Canhead Hardtail Henry Oaked Stout
Panhead Custom Ales

 

Big tan head. Black color. Lace. Thick beer.

Roasted malts, chocolate, caramel, fudge, molasses, and very light oak. Thick and rich. Dark dried fruits. I wish there was more oak.

 

I came across this brew purely by accident - it was the name that caught my attention and having had success with NZ craft beers in the past I decided to give this whirl.

Poured into a Spigleau Stout Glass straight from the can. This stuff flows black and rich - laces beautifully, dark as pitch with a tan head that resembles espresso creamer once dissipated.

Odour - Ah yes. Robust chocolate, tobacco, sweet coffee - vanilla and a whiff of ethanol coming up on the rear. A little spice.

Taste - Hits the mark. Fundamentally this stout is exceptional and ticks all the boxes. What set it apart was the vanilla and oak notes, they permeate the beer with smoke and desserty flavours, which couple nicely with the alcohol to linger in the mouth. This beer is best consumed within a reasonable amount of time of pouring at optimal temperature - the sweetness becomes markedly overbearing towards the end if left to open up for too long.

Mouthfeel - Silky rather than chewy. Sticks around for just enough time, no more, no less.

Overall, a delightful brew. Not something I'd drink regularly but nonetheless a fine example of the trade, would definitely recommend.

Dark brown, dense head on pour. The black is very deep, even at the edges of the cup. It can't look better than this.

The clarity and intensity of flavour is surprising since the smell by itself isn't so dominant. The oak with vanilla is clear on first taste, with bitterness following. It's thick but smooth, nicely balancing the 8% alcohol. It has a lingering flavour, even bite, long after the sip.

This is another new one for me - NZ brewer Panhead’s Hardtail Henry Oaked Stout - never had an oaked Stout before - Dennis of Plonk fame recommended it, my former work colleague (yes I worked at Plonk one Christmas... last Christmas to be precise) and the man who introduced me to Rodenbach Grand Cru and Trois Pistoles - I take heed of his zymurgy sage-like advice when it comes to new brews - and this is a new brew. Cheers Dennis my brewthren!

Poured from a 500ml can into a Duvel tulip... cans are the new glass bottles as they say [they don’t, I do].

A: Really about as foreboding as a Stout can be with a pitch black oil slick body and a light brown/khaki tight packed 1 cm head - it’s up there with the princes among Stouts: FBS and Old Rasputin... damn I love a good Stout! Leaves lace like a MOFO too - side of the glass is a blanket of lace even though the head has dropped back to nothing... colour me “most impressed” (basically gold). 10/10.

S: Vanilla... truckloads of sweet/floral vanilla... toasted biscuit, hint of smoke, dark chocolate and roasted tobacco leaf. Aroma is nothing short of spectacular... however this is an NZ brew - remember Dr Hops rule for NZ brews: They almost always smell better than they taste. I have a good feeling about this one though. 10/10.

T: F**k. Yes. This is exactly what the doctor ordered - Sweet milk chocolate/vanilla pummels you in the tastebuds - but the sweetness is right on the mark, not a sugar bomb, borderline but not. Roasty char flavours complement the sweet notes well. An earthy/tobacco note with a hint of bitterness finishes this excellent brew off. It’s not FBS but it’s closer than I ever imagined to my favourite Stout. 9/10.

M: Remember my terminology for the mouthfeel of Founders brews? “Founders Body” - this beer is close to that heavy bodied, creamy, chewy, oily but tack-flat feel that I’m wondering if there were oats used in the brewing process... noice. 8/10.

D: Towards the end of this epic 500 mls of beer-delight the sweetness did ramp up into sugar bomb proportions... this would be my only main critique against this brew. It is hard to find weak points with a brew this sublime though. Overall however I would gladly place this as the milk chocolate alternative to FBS [what about Xiquic Doc?] Xiquic is double the price of this brew, no way! 8/10.

Food match: Cigars - yes, the more Cubana the better.

Black with a tan head that fades but laces well. Roasted and spicy aroma with chocolate, hazelnut, coffee, oak. Taste pretty much the same as the aroma oh I like this very much dark chocolate.