Rye Hipster Brunch Stout
Odd Side Ales

Sticky foam finger lace on the glass. Could use more head.
Maple, coffee and bacon blend nicely with the rye whiskey notes. Not over the top sweet as most breakfast style stouts seem to be. But this is labeled a Brunch Stout LOL. Not boozy like you'd expect from 11.6% ABV and being brewed in whiskey barrels.
Very easy going down.
Overall an excellent brew.

16 oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A: black as night, small golden brown head, small amount of lace

S : coffe maple and rye. Very pleasant

T : chocolate, maple and rye whiskey. Surprisingly well balanced and muted

M : Heavy but pleasant, dissipating sweetness

D: Good, but possibly a dessert pairing. High ABV and heavy body only leave room for a couple

Excellent beer and excellent gift from family. Looking for more

9 oz draft...dark as night...heavy chocolate with subtle coffee aroma and taste...very sweet but not overpowering, I think it hides the booziness...fantastic.

Pours a pitch-black coloration with a large, creamy, lasting head. Smells of caramel malt and maple syrup, with hints of chocolate, licorice and rye bourbon also coming through. Taste fortunately does not follow the nose, being far less sweet, with a great balance of slightly roasted, caramel malt, maple syrup, chocolate and lighter coffee, licorice and peppery rye spice, as well as hints of vanilla and oak. Finishes with a medium sweetness, light spiciness and some maple syrup, chocolate, coffee and oak lingering in the aftertaste. Full mouthfeel with a rixh body and medium carbonation.

I feared the worst after smelling this, but thankfully it's a lot less sweet and more nuanced on the tongue than it is in the nose. While I still think that the maple syrup is somewhat overdone here, making this a bit too sweet in combination with the caramel malt, chocolate fudge and vanilla, the coffee, spicy rye, licorice and oak notes balance it out nicely enough, with the rye barrels really coming through beautifully here. Can't say I'm getting a lot of bacon from this, seems kinda gimmicky, although perhaps just a hint of smoked, salted accents are coming through indeed. Overall, this makes for a very enjoyable Rye Breakfast Stout that may perhaps just feel a tad too sweet, but is well-balanced overall, with a great barrel presence and and rich body and mouthfeel.

Look: It pours very dark brown with a brown head. It has very good head retention with a fluffy head.

Smell: There are dark chocolate aromas with maple syrup. There is a smoked quality to it with some coffee. The spiciness of rye is evident as well.

Taste: The flavors are more intense with alcohol. The coffee is a bit more forward with maple flavors. The smoke like elements are low with dark chocolate and rye. The rye becomes stronger in the aftertaste.

Feel: It has a full body with quite a bitter finish. the smoke compliments the bitterness.

Overall, a strong beer with noticeable alcohol which borders hot, but not quite. The flavors and complex and plentiful.

 

 

 

Very nicely done. I don't taste any bacon, but the subtle coffee and maple syrup make this a delight. At this price though ($25 4-pack), probably a one time purchase for me.