8 Ball Stout | Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe
Brewed by:
Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe
California, United States
lostcoast.com
Style: Oatmeal Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.30%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Our Eight Ball Stout is not for the faint of heart. It’s bold as hell and robust as can be, but it’ll reward your palate like no other stout. Roasted malts and heavy hops give it a flavor that will have you pouring another before you’re even finished with the first.
Added by kbub6f on 07-23-2002
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 1,083 | Reviews: 552
Reviews by 2814:
More User Reviews:
3.7/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured a pitch a black color with a slight dark brown head,smelled sweet of bitter chocolate.Very smooth texture,and nice body.Taste didnt have enough umph to it to me,some roasted sweetness at the start and a pretty dry finish.Very well made and a good find.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured a pitch a black color with a slight dark brown head,smelled sweet of bitter chocolate.Very smooth texture,and nice body.Taste didnt have enough umph to it to me,some roasted sweetness at the start and a pretty dry finish.Very well made and a good find.
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4.15/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance Blacker than night since there were no stars or street lights in this hearty stout. The head was very dark brown and lasted for a little while, lacing the hell out of my glass.
Smell This is a dark roasted malt, espresso, and chocolate delight. There are also some refined sugars and maybe some cocktail cherry juice. This one is loaded.
Taste The bitter espresso and fine Arabic coffee come out beautifully at the tongue. I can pick up a slight hop balance, but not much. This one is all about the dark malt and huge espresso/coffee bean flavors. The sugars step back a bit at the taste, leaving the big boys to do their job. I can also pick up a sizable oatmeal bite.
Mouthfeel Creamy smooth and medium to full in the body. I cant pick up any alcohol notes, but Im sure theyre in there.
Drinkability This is a very interesting rendition of the style. Its not sold as an oatmeal stout, but clearly it has a bit of that to it. Whatever you call it, its gorgeous and went down well.
Comments This was a nice surprise that I found in a care package from mickeymac. Kudos to my BA bro for hooking me up with this one.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance Blacker than night since there were no stars or street lights in this hearty stout. The head was very dark brown and lasted for a little while, lacing the hell out of my glass.
Smell This is a dark roasted malt, espresso, and chocolate delight. There are also some refined sugars and maybe some cocktail cherry juice. This one is loaded.
Taste The bitter espresso and fine Arabic coffee come out beautifully at the tongue. I can pick up a slight hop balance, but not much. This one is all about the dark malt and huge espresso/coffee bean flavors. The sugars step back a bit at the taste, leaving the big boys to do their job. I can also pick up a sizable oatmeal bite.
Mouthfeel Creamy smooth and medium to full in the body. I cant pick up any alcohol notes, but Im sure theyre in there.
Drinkability This is a very interesting rendition of the style. Its not sold as an oatmeal stout, but clearly it has a bit of that to it. Whatever you call it, its gorgeous and went down well.
Comments This was a nice surprise that I found in a care package from mickeymac. Kudos to my BA bro for hooking me up with this one.
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3.2/5 rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.83/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
split with hu5om (received as a trade extra) in 6oz sampler glasses.
A: nice black pour, slight brownish hue, some slight carbonation evident.
S: very dark chocolate smell comes to mind with a faint hint of oatmeal as an afterthought.
T: a punch of chocolate blasts the tastebuds and fizzles in to a light oatmeal on the way down.
MF/D: an initial sizzle of light carbonation that fades into a very smooth finish at the tail-end of each sip. a decent stout.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
split with hu5om (received as a trade extra) in 6oz sampler glasses.
A: nice black pour, slight brownish hue, some slight carbonation evident.
S: very dark chocolate smell comes to mind with a faint hint of oatmeal as an afterthought.
T: a punch of chocolate blasts the tastebuds and fizzles in to a light oatmeal on the way down.
MF/D: an initial sizzle of light carbonation that fades into a very smooth finish at the tail-end of each sip. a decent stout.
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3.57/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75
Not as bold as the description would lead you to believe, but still a very nice stout. The body is exceptional, but it is the best characteristic by far. Head thin, dissipates quickly. Taste not as strong as I would like. Might buy again, not sure.
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look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75
Not as bold as the description would lead you to believe, but still a very nice stout. The body is exceptional, but it is the best characteristic by far. Head thin, dissipates quickly. Taste not as strong as I would like. Might buy again, not sure.
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4.55/5 rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
12 oz bottle with a cool-as-hell 8 ball on the label. Pours opaque (no light at all gets through this bad boy), slightly cloudy with a tan-brown foamy head that settles down to a long lasting lace. *sniiiff* Ahhh... roasted barley and a whiskey like maltiness, with a faint whiff of yesterday morning's oatmeal. My kind of aroma.
Bottle's too damned small. Starts out with some alcoholic (no fusel burn) notes, then the roasty toasty chocolatey malts grab a cue stick and start knocking the tastebuds around. Simply luscious blend of all the right stout notes - faint oatmeal oiliness (but not as pronounced as I'd like - a bit more viscousness and this would be the perfect stout IMO), dry unsweetened cocoa, round smoky maltiness, and enough hop bitterness to balance. Not a lot of hop aroma or flavor, but with all of the dark malts kicking around the hops would just confuse the issue rather than help. The carbonation is a bit tingly on the tongue at first, which detracts slightly, but as it warms it settles down and lets the flavors play a bit more. Chewy but not overly huge mouthfeel.
I gave two of these to a friend who was visiting from VA. Went over to the beer store and they were out. Now I want to track my buddy's hinder down and get those beers back.
Nice, nice stout, one that I will be buying again and again.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
12 oz bottle with a cool-as-hell 8 ball on the label. Pours opaque (no light at all gets through this bad boy), slightly cloudy with a tan-brown foamy head that settles down to a long lasting lace. *sniiiff* Ahhh... roasted barley and a whiskey like maltiness, with a faint whiff of yesterday morning's oatmeal. My kind of aroma.
Bottle's too damned small. Starts out with some alcoholic (no fusel burn) notes, then the roasty toasty chocolatey malts grab a cue stick and start knocking the tastebuds around. Simply luscious blend of all the right stout notes - faint oatmeal oiliness (but not as pronounced as I'd like - a bit more viscousness and this would be the perfect stout IMO), dry unsweetened cocoa, round smoky maltiness, and enough hop bitterness to balance. Not a lot of hop aroma or flavor, but with all of the dark malts kicking around the hops would just confuse the issue rather than help. The carbonation is a bit tingly on the tongue at first, which detracts slightly, but as it warms it settles down and lets the flavors play a bit more. Chewy but not overly huge mouthfeel.
I gave two of these to a friend who was visiting from VA. Went over to the beer store and they were out. Now I want to track my buddy's hinder down and get those beers back.
Nice, nice stout, one that I will be buying again and again.
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3.63/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle, no date. Pours somewhat hazy brown with a medium sized khaki head. Smells of roasted malt, oats, and earthy hops. The taste follows with hops, roasted malt, and oats; lower intensity and straightforward. Light bitterness, dryness, and tartness. Somewhat thin body and average carbonation. Overall, it's a very unique Oatmeal Stout, but isn't particularly desirable with its strong hop profile and light tartness. There are better options on the shelf.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle, no date. Pours somewhat hazy brown with a medium sized khaki head. Smells of roasted malt, oats, and earthy hops. The taste follows with hops, roasted malt, and oats; lower intensity and straightforward. Light bitterness, dryness, and tartness. Somewhat thin body and average carbonation. Overall, it's a very unique Oatmeal Stout, but isn't particularly desirable with its strong hop profile and light tartness. There are better options on the shelf.
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3.52/5 rDev -8.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
6 year old bottle from 2005.
I was expecting a flat old boring stout with odd flavors. I was wrong. I am very surprised that the 6.3% abv stout held up so well.
A: black, low viscosity, medium low carbonation and head.
S: The smell had lost about 1/2 of the roasty sent, but otherwise, it was the same as a new 8 ball.
T: It tasted surprisingly good! It did not taste like an "old stale beer" at all. I would never Cellar one of these on purpose, but I'm glad I found this old timer.
M: Standard stout, but lacking full carbonation. smooth, soft easy to drink. wimpy.
O: If you ever see one an old one covered in dust, buy it, they get slightly better, even at 6 years. Make sure it wasn't sun tanning the whole time though.
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look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
6 year old bottle from 2005.
I was expecting a flat old boring stout with odd flavors. I was wrong. I am very surprised that the 6.3% abv stout held up so well.
A: black, low viscosity, medium low carbonation and head.
S: The smell had lost about 1/2 of the roasty sent, but otherwise, it was the same as a new 8 ball.
T: It tasted surprisingly good! It did not taste like an "old stale beer" at all. I would never Cellar one of these on purpose, but I'm glad I found this old timer.
M: Standard stout, but lacking full carbonation. smooth, soft easy to drink. wimpy.
O: If you ever see one an old one covered in dust, buy it, they get slightly better, even at 6 years. Make sure it wasn't sun tanning the whole time though.
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3.92/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle. Pours a thick black into a pint glass, beige head is minimal even with an agressive pour. Moderate lacing. Nose is all dark malt notes of burnt coffee and a hint of chocolate. Taste is bittersweet chocolate, burnt coffee, and a touch of oatmeal. Very thick and creamy in the mouth. Alcohol content is not listed and is not noticeable. The taste remains primarily bitter to the end, with hops staying out of the picture. Finishes dry and clean. A very good stout here.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle. Pours a thick black into a pint glass, beige head is minimal even with an agressive pour. Moderate lacing. Nose is all dark malt notes of burnt coffee and a hint of chocolate. Taste is bittersweet chocolate, burnt coffee, and a touch of oatmeal. Very thick and creamy in the mouth. Alcohol content is not listed and is not noticeable. The taste remains primarily bitter to the end, with hops staying out of the picture. Finishes dry and clean. A very good stout here.
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3.98/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
My choice for week 2 of "New Beer Sunday."
Picked up a six pack while at Shoreline Beverage in Huntington, NY....what a great store. Cannot locate this brew in my area...glad to find it on the shelves.
No freshness date to be found on the bottle...didn't check the holder...don't care.
Pours a deathly dark brown, almost black w/ not a hint of light passing thru this beer. A cocoa head forms almost a full finger thick...disappears shortly. Lacing is present, but simply recedes its way back into the drink...more for me to enjoy.
Chocolate malt comes to mind on first smell...and then chocolate covered espresso beans...ok, so chocolate is definitely the theme here. A very faint scent of liquor, but real subtle.
The taste is first bitter, and contains nowhere near the chocolate I was smelling...this is a good thing...if I want a chocolate beer, I'll buy one.
A very impressive roasted malt backbone w/ just a touch of hops...again, just a touch of coffee...not overpowering. Bitter finish as well, but the taste does not linger on the pallet.
The mouthfeel could be thicker, but for an American stout, it is right on target.
I do like this beer and could drink a number of these if in the mood.
Looking forward to trying a few more of the Lost Coast brews...a great first impression.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
My choice for week 2 of "New Beer Sunday."
Picked up a six pack while at Shoreline Beverage in Huntington, NY....what a great store. Cannot locate this brew in my area...glad to find it on the shelves.
No freshness date to be found on the bottle...didn't check the holder...don't care.
Pours a deathly dark brown, almost black w/ not a hint of light passing thru this beer. A cocoa head forms almost a full finger thick...disappears shortly. Lacing is present, but simply recedes its way back into the drink...more for me to enjoy.
Chocolate malt comes to mind on first smell...and then chocolate covered espresso beans...ok, so chocolate is definitely the theme here. A very faint scent of liquor, but real subtle.
The taste is first bitter, and contains nowhere near the chocolate I was smelling...this is a good thing...if I want a chocolate beer, I'll buy one.
A very impressive roasted malt backbone w/ just a touch of hops...again, just a touch of coffee...not overpowering. Bitter finish as well, but the taste does not linger on the pallet.
The mouthfeel could be thicker, but for an American stout, it is right on target.
I do like this beer and could drink a number of these if in the mood.
Looking forward to trying a few more of the Lost Coast brews...a great first impression.
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3.86/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A very well done stout. Nice chocolate and coffee flavors give it a solid base.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A very well done stout. Nice chocolate and coffee flavors give it a solid base.
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3.64/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
650mL bottle from the Conestoga LCBO. Part of the fall release.
Poured into a snifter. Dark chestnut, nearly black, with a third of an inch head that recedes into a thick ring with loads of lace. Nice looking brew.
Nose is roast coffee, dark dry chocolate, cream, anise.
Nice tasting brew, reasonably balanced. Roasted malt, chocolate, a bit of sugar sweetness, finishes with a touch of dryness. A bit hard to pin down, it's nothing out of the ordinary, but still tasty enough.
Lacks the creaminess and dryness I've come to expect from oatmeal stouts, and the carbonation was a bit sharper than expected.
Good brew for a good price (under $5, at least in Ontario). There are some more distinct brews to be had of this style, but this one was certainly enjoyable.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
650mL bottle from the Conestoga LCBO. Part of the fall release.
Poured into a snifter. Dark chestnut, nearly black, with a third of an inch head that recedes into a thick ring with loads of lace. Nice looking brew.
Nose is roast coffee, dark dry chocolate, cream, anise.
Nice tasting brew, reasonably balanced. Roasted malt, chocolate, a bit of sugar sweetness, finishes with a touch of dryness. A bit hard to pin down, it's nothing out of the ordinary, but still tasty enough.
Lacks the creaminess and dryness I've come to expect from oatmeal stouts, and the carbonation was a bit sharper than expected.
Good brew for a good price (under $5, at least in Ontario). There are some more distinct brews to be had of this style, but this one was certainly enjoyable.
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1.93/5 rDev -49.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
Pours dark black, smells of oak and wood. Taste of very high carbonation it needs to age a lot more. Bitter burnt coffee beans. Not good. Aroma- slight roasted notes, chocolate, metallics pitch black, no real head Taste- lactose, cream, slight chocolate, roasted notes Palate- decent body, nice mouthfeel,but not special either.
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look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
Pours dark black, smells of oak and wood. Taste of very high carbonation it needs to age a lot more. Bitter burnt coffee beans. Not good. Aroma- slight roasted notes, chocolate, metallics pitch black, no real head Taste- lactose, cream, slight chocolate, roasted notes Palate- decent body, nice mouthfeel,but not special either.
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3.6/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
35cl bottle. Dark brown pour with a thin beige head. Smells of roasted malts, milk chocolate, cocoa. Chocolate-bitter taste, with notes of cocoa, roasted malts, dark chocolate and a bit of dark cherries.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
35cl bottle. Dark brown pour with a thin beige head. Smells of roasted malts, milk chocolate, cocoa. Chocolate-bitter taste, with notes of cocoa, roasted malts, dark chocolate and a bit of dark cherries.
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4.23/5 rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A terrific stout. Dark black pour with no head. Aroma of chocolate and caramel with some burnt coffee. Taste is smooth. Chocolate and roasted malt and strong, but with a bitter finish. Not too heavy to border on the Imperial A sweet stout that keeps to its roots as a stout instead of being a weak Imperial
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A terrific stout. Dark black pour with no head. Aroma of chocolate and caramel with some burnt coffee. Taste is smooth. Chocolate and roasted malt and strong, but with a bitter finish. Not too heavy to border on the Imperial A sweet stout that keeps to its roots as a stout instead of being a weak Imperial
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3.65/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance is an inky-like black-brown with a frothy tan head. Good lacing. Aroma is full of yummy roasted dark malts, bitter chocolate and a hint of smoke. A bit low on hop aroma which is a signature of American stout. Taste is a wonderful mix of roast malts, dark bitter chocolate, and in the background some notes of red wine like a cabernet or merlot. Medium hop bitterness but low hop flavor. Nice full mouthfeel finishes somewhat dry leaving you yearning for more of those wonderful flavors. Watch out for this big boy at 6+% ABV. This is an very tasty stout and if they ramped up the hops a bit this would be a picture perfect American stout.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance is an inky-like black-brown with a frothy tan head. Good lacing. Aroma is full of yummy roasted dark malts, bitter chocolate and a hint of smoke. A bit low on hop aroma which is a signature of American stout. Taste is a wonderful mix of roast malts, dark bitter chocolate, and in the background some notes of red wine like a cabernet or merlot. Medium hop bitterness but low hop flavor. Nice full mouthfeel finishes somewhat dry leaving you yearning for more of those wonderful flavors. Watch out for this big boy at 6+% ABV. This is an very tasty stout and if they ramped up the hops a bit this would be a picture perfect American stout.
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3.62/5 rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Dark mahogany colored with a low beige head. Aroma of bitter chocolate laced with chicory and cherry, a bit of molasses and some smoke. Flavor is cocoa, espresso, dark molasses, some charred bark and a cherry tartness in the background. Mouthfeel is low carbonation, a bit tannic and chalky, not rich or full. Average drinkability.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Dark mahogany colored with a low beige head. Aroma of bitter chocolate laced with chicory and cherry, a bit of molasses and some smoke. Flavor is cocoa, espresso, dark molasses, some charred bark and a cherry tartness in the background. Mouthfeel is low carbonation, a bit tannic and chalky, not rich or full. Average drinkability.
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8 Ball Stout from Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe
3.85
out of 5
based on 1,083 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Roasted coffee up front, light maltiness in the finish. Very light in terms of the typical stout, light carbonation which adds to the drinkability. Not the smooth texture usually associated with oatmeal stouts, but an overall pleasurable experience. Rich, roasted malt flavors give way to an effervescent texture from the carbonation, and a smooth dry finish. Very drinkable as a session stout to those used to higher alcohol content Imperial stouts.
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