Opening Bell Breakfast Stout
Vault Brewing Company

Poured from a pint can, the body is a very dark brown with mocha colored head. Light lacing.

Aroma is toasty coffee and a wee note of chocolate.

Taste follows nose with the coffee again with a welcome roasted malty char. A light bitterness is a nice compliment to the coffee. The maple is far in the background and only imparts a small note of flavor. Things dry up nicely.

Mouthfeel is good: soft with supportive carbonation.

Tasty assertive flavored stout with a strong coffee flavor.

Picked this up at Jersey Fine Wines in East Brunswick a few months ago. Only had one other offering from Vault, so it was nice to find it in this neck of the woods, as this brew was also just as nice. A bit strong for something in the morning, this was otherwise fitting for the early hours given the notes in it and how easily it went down!

This had a dark pour to it as it was the heaviest shade of brown that a beer could be. A tan head topped it off as it quickly and loudly settled down. Well-defined rings of faded, muddy lacing remained as each one easily bled down into the next. Not a strong aroma to this as the oats and coffee could be discerned, with some creamer underneath those. The maple was on the palate, but more in stickiness than taste as there was also some subtle sweetness here with a cloying mouthfeel to tie everything in together.

More coffee bean was present here than the roasted aspect of it, as this did indeed feel like a breakfast beer. Wish I had obtained this sooner, as it was dated on the label 1/13 of last year. No sediment was to be seen but this probably would have been better fresh. As it was, this was a lively breakfast stout with a hint of dark fruit in the back that was nicely done, but left me wanting more at the same time...

Review: 2168
Name: Opening Bell
Brewery: Vault Brewing
Location: Yardley, PA
Style: Breakfast Stout
ABV: 8%
Date: 12/18/2023
Thank you, David, for this beer. I'm thrilled to explore the unique offerings of different breweries. Today, there is a new beer from Vault. I am using a Belcher glass and serving it at 46 degrees. The pour created a creamy, foamy, three-fingered, light tan head with excellent retention. The slow dissipation left lots of lacing on the glass. The beer is jet-black and opaque, charting at SRM 38. The appearance of the beer is excellent.
As I bring the glass to my nose, I'm greeted with a rich bouquet of coffee, chocolate, molasses, and caramel. The coffee aroma in this beer is robust, with notes of espresso, dark roasted beans, earthiness, and a hint of bitterness. The chocolate is a delightful dark with a touch of bittersweet. The malt profile is roasted, doughy, char, toasted bread with malty sweetness and caramel. Other notes of earthiness, a pinch of Maillard, and a light floral note. While I'm not detecting the maple syrup, the other aromas are intense and engaging, making for a truly sensory experience.
The beer is delightfully yummy. The coffee is hardy with espresso notes, dark roasted, char, earthiness, and bitterness. The chocolate is dark and has a pleasant bittersweet quality. The malt complex has notes of roasted malts, toasted bread, char, and doughy, with some malty sweetness. Other flavors in the beer are caramel, toffee, raisins, earthy dirt, resin, light maple syrup, grapefruit, and light herbal note.
The mouthfeel is chewy and slightly astringent, finishing tannic and creamy. The body is medium-plus and has medium carbonation.
Opening Bell is a dangerous Breakfast Stout. The coffee is robust but not overbearing. The oats add a lovely creaminess to the beer. My only disappointment was the maple syrup; I did come up faintly during the taste. Overall, it is a fantastic beer.

Solid black appearance
Medium light carbonation with an above average body, slight thick creamy feel
Aroma is heavy black coffee, roasted malt,mocha and espresso beans
Taste is black coffee, roasted malt, mocha with a heavy strong dry coffee aftertaste.