41 Minutes
R. Shea Brewing - Merriman Valley

Wow. The label says it all. Blueberry hazelnut pancake. It's all there in the smell and the taste.

It pours black and not too energetic, but it continues to froth. The aroma is amazing. Blueberries, check. Pancakes, check. This stout tastes like all those and pretty sweet, but still serious.

Recommended. This is the real deal !

Bought this after Cleveland Beer Week 2022... this was canned mid-September - wait, it's exactly 3 months to the date! - and I think it might have been underpriced for a single. Oh well. Tall poured into a snifter. Pours black with a nice mocha head that fades quickly into a ring. You can smell the richness of the brew right away. Even I can tell it's blueberry pancakes, for the blueberry and syrup and bready smell is evident. I think I get the hazelnut, but that is an aroma I'm not as familiar with. Taste is about the same with malty goodness. It's thick and leaves a syrupy aftertaste. It does make you think you're having a cup of coffee or dark cocoa with your pancakes. It's smooth, creamy, fluffy, not as heavy or as sweet as you would guess.

It's R. Shea, and I've learned that they deliver on the flavors they advertise with their stouts. This is no exception.

 

16 oz can, born on 9/22/21, poured into a snifter at 55 degrees F:
L - dark and silky with a hazelnut head that lingered around the edges of the glass
S - blueberry pancakes, eerily so
T - tastes like a blueberry pancake, this is so weird
F - thick and syrupy
O - bizarre beer that actually tastes so much like a blueberry pancake it is uncanny

This is honestly excellent to me. No date on the can so idk if its old and aged well or if it's still being made. All the advertised flavors are present so as far as I'm concerned this was a win

Poured from a pint can into a tulip. As soon as I popped the can I could smell the blueberries. Small tan head over a blackish brown body. As the beer warmed from cellar temperature level the smell expanded to include vanilla and maple with a malty pancake smell. Taste follows the smell with such a hearty breakfast taste that it feels like coffee should be there but it isn't. This probably sounds gimmicky but it really isn't. Mouthfeel is perfect for the breakfast motif, hearty and filling. Almost no hint of the 12% alcohol.

This was made specially for last October's Cleveland Beer Week (41 minutes is the time it takes to drive from Akron to Cleveland) and I hope they have this on regular rotation instead of a one off.

Canned on 10/14/20. 16oz can poured into a tulip. Pours almost black; small khaki head that fades leaving nine retention and lacing. The aromas have a nice blend of blueberries and hazelnuts. Hints of cocoa. Lots of malts. The flavors follow the nose. More blueberries are hazelnuts leading the way. More hints of cocoa along with some hints of vanilla. Mild hints of coffee in the mix. The maple does its thing to round everything out. Solid malt backbone. It's obviously on the sweeter side, but it's not cloyingly sweet. Alcohol is extremely well hidden considering the ABV. Mouthfeel is full-bodied with moderate carbonation. It's very soft and fluffy, slightly creamy and very smooth. This brew is the epitome of being dangerously drinkable although it's what I've come to expect from the R. Shea's high gravity stouts that I've tried.

This is an awesome stout. It's obviously unique due the blueberry and hazelnut combination which really works. They also nailed the maple pancake characteristics. It definitely has a breakfast vibe going on. Well done. I really like this.

16 ounce can, canned on 10/14/2020. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch tan head that didn't stick around for too long. There's a decent amount of lacing. Aroma is nice and sweet, the brew smells like maple, blueberries, hazelnuts and some chocolate. For the most part the taste is pretty much the same as the aroma, but there's also the addition of some roasted and bready malt. Aroma is a little sweeter than the brew tastes, and I think the blueberry and maple stand out here. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's creamy, smooth and easy enough to drink. I thought this was a good overall pastry stout, sweet tasting but not too sweet. Definitely worth picking up if you're into sweeter tasting brews! $17.99 a 4-pack.