French Toast Stout
Abita Brewing Co.

Looks great out of the bottle but the vanilla is overwhelming, almost like a bit of stout got mixed in later. Glad to have tried it but wouldn't go for a second one.

Pours a rich, deep opaque brown that forms little to no head, but leaves a hint of cloudy retention on the surface of the beer. Aromas are dominated by cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, and a hint of caramel. Flavor is a bit more confusing; I detect traces of vanilla, nutmeg, cream, cocoa, and maple. There is a hint of roasted malt as well. Upfront it is sweet, but no one flavor is overpowering. Medium bodied. I am not convinced that this tastes like french toast but it is a solid beer nonetheless. Very drinkable.

I can appreciate this beer mostly because I had to do a double take on the ABV I would have assumed it was around 6% being how smooth it was. While not bursting with maple flavors you do get the distinct flavors of pancake and toasted bread and its sweet enough to make you think of the breakfast delight. Price was on point too well played Abita.

 

Good, but wish there was a bit more vanilla/maple flavor---was subdued, which might be okay if it were NOT boldly advertised as "French Toast". Poured from bottle, medium body, 1/2" foam dissipates quickly (as most beers with ABV over 7 seem to do). Vanilla/maple hints in the nose and taste but nothing like the fabulous Oskar Blues "Death By Flapjacks". Mix that into a creamy stout and I'll give you a perfect score! Very smooth taste for 8% ABV good toasted malt in the stout. Good to very good but lacking the big flavor punch.

 

Pours dark brown with a light one finger head that leaves nice lacing. Aroma is vanilla and nutmeg, with a hint of maple, though subdued. Taste is a bit muddled, with vanilla and maple being present but not very strong. The resemblance to French toast is not strong but present.

French Toast Stout has a thick, beige head and a very dark brown appearance, with moderate lacing. The aroma is of blended pancake syrup and dark bread crust. The flavor is similar, with subdued flavoring and some bitterness. French Toast Stout has a medium body and a slightly-sweet finish.

RJT

From the neck of the bottle, in yellow ink: 22336 11:03"

Appearance: It is a black bodied beer that is nearly opaque, allowing some light through which gives a dark reddish-brown appearance. The head is large, khaki, and very dense. It has excellent head retention and it leaves nice sheets of very fine bubbles making it appear almost as a film they are so small. It looks picture perfect.

Aroma: There is a light aroma of cocoa powder with a moderate scent of caramel. A light bit of carbon on the nose comes through with somewhat of a woody character and a hint of pine. At times it smells almost like a chocolate tootise pop. As a whole it has a lot of chocolate character on the nose.

Taste: Up front there is a light bit of vanilla and it transforms into a caramel flavor. A light bit of cocoa and a very light bit of roasted coffee character. The flavors are very mellow in this beer but it is a good tasting stout.

Mouthfeel: The beer has an extremely creamy mouthfeel that is very smooth. It feels almost like a nitro beer but it has more body. The body is medium to medium-full but it does an excellent job of coating the palate, giving it the presence of a more full bodied beer while feeling lighter on the tongue. It is extremely easy to drink.

Overall: The label calls this a "French Toast STOUT ALE WITH NATURAL FLAVORS With creamy notes of maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg..." The beer tastes nothing like french toast and with the exception of a touch of vanilla it is missing everything it advertises. It tastes like a very nice stout, but it never tastes like anything remotely resembling french toast. The label also states that this is "8% ALC. BY VOL." and I had to triple-check that it was an 8 and not a 6 because the beer drinks like a much lower ABV beer. It does a phenomenal job of hiding the alcohol and the way it presents itself on the palate is excellent. As a stout I would recommend this, but I would not recommend it the way it is advertised (French Toast). I would probably buy it again if I wanted a high-quality stout, but not if I was looking for a breakfast flavored beer.