Battlefield Stout
Madison Brewing Co.

Poured from tap at pub in Bennington. Assumed fresh. Pours deep black with minimal head. Subtle notes of chocolate, coffee, and syrup with taste that follows. Flavors intensify slightly as it warms. Good.

The appearance was a rich brown color with a finger’s worth of light tan foamy head that glistened and fell off at a moderate pace. Light stringy lace. The aroma had a nice big roastiness to it up front. Milk chocolate and some light coffee grounds play the second part in this section. Some dark chocolate and a little bit of cream slide in underneath. The flavor leaned in on the sweetness at first and then allowed a nice roastiness come in with a little bit of toast, and slight earthy components. Not much of an aftertaste but has a nice low key semi-sweet finish. The feel was about medium bodied with a nice relaxed smooth feature flowing over the roast, nice and controlled. ABV felt good and so was the carbonation. Overall, nice sweet stout well worthy of having again.

First had: on tap at the brewpub

Typical stout in appearance, dark brown-black with a solid cap of tan head; moderate retention and lacing. Basic aroma, dark roasty malts, toasted oats, notes of baker's chocolate. I thought this one was quite tasty, with good solid flavors of dark coffee and semi-sweet chocolate, dark malts with a very slight roasty bitterness. Medium body, mouthfeel was a little on the thin side, but improved as it warmed. No surprises here, just a good stout overall.

 

 

Poured on-tap and served in a tumbler pint, the beer is a dark, slightly dull, brown to black coloring with a tall, frothy, foamy, light tan head that has some staying power. Aromas of toasted oats and chocolate, both sweet and bitter. Flavors are thin at first, but then they get very rich. Bittersweet and syrupy rich chocolate flavors overshadow the dry feel the body of the beer starts with. Clingy lacing left along the glass as you drink, the aftertaste is candy sweet, with a touch of bitterness. Cloying, slightly lingering aftertaste. This would make a great ice cream float, but otherwise it's a little rich and unbalanced for my tastes.