English Breakfast Stout
Fortnight Brewing Company

a decent can of stout here, tastes a little dated to me, probably should have drank it sooner. always tough to sit on coffee beer because you run the risk of this sort of coffee fade, oxidation, green pepper decay, whatever. its not bad here, the coffee is still pretty well in tact, but its there a little bit as the beer warms, and it makes the whole thing seem a little tired, i hope to try it fresher at some point. its a cool beer though, with a big cocoa character to it, lots of roast from the malt to supplement the roasty coffee, and there is a definite cocoa element, added chocolate perhaps, and that has held up a bit better than the coffee. i like the boldness of the flavors in here, and think fresher it would have great balance. the milk sugar may be unnecessary, as i almost always seem to think it is, here very sweet all the way through, it lingers long on the teeth and fills me up a bit, i could do with much less of it. the beer overall could use a lot more carbonation too, its still in the glass, and it feels heavy because its got no lift. the alcohol is real well hidden though, this doesnt drink anywhere near as strong as it is listed. tasty, a little decadent, but a cool can of beer. my first from fortnight.

A little less than a finger of deep tan to brown hue, even surface, not much retention, hardly any stickiness to the lacing. Black, opaque liquid, light orange aura, can't really see any bubbles through the liquid. Nose of German chocolate cake, café au lait, black licorice, brioche, plenty sweet but the texture remains sleek, hint of poached plum to prune fruit. Medium-bodied, has a tingly prickle during the mouth entry, uncommon firmness. More roast to the coffee accents here, dough and pie crust but that roastiness trails off swiftly. Cola bean, licorice and anise, more herbal sweetness than sugary sweetness. The cherry, plum fruit is mild and does not interrupt the general dryness. Smooth enough and inoffensive in all ways, easy drinking and sessionable.

 

 

12 oz can at the Spring 2018 ASMF.
Very dark colored body. Bold flavor for style, largely due to the generous load of dark roasted grains. The flavor is mildly bitter rather than lightly sweet as the aroma suggests, although there's certainly some
FEEL: Full body with overly fizzy medium - high carbonation.
Overall: worth trying.

 

Had on cask. Black color with a foamy lingering white head. Not much of a bouquet. Sweet malt character, oaky, Bourbon-like flavors. Coffee and chocolate notes are present, but not overpowering. Rich and full bodied with a dark complexity. Lingering sweet finish. Conceptually similar to Port: something you sip and don’t want to have a ton of, but quite enjoyable. Without question my favorite cask ale and favorite beer from Fortnight yet.