Owd Finley Stout
The Grumpy Troll Restaurant and Brewery

this is an absolutely textbook example of the style, flawless really, with the exact right mix of flavors, textures, and overall drinkability. it exceeded expectations by a mile, and is a great first impression of this brewery for me. eggshell black beer, not much viscosity, but a tall tan head with excellent retention and incremental ring lace as i sip on it. i love a stout like this, with a lot of carbonation, a bone dry finish, a ton of flavor, and a slick smooth texture, rich and hearty but also crushable. i like an irish stout that has a little yeast character too, and this one certainly does. not messy or too intense, but that earthy bakery raw element i like in an irish ale yeast, and beautiful with the malt depth here, dark roast, bakers chocolate, and an odd almost raisin quality that is not normally found in the style but works really well. creamy and kind of big feeling, maybe some oats in here, but the carbonation and the dry finish make it perfect. i was sorry to only be able to have one glass of this. nothing more confidence inspiring for me than seeing a brewery take on a traditional style and hitting it this well, really awesome example of what a dry irish stout should be!