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Pothole Stout
Brewery Vivant


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Brewery Vivant
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- American Stout
Ranked #339 - ABV:
- 6.3%
- Score:
- 85
Ranked #22,938 - Avg:
- 3.74 | pDev: 9.89%
- Reviews:
- 16
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Apr 07, 2021
- Added:
- Apr 30, 2014
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 10
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good


Notes:
None
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania
3.97/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pothole Stout from Brewery Vivant. Received on 17/3/21 from Brewery Vivant, Grand Rapids, MI. $ 13.77 (Including tax)/4-pack of 16 oz cans ($ 0.215/oz). At room temperature at store and stored at home at 42 degrees. Reviewed 7/4/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottom of can stamped “PACKAGED ON 02/22/20” (Not a typo). Served at 45.5 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 51.6 degrees.
Appearance – 4.25
First pour – Brown (SRM 20), clear.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. When rear-lite, amber brown at the edges.
Head – Average (Maximum four cm, aggressive center pour), light caramel, high density with a rare rock, average retention, diminishing to a four to five mm crown fed by effervescence with a complete cap.
Lacing – Good. Wide Band of extremely tiny bubbles.
Aroma – 4 – Mild coffee and very weak lactose. No malt, no hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 4 – Weak, slightly sweet coffee – think iced coffee after a lot of the ice has melted. No hops, no malt, no yeast. No alcohol (7.5 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. No gastric warming initially occurs. However, by the end of the can some transitory gastric warming occurs. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, watery, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 Body seems a bit thin for a stout, but the coffee flavor works well at this viscosity; even the lactose is unoffensive.
Apr 07, 2021Bottom of can stamped “PACKAGED ON 02/22/20” (Not a typo). Served at 45.5 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 51.6 degrees.
Appearance – 4.25
First pour – Brown (SRM 20), clear.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. When rear-lite, amber brown at the edges.
Head – Average (Maximum four cm, aggressive center pour), light caramel, high density with a rare rock, average retention, diminishing to a four to five mm crown fed by effervescence with a complete cap.
Lacing – Good. Wide Band of extremely tiny bubbles.
Aroma – 4 – Mild coffee and very weak lactose. No malt, no hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 4 – Weak, slightly sweet coffee – think iced coffee after a lot of the ice has melted. No hops, no malt, no yeast. No alcohol (7.5 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. No gastric warming initially occurs. However, by the end of the can some transitory gastric warming occurs. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, watery, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 Body seems a bit thin for a stout, but the coffee flavor works well at this viscosity; even the lactose is unoffensive.
Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan
3.72/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.72/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
It's a very attractive beer, pouring deep black with a medium brown head.
The aroma drifts between coffee, malts and lactose with the coffee kinda wrapping it all together.
The coffee is definitely prominent in the taste, almost to the point of bitter. I actually considered, just for a second, of adding milk to cut the bitter down a touch.
Feel is good, appropriate for a non-imperial stout, though a little on the thin side.
OA - While it started on the bitter side (Poured at 55 degrees) it mellowed out nicely after warming into the 60s. So for me, I'll just want this one to get closer to room temp before enjoying in the future.
Feb 19, 2021The aroma drifts between coffee, malts and lactose with the coffee kinda wrapping it all together.
The coffee is definitely prominent in the taste, almost to the point of bitter. I actually considered, just for a second, of adding milk to cut the bitter down a touch.
Feel is good, appropriate for a non-imperial stout, though a little on the thin side.
OA - While it started on the bitter side (Poured at 55 degrees) it mellowed out nicely after warming into the 60s. So for me, I'll just want this one to get closer to room temp before enjoying in the future.
Reviewed by dd53grif from Michigan
3.77/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a dark brown with a minimal head that lasts quite a while. Aroma is chocolate, coffee and roasted malts. Tastes of coffee, sweet chocolate and roasted malts. A bit thin but no bitterness at the finish.
Feb 15, 2021Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Canned 2/3/15; drank 3/24/15 @ the Yarchives.
Brown/black/purple appearance.
Nice dark tan head; minimal lace.
Roasted coffee & mild banana notes in the nose.
Medium mouthfeel.
Black coffee, mild banana & cream flavors up front; a mildly carbonated finish.
Quaffable with a nice flavor; a nice spring stout.
Jul 23, 2019Brown/black/purple appearance.
Nice dark tan head; minimal lace.
Roasted coffee & mild banana notes in the nose.
Medium mouthfeel.
Black coffee, mild banana & cream flavors up front; a mildly carbonated finish.
Quaffable with a nice flavor; a nice spring stout.
Reviewed by imonhiatus from New Jersey
3.25/5 rDev -13.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -13.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
wow, lots of carb. can was foaming at the mouth...enjoyed from a vivant mini snifter.
aptly named...kind of like drinking some concrete. lots of char with some roast and chocolate in the background. very fizzy too...little oxidized. love a good stout, don't really love this
Oct 02, 2015aptly named...kind of like drinking some concrete. lots of char with some roast and chocolate in the background. very fizzy too...little oxidized. love a good stout, don't really love this
Rated by everclear from Michigan
3.79/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
The coffee is too overpowering, but otherwise very drinkable.
Jun 16, 2015Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota
3.79/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Dark tan head. Dark brown color.
I like the coffee and I like that it hides the Belgian flavors a bit. Thinner body, but tons of fresh espresso makes up for it. I like this one.
Apr 23, 2015I like the coffee and I like that it hides the Belgian flavors a bit. Thinner body, but tons of fresh espresso makes up for it. I like this one.
Rated by castelli1981 from Michigan
2.5/5 rDev -33.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
2.5/5 rDev -33.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Good initial taste. Friend and I felt like it tasted like an ash tray in your mouth as the final taste. I'm a big stout fan, but not of this one.
Apr 14, 2015Reviewed by TreyIsWilson from Michigan
3.77/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A - Pours black with a two-finger foamy tan head. Light soapy lacing.
S - Aromas are of light coffee and roasted malts.
T - Flavor starts with lots of black coffee and roasted malts. There is a chocolate sweetness. The finish has some light Belgian yeast.
M - Medium bodied with low carbonation. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Finish is quite dry.
O - This is a nice coffee forward stout. There isn't much depth in the flavor, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Apr 03, 2015S - Aromas are of light coffee and roasted malts.
T - Flavor starts with lots of black coffee and roasted malts. There is a chocolate sweetness. The finish has some light Belgian yeast.
M - Medium bodied with low carbonation. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Finish is quite dry.
O - This is a nice coffee forward stout. There isn't much depth in the flavor, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Pothole Stout from Brewery Vivant
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
91 ratings
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