Double Stout
Matilda Bay Brewing Co.

Pours a very dark-brown colour, almost black but a bit of light shows through the clear body. Tan head is foamy and thick, crowning off a very nice looking stout.

Nose is roasty and spicy and dark. Pretty dry, too and a little muffled on the roasty side, possibly a bit too much malt showing through and not enough roast. Pleasant, though.

Again quite sweet on the palate, but a good roasty stout character as well. Slightly noticeable alcohol, but it comes across as warming rather than intrusive. Bit of a straight-down-the-line stout, sweet, chocolatey and a hint of roasty spice. Subtle and not bad at all.

Fairly good body, good substance to it. Carbonation is noticeable but the body pads it well. Not bad.

Not entirely my cup of tea overall, but a very decent stout.

Interesting: I see there's another similar "double stout" brewed by Matilda Bay back in 2010. This version was supposedly a new beer brewed for the GABS festival in Melbourne. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and not assumed it's just that old version rehashed.

In any case, this is a very tasty brew. Pours a deep, opaque black colour with very solid weight in the glass. Head is a creamy cap of crema that leaves some solid, full lacing. Looks good.

Nose is great: big roasty characters that almost lends a smokiness to the brew. Sweetness comes through with the thick aroma of peanut butter. Delicious, solid and very smooth. Great stuff.

Light entry on the palate, with a little roast, before some middling sweetness comes through to fill it out a little. Some roasty bitterness becomes more prominent on the finish, but it's always very smooth and creamy in the feel, which glosses over anything too harsh or astringent.

This is really nice stuff, unexpected from Matilda Bay, who usually shy away from doing anything beyond the "marginally craft". Let's see them be a bit more experimental in the future!