Sea Level Stout
Marshall Wharf Brewing Company / Three Tides Restaurant

 

If you like your stout thin and bitter, this is for you. Completely different from the previous Sexy Chaos stout.

Appearance is very dark brown, not quite ink black. Looks like a Porter.

Smell is a bit indeterminate. Malty, some roast.

Feel is thin. It’s not at all heavy or thick. Mouthfeel is like a brown ale. No viscosity.

Taste is a big departure from Sexy Chaos and most stouts. Mild dark roast malts. Bitterness is most prominent, up front, body, and aftertaste.

If you’ve shied away from stouts because you prefer bitter west coast IPAs then this is perfect for you. But if you prefer traditional Russian Imperial Stouts and liked Sexy Chaos, this is a completely different animal.

Growler filled a few days ago
Pours a huge frothy off-white head with med retention, a bit rocky, thick lacing, dark almost black color

Nose has nice roasted malts and chocolate, a bit of coffee, dark chocolate, little nougat and spice notes, some mild earthy hops

Taste rich cocoa/dark chocolate and roast again, dry roasty malt with a touch of coffee, a little nougat and spices again, mild bitterness with a little spicy earthy hop, roasted malts hinting at metallic notes but doesn't quite get there, drier finish with lingering chocolate and roast, med-lighter bitterness

Mouth is med bod but rich and a bit creamy, med foamy carb

Overall quite a nice dry Irish stout, well done, good balance, enjoyable

 

Poured on nitro into a pint glass, the beer is jet black, with a tan, light, dense head. Smokey, light, coffee aromas on the nose. The beer's flavors are molasses dark sweetness, with some dark roasted coffee. Very dry and smooth. The aftertaste is bitter and dark fruit, with a slight cloying feel to it. The coffee bitter turns into a milky smoothness. Extremely tasty!

First had: on nitro tap at Three Tides, Belfast, ME

Poured an opaque black with a creamy tan finger of head that receded to a thin layer. Roasty malts and big coffee aroma. More coffee in the taste, with some semi-sweet chocolate, and a somewhat bitter finish. Smooth, full-bodied, and quick drinkable.

Picked up a growler of this at the barrel aged release event. A real bargain at only 10 bucks. Pours a deep dark brown/black with a thin tan head that fades away quickly. Smells of coffee and toasted malt. Flavor is similar with plenty of roasted coffee beans, some toffee, but also has quite a bit of milk chocolate. Nice creamy/smooth mouthfeel makes this a real pleasure to drink. Plenty of flavor and only average ABV makes for a very sessionable stout.