Breakfast Stout
Cloud 9 Brewery

better than its ratings, but not as dynamic and compelling as many of the other beers i have had from these guys, especially on my most recent visit, where everything else was dynamite. with a name like breakfast i usually look for maple syrup in addition to coffee. this has coffee for sure, almost overly roasty in the nose, quite earthy and bitter in the taste, but no appreciable maple, maybe a different approach to breakfast than i most prefer, but the base stout is nice, full of malt depth, and the coffee works in the mix, its just at this size it kind of needs a little more nuance, at least for my palate, like lots of roasted barley and black coffee is nice, but it doesnt quite take me there with this level of body and obvious alcohol. it doesnt have to be maple, even a dark chocolate layer of flavor, some oats or something more than we have here to fluff up the feel and drag it out a little bit, a hazelnut wrinkle, it doesnt even matter, but there isnt quite enough here to set this off for me, even though its well made beer. a little exposed alcohol and a lot of bitterness left at the end. good but not great, especially next to some of their very best beers, which we were able to drink in the same session here.

edit: this was better the second time i had it, a new batch i think as the alcohol this time was listed at 9.8% abv, and the coffee seemed to have more flavor and less bitterness, it was rounder and fuller and softer, and seemed better refined. its nice to see them get this one dialed in a bit, really enjoyable as an after dinner sipper. i am improving a few scores to reflect my latest experience with this.

Draft at BitterCreek. Dark brown, small ring of tan head. Roast malt aroma. Taste is bitter, coffee. Decent feel. Might have been better with some lacto.