Shadow Raven
Brewery Vivant

Shadow Raven from Brewery Vivant. Received from @Whyteboar in Barleywine and Stout BIF #2. 16 fl oz can. Received 26/02/25, reviewed 19/03/25 (Review 3476). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Bottom of can stamped “PACKAGED ON 02/17/25.” Stored at home at 39 degrees F and served at 46.5 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 53.2 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Deep Amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, translucent ruby.
Head – Large (Maximum 4.5 cm, aggressive center pour), caramel, high density with a rocky top, average retention. Drops to a 0.4 – 0.6 cm crown and a complete cap.
Lacing – Fair. A single arc of tiny to medium bubbles connected to the crown by wide columns.
Aroma – 4 – Light chocolate, smoke, and a whiff of bourbon. No hops, no yeast, no alcohol.
Flavor – 4 – Begins bitter with chocolate, coffee, and oak tannin. No yeast, no hops. No alcohol (8.2 % ABV, according to the label). No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. No gastric warning.
Palate – 3.75 – Medium: approaching creamy: carbonation.
Style: Follows the style guidelines as condensed by BA.

Final impression and summation: 4 The mouthfeel is still (to my taste) a bit light. Otherwise, a decent (Belgian) English Stout.

The pour is stout black with an almost 1 cm light brown head that left very little lacing.
The taste is definitely English in profile, the yeast, the barley, not sure what all, it’s just soft yet bitter at the same time. Coffee bitter and burnt toast are the edge that keeps the rest from getting sweet. Good, well brewed coffee, cacao, oak, and a very faint taste of bourbon.
The feel is very lightly viscous, making it feel like a sipping beer, which is probably a good idea.
OA, very pleasant change from the often too sweet modern stouts that I generally find. Will have to get a few and try at different times.