Extra Stout
Microbrasserie de l'ile d'Orléans

Thanks to papat444 for this one. Served in a FoBAB taster glass.

A - Pours with a finger of khaki foam that settles to a thin ring. The body is near-black with a hint of lighter brown at the fringes of the glass.

S - Anise, roasted malt, and a faint not of olive and brine that I occasionally get from certain stouts and porters. As it warms more cocoa and caramel emerges.

T - Taste is very heavy on the licorice and espresso, with light smoke and heavy dark roast and char notes. There's bitterness in the taste, but surprisingly little lingers into the finish.

M - Slightly zesty carbonation that seems a bit out of place. Medium body, with pleasant roast dryness. Definitely big enough for 7%, and could have supported more with ease.

D - This was surprisingly good, although I get the feeling it wasn't very fresh. Still, it was a solid midrange ABV stout that I'd certainly have again if offered.

Shared by MasterSki to top off the night.

A - Pitch black colored stout with a small head that looked very dark brown as it faded away.

S - Loads of coffee and roasted malts. I get kind of an odd smell on the end of some sort of olives that I don't really like. Some burntn cocoa, but this is really focusing on the roasty aspect.

T - Big roasted taste, burnt/unsweetened cocoa, and a nice dose of bitter coffee. This is pretty a straight-foward roasty stout, but I enjoy the simplicity and feel that it is well done.

M - Full bodied, feels a bit bigger than the 7% it is. Appropriate carbonation.

D - Drinkability seems low for a 7%, but I liked this beer quite a bit so it made it easy for me to drink. Good stuff, could drink this regularly.

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a large light brown foamy head with good foamy head with good retention and good lacing. Aroma of light bitter roasted malt with some clear notes of liquorice. Taste is also dominated by black liquorice notes with mix very well with the roasted malt and light lactose-like notes. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. I must admit to having been very surprised by the liquorice notes but thought it provided an interesting take on the style.

Pours black with small and dissipitating brown head. Looks thick, full roasted barley/coffee aroma.The taste is with above average mouthfeel. Straight out roast, not bad at all. But 500 ml. was way too much. One dimensional taste and without complexity, decent malt backing.

A classic dry stout in nearly every way except for the feel of higher alcohol. There's also a mild sweetness in the swallow.

The appearance is typical: beige head with some lasting power. However, it's not nitrogen induced, so it doesn't have the thickness nor rockiness. Black color where no light shines through.

The flavor is like coffee with milk, but dry until the swallow. A decent entry into the stout world, but not the best offering from this brasserie.