White Russian
Southern Pines Brewing Company

Picked up a four-pack from the Fresh Market in Hendersonville on 5-16-23 for $17.99. Canned on 4-?-2023; consumed for review 2-18-24. Cold stored since purchase.

Beer poured black with a very nice tan head that has some decent hang time.

Nose has notes of roasted malts and coffee.

Taste is very nice with a large medium roasted malt base that fuses nicely with the coffee, vanilla, cocoa and lactose adjuncts. Finishes nicely balanced with a deft touch of sweetness and roastiness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with each sip feeling soft and smooth.

Overall the base beer and the adjuncts work really well together. Would definitely have this again if available in the future.

Canned on date is smeared. Appears to be 04/--/23
Thanks to CarolinaCardinals for this one. Sent in Barleywine/Stout Big #1
Damn near obsidian black. mocha color head quickly dissipates to a thin ring hints at gold in the light. Meek lacing. Low retention.
Nose is coffee and earthy roast that is perfectly suited for a more traditional Imperial Stout. A hint of creamy sweetness pokes in as well.
The flavor is definitely more complex and varied. A really pleasant interplay between the milky sweetness and blissfully deep and round coffee notes remind of a regular coffee Jersey style (but with slightly fancy coffee). As I sip, the more subtle Imperial Stout characteristics come in: some chocolate malt, char, the most subdued earthy peat, coffee, some date, molasses, and even some burnt brown sugar. But this baby really does come back around to a slick, creamy, mildly sweet, deeply roasted coffee.
Mouthfeel is medium to hefty, slick, low carbonation, and only slightly warm.
Overall, I feel they really hit what they were shooting for.

A: Dark black in color with a dark tna to brown head.

S: Light coffee and vanilla. With a bit of brown sugar.

T: The flavor is the very definition of richness. Sweet and creamy, with coffee notes and caramel goodness, and a hint of bitter malt in the finish.

M: Medium thick in body, moderate carbonation, and a chewy finish.

O: The dude abides.

 

 

Look: It pours very dark brown with a brown head. Head retention is medium low.

Smell: It has a deep, roasted coffee aroma to start. There are some low cocoa with very low dark fruits. There is also a low note of alcohol.

Taste: It starts off quite sweet and sugary. There are some coffee flavors mixed in with the cocoa. It has a Kahlua like quality in the flavor. The are very low dark fruits in the background that become more plum like as it warms a bit.

Feel: It has a creamy, full body. The alcohol is extremely smooth. The finish is sweet alone with the start which contributes to the Kahlua quality.

Overall, if they were trying to create a beer that mimicked a white Russian, I believe they have succeeded for the most part.

A: Pours an opaque yet still clear thick viscous jet black in color with just shy of moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and faint dark cola brown + dark chestnut brown colored highlights. The beer has a two finger tall dense foamy dark tan head that slowly reduces to a large patch of slightly mottled thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Slightly heavier than moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Slightly stronger than moderate aromas of roasted + dark + chocolate malts with slightly stronger than moderate amounts of lactose + simple syrup (sugar) sweetness. There are moderate to strong aromas of coffee beans with moderate aromas of vanilla beans + and light aromas of cacao nibs.

T: Upfront there are moderate flavors of roasted + dark + chocolate malts with slightly stronger than moderate amounts of lactose + simple syrup (sugar) sweetness. That is followed by slightly stronger than moderate flavors of coffee. Finally there are just shy of moderate flavors of vanilla and light flavors of cacao nibs. Light amounts of roasty bitterness which fades fairly quickly leaving lingering moderate lactose sweetness + coffee.

M: Full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: Easy to drink with relatively well hidden alcohol considering the strength of the beer. Definitely reminds me of a White Russian in flavors and aromas though the base stout is still there in the background. A very well constructed beer and I could easily slowly sip on this one for dessert almost any night.