Sherman Stout
James River Brewery

 

From the bottom of the can: "CANNED ON 01/26/18" There is more text on the bottom but it is sliced off about 2/3rds of the way up.

Appearance: It pours oily black into a pitch black body. It has a short khaki head with a slightly creamy texture that covers a light film across the surface and a ring around the edge of the glass. There isn't much retention and there is no lacing.

Aroma: Even at arms length there is a nice coffee aroma. Closer inspection reveals a very pleasant and sweet smelling cocoa aroma. The aroma is simple but absolutely welcoming and it hits the style on the nose.

Taste: Right off the bat there are notes of caramel, carbon, espresso, and cocoa. These flavors carry from the front of the mouth clear to the finish. The aftertaste is a wonderful coffee taste. The can on this beer says nothing about coffee but it tastes even more like coffee than some self-proclaimed "coffee stouts."

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is medium-full and a bit thin towards the end. Bitterness is low and there is a bit of texture towards the end. Presumably this is to keep the beer more sweet than bitter but it could use more actual body and follow-through.

Overall: It is important to note that while this is labeled as an "American Stout" on this website, the can has this marked as an "English Sweet Stout." The body of the beer and the lack of head retention or lacing left something to be desired in this beer, but one of the important elements here is the beer's ability to deliver flavor. It dumps buckets of flavor. It has enough flavor to make it well worth your while to try this out. I would seek this out again in another year to see if it had improved, but I will certainly enjoy the fantastic flavors of this beer.

 

L: Had this beer on-tap at James River Brewery, poured into a pint glass. Had a dark brown / black color and a thick texture. There was a quarter inch of foamy, tan-colored, fairly long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: A decent, but not spectacular, aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, and some coffee.

T: Tasted of a small tinge of hops (mostly in the finish), a lot of roasted malt, some light milk chocolate notes (could have used more), and a hint of coffee. Like the aroma, the flavor was a bit underpowered. The malt is the star ingredient, but some of the other ingredients aren't as well-represented. Still, fairly tasty.

F: A solid amount of carbonation with a silky finish. Medium-bodied.

O: On the whole, this is an uneven beer, but it has good qualities. Worth a try.

 

 

Deep deep dark with tan head and tremendous lacing. Aroma of coffee beans, malt and chocolate. Taste def has the characteristics that it should have with nice elements of roasted coffee and milk chocolate. Finish has the perfect amount of bitterness and overall, a well done Stout.