Steeprock Stout
Offshore Ale Company

On tap at the brewery into pint glass. Pours opaque black color with a small dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas and flavors of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, molasses, nuts, toast, dark bread/crust, herbal, grass, pepper, light smoke/dark fruit. Light to medium herbal/char bitterness. Medium carbonation. Creamy/silky light to medium body. Some sticky/chalky drying lingering after the finish. No acrid/astringent flavors. Very clean and nicely rich dry stout. Flavorful for the ABV. Great stuff all around, no complaints.

 

 

 

 

Deep, dark brown color where faint light passes through the edge of the glass. Small beige head which dies to rim bubbles. This is the only part that isn't like the Irish version.

Burnt malt with weak notes of coffee. Similar to burnt toast. A touch of chocolate, giving this a mild mocha feel.

True to the classic Irish dry stout: the body is a bit thin but the flavor has a strong bitter flavor from the burnt malt. Dry, no cream. Long coffee-like aftertaste.

 

 

Had the opportunity to try this because my son, a pilot working on his instrument license, flew to Martha's Vineyard yesterday. He brought me back a growler of the cask conditioned Steeprock Stout since I paid for his fuel. Thanks to the brewery for a generous fill right to the top of the bottle. When I first opened the growler my nose picked up some transient fruity esters which quickly dissipated. The pour gave a nice tan head with a jet black body. Aroma was more like a porter than a stout, rich with roasted malt, coffee, vanilla and chocolate notes. One sip confirmed my suspicion, it tastes more like a porter or coffee milk stout than an Irish Dry Stout. The mouthfeel is medium, similar to Stegmaier Porter or Narragansett Autocrat Coffee Milk Stout, but the finish is every bit as rich and satisfying. Overall this is an outstanding beer with a rich coffee, chocolate roasted malt finish that lingers on the palate. This beer is good enough to entice me to visit the island, although I may just send my son back there again instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16 oz. pint at the source, enjoyed before the Oak Bluffs fireworks

Pour is pure black. Very tight, tan bubbles, about a finger's worth of head with nice lacing.

The smell is pretty standard for the style: roasted malts, some chocolate.

Taste follows closely on the nose. Chocolate comes through quite strong, with some roasted flavors underneath. Maybe a touch of coffee, and a very slight lingering bitterness. Overall, it's muted, without a lot of flavor coming through.

Mouthfeel is on the thin side, though I appreciated the relatively low carbonation. Seems watery.

The epitome of an average Irish Dry Stout for me - not groundbreaking, not particularly interesting, and frankly not quite Guinness.

Pitch black. One finger head off white in color. Smelled of bakers chocolate roasted grain and slight molasses. Taste matches aroma with the addition of an oaty note. Slight coffee note too. Easily drinkable. Dry tasting. Can't taste alcohol at all. Very sessionable. A great easy drinking stout.