamy, rocky, deep-brown head with very good retention. Color was stygian Black/Opaque (SRM = 44), allowing ZERO light penetration. Nose had a rich smokiness with undertones of coffee. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste had a pronounced coffee bitterness acCANponied by a definite smokiness. Not bad, a bit more rich and bitter than I was expecting, but since I take my coffee dark & black, it was not hard to take. I liked the way that, warming, the caramel bCAN to become more assertive, especially on the finish. Finish was semi-dry to dry, very much an AmeriCAN Stout.

 

We can't believe the lackluster reviews below; this is a very darn good stout, Close to Left-hand brewery or even southern tier 2X. We had it both on At the brewery yesterday, and also in the cans today. Holds up equally well in both styles.

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Despite zero agitation, this beer came out quickly, resulting in a cola color with a 2 inch head. Smell is of chocolate, little else. Taste is chocolate, a bit of smoke, a light bitterness. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer, but nothing special.

$ 1.60 (Including tax)/12oz can ($ 0.133/oz) from State Line Liquors, Elkton, MD.
Unable to find any dating on can. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 55 degrees in a hand-washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.75.
Body – Dark brown, opaque. No light passes when held to light. Unpasteurized and unfiltered.
Head – Large (Maximum 5.8 cm, aggressive center pour), light brown, low density, short retention, rapidly diminishing to a three mm ring and complete layer with rocks.
Lacing – None.
First pour – Dark brown, clear.
Aroma – 3 - Chocolate and roasted malt. Weakens considerably whilst drinking but still detectable at the end.
Flavor – 3.5 - Begins with a little bitter chocolate and ends bitter with a chocolatey aftertaste. The bitterness seems to come from the malt rather than hops. No hops taste, no alcohol taste or smell, no diacetyl, and no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3 – Almost medium, almost creamy, soft carbonation.
Impression and summation – 3.5 – This is allegedly similar to colonial stouts, presumably (by me) based on historic recipes and historic procedures (by the brewers). It isn’t a bad stout and is actually quite quaffable. However, compared to most stouts available today, this seems much closer to a porter. While I’m glad I bought a can to try, I’m also glad I didn’t buy two.