Single Origin
4 Hands Brewing Co.

Wow
I'll have to check my past ratings but this beer has to be near the very top

Even more surprising because I wasn't blown away by the appearance...I won't claim that I actually know what to look for there though. Super dark brown but not black. Light Brown small-med. head and thin lacing
But then I smelled it
Yummy
Delicious vanilla donut but not sickly sweet. Like when you sniff a candle and say "oh my God"

No way the taste measures up right?
It does!

All the vanilla coffee and cacao without the cloying sweetness to ruin them.

Pretty dry finish followed by a very satisfying mellow warmth.

Would I buy again?

Are your kidding me
I wish I had bought more than four this time because I'm afraid there will not be any left when I go back

From a sixteen ounce can, this one is dark…utterly black. The head is slim and tan, and quickly disappearing. The liquid is thick and the smell is intense. Huge cocoa and chocolate, coffee, roasted notes, dried tea, and more. Wow. The taste is sweet, but balanced with alcohol and hop bitterness. It doesn’t become cloying. This is a heavy beer, but it is also rewarding in flavor. I really enjoyed this one.

I tried four beers at Forehand brewery, and this was by far my favorite. Very rich, creamy, a strong, smooth coffee taste. A perfect blend of that rich, stout experience and coffee flavor. Has a slight caramel taste to it and is lightly sweet.

 

 

 

Poured at 53°. A recent Tavour purchase. Opaque dark brown with ruby see through; creamy tan head with a few rocks; poor cap retention; solid ring; some soapy lace; thin legs on swirl. Roast coffee and blueberries nose. Cacao nibs, bittersweet dark chocolate up front followed by mild bitter roast coffee with blueberries in the mix. Slick tongue coating; medium minus body, moderate minus carbonation; no warmth from 10.5% abv. Overall, the taste is very good to excellent; the blueberries come out more as the beer warms, which is a tasty addition; a tad thin; otherwise an excellent coffee stout with a berry twist.

Pours an effervescent cola/mahogany color with minimal tan head.

S: Vanilla, iron

T: Vanilla, cocoa, mocha & blueberry ( front & center ) & cola notes, & just a little coffee up front. Coffee, dryness, vanilla & blueberry are dominant as this warms. Finishes dry with mocha & blueberry notes

MF: Medium body, fairly lively carbonation, smooths out rapidly, warming

Solid, drinkable take on the style, my hopes were higher for this one though

Had several glasses on tap at Frisco (restaurant) in Webster Groves, MO near Webster University (awesome place — one of the best restaurant experiences I’ve ever had, largely because of the staff and service). Possibly the best non-sweet big stout I’ve ever had.

Jet black with a tight but mild khaki head and sporty lacing.

Wonderfully balanced nose of espresso, exotic roasted coffee beans, pecan, hazelnut, baker’s chocolate, dark fruit, vanilla, molasses, dark fruits, and a touch of coconut. Absolutely delightful, though not as decadent or multi-layered as a BA stout in the same ABV range. Borderline 4.5 rating because of the harmony, but I’ll go with 4.25.

Based on the nose I was worried about this one being sweet, but it’s extremely dry without being overly bitter or abrasive — really remarkable how all the aroma notes show up on the palate but with very little residual sweetness. Heavily coffee-forward and very nutty with a touch of vanilla and red fruits. Much less layered and nuanced on the tongue than the nose, but that makes it even more drinkable. I was shocked when I saw (after ordering the second pour) that this thing is 10%.

Though the feel and viscosity does hint at the size. Like the massive nose and notes without residual sweetness, this thing is viscous and luscious without being sticky. Well done!

 

 

The pour was dark with almost no carbination. The little head that was there was toasted caramel color. Smell was a typical coffee stout. The taste was a lot like the smell, but brighter. The feel was nice and smooth, not heavy at all.

Sump coffee has a very specific taste, and unfortunately this beer does not pick up on this. Overall this was an ok beer, but with Sump on the label, I expected more. Not bad...just expected more

 

 

Taste: rich, dark chocolate malts, blueberries, nutty, dry coffee tobacco notes, sweet, vanilla, some boozy in finish. Same with the nose. Black, opaque, with a tan foam head and some lace. Full but not heavy body. Could have with Breakfast.

 

 

 

 

Really digging this one. Some Ethiopian coffees have some natural blueberry notes and a boozy character to them, so adding that to the actual blueberry is really complementary. Not a huge burst of coffee, as it's balanced by the other additives and the base stout. I've grown less excited by vanilla stouts over the years, but it's used to good effect here, as a counterpoint to the other flavors instead of trying to be the main attraction.