Silent Neighbor Stout
Atlas Brew Works

 

 

Pours an appropriately opaque dark brown, even held up to the light. Foam is ample and the color of cocoa, but leaves little lacing . Smell is roasted malt and coffee at first pour. As it warms, the coffee is replaced by other scents, cocoa, molasses, even a hit of the licorice another reviewer noted. Taste opens with malt, followed quickly by roasted grain with the dry grain taste of rye noticeable toward the middle. Hops also joins in the middle and caries through the aftertaste. Body is moderate, carbonation is light. The roasted grain and hops keep the beer fairly dry, never sweet, despite the molasses. Overall this tastes (and feels) more like a very fine Dry Stout than an American stout, with bitterness more from roast than hops. The rye adds a nice note to the flavor.

On tap at the Atlas outpost at DCA, served in a shaker. Dark black-mahogany, with just a small tint of golden brown at the edges when held up to the light. Very faint khaki head, and no lacing. Nose is very faint fresh baked bread, and a little roasty, smoky, chocolaty grain. Taste brings the faint nose out in a much more pronounced manner…nice. Maybe a little dried fruit and molasses in there, too. The mouthful is a little on the thin side of things, but body is moderate feeling…given the abv and the style, I’d think it could pack a little more punch, but…it’s good. There is a nice modestly bitter finish, almost but not quite finishing dry.

A can into a snifter. The beige head leaves little lacing. Caramelized malt Flavor and roasted grain dominates.
Blackstrap molasses. Dark coffee and baking chocolate make a strong presence.
Tangy, smooth & flavorful. A great Stout.

 

 

Pours a dark black color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has roasted malt and cocoa hints
Taste has a roasted malt and cocoa flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good Stout

Initial pour looked like a nitro stout; second pour, not so much. Still, the tan, well laced, long lasting head loomed large over the solid black body. Aroma held a healthy dose of grainy, rye-like, roasted malts. Chocolate was more noticeable in the taste. Roasted grains maintained a solid presence. Modestly carbonated, full bodied mouthfeel.

 

 

Nice light stout only 6.7

 

Atlas Silent Neighbor Stout, 6.7% ABV. Pours black with a four-finger light-brown head that left great lacing. Nose is roast malt and licorice. Taste is mostly roast malt, faintly sweet, moderately bitter. Excellent mouthfeel, overall excellent. Nicely done complex-flavor stout unencumbered by add-junks.

 

 

7 oz draft pour at the Half Street location. Pours an opaque near-black with a small mocha head. Aroma and flavor feature dark roasted malt, cocoa, light coffee and vanilla, and earthy hops. Mouthfeel is smooth and full. Overall it's a great plain ol' roasty American stout, and surprisingly appropriate for a warm evening before the ballgame.

 

No mention of brewer's licorice, but this beer reminds me of Guinness' 200th anniversary stout, and of Bell's Kalamazoo stout, each of which i find among the tastiest and most enjoyable stouts. When compared against other small craft brewers, then, the stout barely has an equal. It's not unpleasently sweet, it's a solid 6.7 percent ABV, and it goes well with pretzels and other solid junk food. I got my first 6-pack after a binge on Bourbon COunty stouts, and I far preferred it to some of the stronger ABV KBS stouts that were too inundated with dessert ingredients.