Nuts For You
Zaftig Brewing Co.

I had a pint of this beer off the tapper at the restaurant Buns whilst in Delaware, Ohio with my extended family for a lil' Christmas fun. It poured an opaque dark amber with tan head that did not leave much lace. The scent had roasty malt notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with rich semi sweet dark chocolate malt base with roast presence. The mouthfeel was medium in body and had a good carbonation. Overall it is a great beer.

Had the 10% newer version. Nice peanut butter/chocolate flavor. Not overly sweet. Cool variation of a flavored stout. Zaftig has some very good offerings.

November 19, 2022:

I thought I would give this brewer another chance. This one is a big, premium priced stout.

It pours black with a little fizz. The aroma is malty and has just a tad of peanut butter sticking out. The taste is the same, with lots of hop and other bitterings which more than compensate for the malts. Peanut butter is present in the taste but not overly dominant. The finish is fairly clean for such an ambitious brew.

Recommended. It is a bit easier drinking than most imperial stouts and would go OK with heavier foods, but it is just not imperial enough to be exceptional. I will go back to avoiding this brewer as none of my tastes from them have been first rate.

January 10, 2025:

I bought a can by mistake. I like it less now and feel like I should reduce my ratings further, but I won't. It's not so much the thinness that I noted in mu original review, but a harshness. I'll let this sit, warmth might help.

8 ball black with a very tall tan head that slowly settles to a thick creamy blanket leaving sporadic spots of lace here or there.

This has a nice solid roast that's got a cigar and tobacco tinge--leaf, skin and even a little smoke included--with a mild peanut presence that's more on the toasted side, even capped off by a little booze that comes across in the exhale like chocolate liqueur, providing a nice maturity to the beverage overall. The second sip brings up a little woody tang that also has a hint of red fruit.

The medium body is slick with a slightly bubbly but light carbonation that finishes lightly paper dry.

 

Look: Very dark brown, tan short-lived head, no lacing
Aroma: Coffee, chocolate, peanuts
Taste: Sweet on the tongue with a coffee like bitterness.
Flavor: I would say it's more like chocolate with peanuts than it is like chocolate with peanut butter. But that aside, it's a nice blend of pastry sweetness with coffee bitterness. Vanilla notes are present and then It gets boozier when you let it warm up. It's a beautiful evolution.
Feel: Medium full mouthfeel, soft carbonation. Dry finish
Overall: This is good. I will look for it and I will buy it again. Nice balance, good flavor, good feel, this one hits a sweet spot. I have found myself liking this more, the more of them I have had. It holds up well.

12 ounce bottle, Batch 327, bottled 4/20. Served in a Zaftig snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head that didn't stick around for too long. Not much lacing, either. I like the aroma, the brew smells like peanuts/peanut butter, chocolate, roasted malt and some coffee. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some vanilla and dark bready flavors. All the flavors are pretty well balanced. This isn't a peanut butter bomb but you still know you're drinking a peanut butter brew. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's slick and smooth with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a good enjoyable stout, worth picking up especially if you're into peanut butter beers!

 

 

 

 

Bottled on 12/20/18. Batch 260. 12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours almost black with lots of sediment floating to the bottom; small khaki head that fades leaving decent retention and okay lacing. The aromas have lots of peanut butter, chocolate and vanilla. Malts are there. The flavors follow the nose. More peanut butter and chocolate leading the way. It's a nice blend of dark chocolate, milk chocolate and chocolate syrup. Some hints of coffee in the mix. More hints of vanilla. Solid bitterness. It doesn't really come off as sweet at all. Solid malt backbone. Alcohol is ultimately well hidden. Mouthfeel is full-bodied with moderate to low carbonation. It's fluffy, creamy, velvety, smooth and dangerously drinkable.

This is a very nice "peanut butter stout". The peanut butter isn't shy, but the neither is the chocolate. The chocolate even shines at times. The craftsmanship is on point. I'm a sucker for peanut butter beers, and this one delivers. Well done.