Trooper: Day of the Dead Stout
Robinsons Family Brewers

Trooper: Day of the Dead Stout from Robinsons Family Brewery. 16.9 fl oz bottle, purchased 02/04/26 from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. $ 6.00 (Including tax)/$ 0.355/fl oz. On room temperature shelf at distributor, stored at 40 degrees F at home. Reviewed 15/04/26, review 3725. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped “L5190 17:33” in yellow ink on the neck, so useless dating = undated container. Served at 50.5 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 54.8 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Deep Amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lit, glows ruby.
Head – Average (Maximum one cm, aggressive center pour). Biscuit, high density, short duration; the head drops to a 0.2 cm crown, and a thin, partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3.5 – Moderate light roasted malt and possibly some chocolate. No hops, no alcohol.
Flavor – 3.5 – Slightly bitter with lightly roasted malt and just a touch of chocolate. Possibly a faint bit of char at the end. No hops, no alcohol (4.5 % according to the label). No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. No gastric warming.
Palate – 4 – Medium: Slightly dry: Soft carbonation.
Style: Follows the BA style description.
Final impression and summation: 3.5 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated personal container) Uncredited label art. Easy drinking example of the style, reasonably priced import. Not great but decent.

Frederic Robinson Ltd. "Trooper Day Of The Dead Stout"
16.9 oz. brown glass bottle coded "L5190 17:07", and sampled on 12 April 2026
$7.49 @ Lower Merion Beverage Co., Ardmore, PA

Notes via stream of consciousness: A bit of a rough pour has delivered more than a thumb's width of tan foam atop an opaque black body. - - - I've let it settle to the width of a pinky finger and topped it up, and now I have a perfectly poured Imperial pint of stout in front of me! The aroma expresses milk chocolate, dark chocolate, a soft roastiness, and an apple-like fruitiness. It's really quite nice and welcoming. Moving on to the taste I'd say that the description of the aroma is spot on. It's a touch nutty, and a hint toffee-ish as well, but otherwise chocolatey, softly roasty, and fruity with orchard fruits (sweet apple, sweet pear, and a touch of orange peel). I'm getting some peppery spiciness in the finish but there's no mention of peppers on the label and I think it might just be hops. On that note, it's not that bitter. It's a touch sweetish upfront but it is balanced, and it does dry in the finish. It leaves an almost candy bar like aftertaste. What's the ABV on this? Ahh, it's 4.5%, exactly what I was thinking. It's got a lot of flavor but it's not too full. In the mouth it's medium-light in body and smooth. The label says that it's "full bodied" but that's not true unless you're comparing it to water. It does have that great English ale feel though. What did I miss? Head retention and lacing. The head retention was pretty good but the lacing leaves a fair amount to be desired. With all said and done it's got a great rounded balance of flavors, a perfect balance between the sweetness of the malt and the bitterness for what it is, and a pleasant mouthfeel.