Class V Stout
Kern River Brewing Company

 

Class V Stout from Kern River Brewing. 16 fl oz can from @2beerdogs in NBW BIF 17. Reviewed 28/04/23 (Review 3085). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottom of can stamped “CANNED ON 12/0?/22”. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 55.7 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 62.7 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.25
First pour – Amber Brown (SRM 18), clear.
Body – Deep Brown (SRM 30), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear lite, still opaque except at the edge.
Head: Large (Maximum 4.7 cm, aggressive center pour), brown sugar, high density, average retention, rapidly retreating, leaving a 0.8 cm crown with a torn curtain upper rim and a heaped rocky partial layer. As the head retracts, it becomes medium density and lightens to tan. A few three-dimensional snakes of lacing remain above the upper edge of the crown. These eventually dry out.
Lacing – Good. Overlapping three-dimensional rings of near-microscopic bubbles which slooowly break down into torn curtains. See also above.
Aroma – 3.5 – Primarily coffee with a hint of chocolate, no hops, no yeast. No ethanol (8.5 % ABV as marked on the label) aroma.
Flavor – 3.5 – Follows the nose. No hops, yeast, or ethanol. No gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 4 – Full; dry; lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 For being an oatmeal stout with added lactose, it is neither particularly smooth nor silky – just feels like an ordinary impy stout. Nose and flavor are predominantly coffee with a bit of chocolate. Good – emphatically yes! A gift from the beer gods to make me bow down – nope.

The brew pours deep black with a moderately carbonated three finger head. Aroma is roasted malt, while taste is chocolate, roasted malt and coffee in exactly that order on my tongue. The body is moderately light. This is a straightforward coffee stout.

Look: Poured from a pint can into a pint glass - jet black pour, very small head risen to the surface. Some lacing left behind on the glass as it dissipates.
Smell: Not much of a smell here to be honest, picking up some malts if anything.
Taste: Okay the taste does it more justice then the smell - Rich delicious malts with slight chocolate flavors. Not getting any of the chocolate flavors at all in this.
Feel: Medium bodied - medium carbonated, not to thick/ oily, not to thin - good sipper.
Overall: This is a good classic stout with some slight characteristics added to it. Richer then most, has a good malty taste. Very delicious and would love to sip on some of these quite often.

 

Black with a bit of off white foam.

Bitter, my guess is Chinook hops.

Reminder of how far stouts have gone down the pastry path. This is like going at a 90% cacao bar, a stout I would've had ~2011. Nothing fruity but a hint of chocolate that keeps my attention.

Crisp, which isn't what I'm after.

From a can this pours a delicious dark chocolate, with a creamy coffee colored cap. Assertively roasty, in both aroma and on the sip, with a creamy smooth body and this soft, lingering finish. Uniquely delicious.

 

Looks like black iced coffee, but with a bit of head. Roasty-toasty nose, chocolate richness, well-hidden alcohol. Something which I rejoice to see on the refrigerated shelves of my local purveyors, almost like Citra. What's not to like here? Mouthfeel and lingering finish is lovely... creamy and bittersweet. Delightful. Kern River Brewers, kudos and respect.

 

 

L: Jet black color, no head or lacing, very light carbonation.

S: Chocolate, coffee, sweet, alcohol. Smells wonderful.

T: Chocolate, coffee, sweet. Slightly bitter on the back end. Delicious!

F: Light to medium bodied, smooth as silk, yet full flavored.

O: A world class stout, no doubt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first thing Raul checks when a Stout is under 10% is that is it “coca cola esqe” - and here Class V is not. Woo doggy! So the texture of the beer is aite, and the taste? About as sexy as your kid’s third grade teacher - we’re talking not bad! Dry, roasty coffee and chocolate like a Kardashian at Starbucks. It’s not the best, but it does the trick.

Yep!

 

Got as a gift from RaulMondesi. 22 ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted dark/brown bread, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, vanilla, cream, toffee, molasses, dark fruit, citrus, pepper, pine, and roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of black/roast/bready malts and light-moderate citrus/pine hop notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted dark/brown bread, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of smoke, charcoal, vanilla, cream, toffee, molasses, dark fruit, citrus, pepper, pine, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate roast/char and pepper/piney/citrus peel hop bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toasted dark/brown bread, nuttiness, smoke, char, citrus, pepper, pine, light molasses/dark fruit, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of black/roast/bready malts and light-moderate citrus/pine hop flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and zero acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from hop/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol for 8.5%. Overall this is an incredible imperial stout! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of black/roast/bready malts and light-moderate citrus/pine hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/drying finish. For an American style imperial stout, this does everything perfectly. Very rich and complex malts with supporting American C hops, without overwhelming the malt profile. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.

 

 

 

Pour is black. Medium, thick, light brown had that fade slowly.

Smells roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, light fruity hops.

Taste dark chocolate, roasted malt, and coffee. Followed by earthy Hops and more roasted malt. Finish is dry with coffee linger. Medium body and creamy medium carbonation.

 

 

 

Poured pitch black with a one finger tan head. The aroma was roasted malts and some coffee and chocolate mixed in. Goes down really smooth and creamy with a stong burnt coffee flavor up front then licorice and a light hop finish.

A very impressive example of a stout that doesn't need adjuncts or barrel aging to be overall enjoyable. Roasty flavor, complexity, and a clean finish

 

 

 

 

 

Serving type: 22 oz bottle into a snifter glass. It's a rainy Southern California day, seems like the perfect weather for this beer.

Pours a deep dark black color, slight crimson at the edges. Smell is of chocolate, coffee, slight roast, milk chocolate sweetness, along with a slight permeating hoppiness. Taste reflects the smell. Initial intense coffee and slight hoppiness lead into pleasant dark and milk chocolate flavors, finishes with a lingering sweetness and dark chocolate flavor. Feel is thick, viscous, slight carbonation to not make the beer flat. Fits perfectly with the heavier coffee, chocolate, and sweet flavors. Overall, this is an awesome beer with great flavors. Definite rebuy.