Maelstrom
Brewery Vivant

This was my 3rd and final beer of the evening when I visited BV for dinner recently while in town for work. I almost always have to end on a stout, it's just my nature.

This beer pours a pitch black and opaque with no carbonation visible. A dark tan, creamy head tops the beer and dissipates very slowly to a rocky layer with a neck. 4.25/5 The aroma is very dark and features roasted malt, coffee, and dark chocolate. It also comes across as quite earthy, herbal, and slightly sweet, although the sweetness is subdued a bit by the deep roasted character. 3.75/5 The flavor is very typical of the stout category with molasses, dark toasted wheat bread, coffee, and dark chocolate really shining through. Herbal hops on the back end bring with them a moderate bitterness that lingers lightly on the palate after swallowing. 3.75/5 A light carbonation tickle leads things off in terms of mouthfeel before the heavy body really takes over with light drying but very little lingering drying taking place. 4/5 This is a good stout that is well balanced and flavorful. It is heavy, as it should be, and balances the sweetness with the dark roasted nature of the malt nicely. 3.75/5