Plead the 5th - S'more
Dark Horse Brewing Company

Aroma is chocolate, graham crackers and dark/roasted malts. The flavor is chocolate/chocolate mousse, dark malts and a mildly sweet/acidic roasted malt finish.

 

 

 

 

To begin, two twelve ounce cans have had their contents emptied into a clear glass liter mug. There's an artificial aroma, replete with vanilla, milk chocolate and something undetermined, that dominates the expected roasted malt, which is there. Add some alcohol, but way behind the others. The very modest head, was it tan, or biege?, was that short-lived. The color is black coffee brown, appropriate for its style. Despite concerns about the visual (lack of head) and its aroma (too candy bar milk chocolatety), this is quite an enjoyable brew. Yes, it tastes almost like a Mounds Bar, maybe even more like a Milk Chocolate Mounds Bar; but, obviously, almost anything is better than that. Sometimes, it's just difficult to give credit to a brew that has obviously artificial flavors added, for those that love traditional brewing. This just might be one of those exceptions. Given, it tastes much like a candy bar and that's not a compliment. What it has to offer is a full-bodied RSI that can whack its drinker with an incredibly disguised 11% ABV. That it takes some extraneous flavoring to do so doesn't change that attribute. By traditional standards, this isn't close to being a great Stout. But, it's not a bad one, neither. It has just enough body and roasted malt to pass and fit the category. Really, it's a desert Stout, virtue of its sweetness and added flavors and a good one. Take it for what it is.

Found a can Marked November 2022 smells of chocolate and roast of your typical Plead the 5th but the taste puts the roast in the backseat as Gram cracker sweetness and Marshmallow you would expect in a S mores Variant. Thick but not overbearing I kind of enjoyed this more than the base but to be honest I haven't had a Plead the 5th in a minute so I might have to pick up a few cans. Tasty!

A - Dark pour with caramel cxolored lacing and nice viscocity on the sides of the glass.

S - Big chocolate, graham cracker, and marshmallow jumps out of the glass.

T - Chocolate malt base with alcohol, graham cracker, marshmallow, and ends balanced with some bitter chocolate with marshmallow in the background.

M - Big medium body that leaves a sticky sugary residue on the lips.

O - Smells better than it tastes.

 

 

Can received in bif16 shenagians from @whyteboar

Brewers notes: Notes: Aromas of dark fruits, chocolate, caramel and roast. Our Russian Imperial Stout that you know and love, with the added aromas of chocolate, graham cracker, roasted marshmallows, and your favorite campfire. Adding the s’more flavor made this already complex and lovable beer even more so.


Chilled can poured intro a snifter , pitch black, one finger actively overflowing brown foam cap

Aroma is bourbon, graham crackers , chocolate

Taste is bourbon, chocolate, marshmallow , graham crackers , cinnamon . It tastes like a bourbon barrel aged s’mores

Boozy without the burn, sweet , medium mouthfeel , fizzy sudsing

Good beer

As far as taste, it doesn’t get much closer to s’mores than this. A little on the sweet side, but a great representation of what it’s supposed to be. The nose is all fluffy marshmallow, chocolate and some roast. The taste follows with a hint of graham cracker. As I work further into the glass though, there’s a flavor note nagging that seems maybe a little artificial.

Plead the 5th is a classic, and although it doesn’t seem to be as plentiful or talked about as it was 10 years ago, it’s always nice to revisit the base beer along with the impeccable BBA version. This variant is a worthy addition to the lineup.

Pours deep black. Aroma is subtle, a little too much so, of graham cracker and marshmellow. Taste is better and more pronounced. Follows nose with addition of vanilla and bourbon. Mouthfeel is medium, not quite full. Really good stout.

Pours very dark black with a dark tan head that goes away quickly. Has a sugary sweet smell. Taste is of roasted coffee with hints of sweetness, probably the marshmallow.

S'mores and more S'mores. It is officially marshmallow season. With so many options, sometimes you got to double up.

I love this line from Dark Horse and they do a great job morphing this variant. All 3 flavors (marsh, choc, graham) are well represented. This creates one of the best non-barrel aged S'mores brews.

 

 

 

Canned on 12-9-22. 12oz can poured into a tulip.

Pours almost black; small khaki head that fades leaving okay retention and lacing.

The aromas have some hints of graham crackers and chocolate. Mild bourbon. Malts are there. The aromas are subtle, but it doesn't smell bad at all.

The flavors are much bolder than the nose. It's pretty rich. The s'more flavors really come through. Nice blast of graham crackers, chocolate, and vanilla. Nice blend of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and chocolate syrup. Hints of peppermint and anise in the mix. Some rye giving it a little spiciness. The bourbon notes are mild but does a nice job of accentuating the s'more characteristics. It's on the sweeter side, but in an enjoyable way. Low bitterness. There's a little warmth in the finish, but it's not hot or boozy.

Mouthfeel is full-bodied with moderate to low carbonation. It's velvety, fluffy, smooth, and slightly creamy.

This is a great stout. They did a great job of emulating a s'more. The flavors are bold and rich. The craftsmanship is on point. I really like it. I feel like my "numerical score" should be much higher.