Stonecutter Stout
Raccoon River Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

This beer is black in color with a creamy tan colored rim. Mild coffee hints on the nose. Gentle coffee and smoke flavors on the palate. I would describe the flavor as somewhat delicate and while I enjoyed it I wouldn't go around raving about it either. How exactly can I say that it was good without seeming like I am saying it came up short? It is a fine beer and worth a drink. Some smoke in the finish with little to no aftertaste surprisingly. Fairly easy drinking.

I had this on-tap in the Des Moines airport

A - poured black without any head to speak of - looks like a stout should

S - the nose on this was rather faint, however I picked up faint hints of chocolate and a touch of coffee

T - starts of with sweet chocolate and ends with some burnt coffee tones. However, I realized why the nose was so weak - this was pretty watery in its taste without a whole lot going on. The flavors are pretty understated in this.

M - smooth, but a little thin.

D - This was an okay stout, nothing too memorable. I don't know if I would get this one again, but I have nothing to compare it to in IA.

Growler into a pint

A - Pours solidly black, extremely opaque. Can't see through it, even at the edges. Head formation is nill - carbonation appears light.

S - Chocolate, roasted malts, and a hint of coffee on the nose. No hop aroma detected.

T - Starts off with a light malt sweetness, some roasted and chocolate notes. Mid stream does gather some bitterness. Finishes with a smooth chocolate flavor that sits there until a roasted burnt note builds in the aftertaste.

M - Carbonation may have come out of this one during its stay in the growler - it seems somewhat flat, but still very smooth and full bodied.

D - Easy drinking - not sure on the abv, but it is well hidden. I've sessioned this stout before successfully.

One of the better brewpub stouts around Des Moines, and certainly solid overall.

Served in a hefty seidel-style glass. This alters my perception of the brownish tan head, which didn't get clustered enough to tack on a good cap. Mostly lacing the rest of the way.

The color is brownish, very dark, probably opaque.

Chocolatey aroma, the roasted, 70% cacao kind, maybe with some coffee mixed in there as well.

Strong flavors of darkly fruity alcohols, pretty stiff actually. Almost as sweet as like a cream stout, there's also an astringency bordering on sour. Plenty of bitterness throughout.

The mouthfeel is solid, just about right for style, although I wouldn't quibble if it were chewier. The carbonation was a little high too. Finish is pretty dry, and the high carbonation steals the lingering flavors away.

I'm not hugely impressed, and wouldn't go back for mug after mug, but it's an acceptable night-ender at the pub.

Served in a short, fat, dimpled mug. I prefer a pint glass and I'm sure that my beer came in a pint glass the only other time I was at Raccoon River, but what can you do?

Dark root beer brown that looked opaque in the dim brewpub light. I have a feeling that even with a bright light source, Stonecutter Stout would still have resembled a roach motel. You know, 'light checks in, but it doesn't check out'. The small head was light brown and vanished fairly quickly with leaving much lace in the process.

The weak nose smelled like moderately roasted malt, coffee with cream and sweet red wine; an aroma that (obviously) seemed out of place. The flavor was predominantly of coffee with semi-sweet chocolate bringing up the rear. What smelled like red wine tasted more like blackberry brandy. The actual flavor resemblance to that particular liqueur was slight, but what brought the comparison home more than anything was inadequately unmasked alcohol.

The beginning and middle were both sweet and sour (with sour achieving the upper hand by the finish) and the level of bitterness seemed fine throughout. Medium mouthfeel with a tad too much carbonation. My carbonation threshold is lower with stouts so any trace of fizziness is unacceptable.

Stonecutter Stout is an interesting brew. Some beer gains by being interesting, but I'm not sure that this one does. It isn't bad and I'd order it again if I was having food, but not if I just wanted a beer.

There is nothing really special about this brew but it could be. For one, there was no head to be retained by the time the brew got to my table. A stout served from a tap just has to have a tight creamy head right? So I can't give high marks for appearance. The smell and taste was a complex mix of coffee and bitter chocolate but it was a bit underaged. Stouts need a little more time than this brewer is giving his beer. Mouthfeel is a little thin too. I think with a little aging and the right serving tap (with nitro) this beer would taste much better and seem more creamy giving a better overall mouthfeel as well. I won't be back to see if this is ever changed though.

Clear, nearly black with brown accents forming a light tan head with OK retention and lacing. Mouthfeel is flat and watery with a thin body. Taste is somewhat medicinal and burnt with a slight graininess. Hops are rather mild but balanced. Nice when mixed 50/50 with the Vanilla Creme Ale.