Double Stack
Great Notion Brewing

3.63/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

On draft at Great Notion.

Deep dark brown with a lacey ring of foam around the edge of glass. Aromas had some maple and coffee, with chocolate and roasted malts. But the depth of flavor was not there, and certainly not to the level of something like Mornin' Delight. The maple seems artificial. Perhaps the thing that really didn't live up to expectation was the feel. Much lighter than expected

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3.89/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

BEST PART OF WAKING UP 050619 stamp by rim. Poured into a snifter.

A: Black with 1-2 finger dark beige head with good retention and sparse lacing.

S: Unbelievably uncanny aroma of pancakes with butter and syrup with black coffee more present with warming.

T: The flavor is unfortunately hampered by a strong bitter burned coffee note and then extract-chemical character in the finish and aftertaste. The maple is strongest early and then fades. The background stout also doesn't come through much. Disappointing given the unbelievable aroma.

M: Hides the 11% well with smoothness but slight extract tang in the finish

O: Double Stack has good points and bad points. I am fairly sensitive to the artificial/chemical extract flavor and feel so it can rear its head in a beer like this one for me depending on the reliance on on extracts to get the finished flavor and feel.

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4.53/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had no idea when I traded for this how highly rated it was on here. Sure, it's an American Imperial Stout with all the booze and heft that one would expect, but this was so tasty and wonderful that I didn't even notice how strong it was until I looked at the label. Yeah, this was a beast *but* it wasn't just because of the booze as this had enough behind it to back up it's overt heft. Of course, I thought that was a wonderful thing!

Of course, this had a dark brown pour to it with a thin, mocha head that didn't last long. The lacing left behind was thin and scattered as much of the soapy bubbles slid down the side of my pint glass after every sip. Tons of maple syrup, molasses, and rich coffee in the slightly muted nose but Good Lord, everything was amplified a few notches once I took a sip of this. Really, really impressed with how this felt as the thickness, sugary sweetness, and roasted notes came through in the taste. Lip-smackingly wonderful as even my hand smelled like fresh maple syrup once I put my glass down. If my breakfast at IHOP could be fermented and made to last for the duration, this would be the end result as I could almost taste the syrups that I pour on my pancakes, as I worked my way through this.

Sure, this was strong and it felt every bit of the 11% ABV that it was from the first sip down to the last one. When you have a beer that feels like pancake batter, berry compote, and fresh roasted joe all rolled into one, you don't forget it soon and that was the case with this offering from Great Notion. Slightly roasted, reminiscent of sarsaparilla, and slick like something fresh brewed, this beer was truly one of a kind. Dated11/26/18 near the top of the can with "DRINK NOW" above that, I let this go for a bit but it held up well over the last year and change. Easily worth it's accolades and ratings on here, I loved this beer and am so glad that I was able to get a can of it to review!

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4.67/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Canned: 09/06/2019
Poured: 01/16/2020

A: Pitch black, absolutely no light is getting through this one. Pour creates about a quarter to half a finger of light tan head that dissipates relatively quick.

S: Oh man, the second you open this can the immediate area around you is consumed with maple and coffee. This may be the best smelling stout I have ever had. There is a slight bitterness once you really stick your face in for a smell, but for the most part you can tell this is a maple bomb.

T: You are initially hit with a strong roasted coffee flavor that has a nice chocolate malt backbone to it. This evolves into a subtle maple sweetness that compliments the underlying bitterness well. I personally could have done for a tiny bit more maple that aligns closer to what I get on the nose, but you do get a wonderful maple aftertaste though!

F: The beer nicely coats your mouth with a thickness that is pleasant without being too sticky. This is about what I would expect from a stout of this size. I could do with a tad creamier mouthfeel, but perhaps I am just drinking too many barrel aged stouts.

O: I really love this beer. It gives the impression of being just a sugary maple overload, but the coffee and chocolate malt makes it a very well balanced and enjoyable beer. While it is a pretty big beer at 11%, it encapsulates it so well you wouldn't even know. I luckily bought a ton of these bad boys and I couldn't be happier about my decision. If you get a chance, PLEASE try this beer.

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4.32/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Sweet, chocolate coffee, and pancakes with too much maple syrup nose! Ha! The aromatics dissipate a bit as it warms, unfortunately. Taste follows but only subtly sweet...you're hit with the dark chocolate coffee notes with a hint of maple syrup. The dark chocolate notes get more prominent and bitter as time goes on and overpowers the maple for me. It has decent depth, just a smidgen thin for my palate.

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4.48/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Nothing to say that hasn’t already been said. Maple, Coffee, Batter. Just a touch thin. Noticed during my beer flight that GN loves a more bubbly approach to their beers. All have been a touch thinner, more effervescent, than expected.

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4.79/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A pitch black pour with virtually no last head. Just a thin ring of brown and off-white foam around the rim of the glass. The nose is intensely floral with a concentrated maple syrup aroma. I love that smell and I can't stop sniffing it. The drinking hits with big waves of lovely chocolate malt upfront. The mouth feel is very noticeable with just a thick, and full bodied feel that really coats the mouth and lingers well after each sip. Despite the nose the main flavor on the drinking is the coffee. Big and roasted coffee grinds that finish nicely bitter. I'm mostly getting the syrup note on the finish but its very pleasant and not nearly as sweet as I had anticipated it to be or what the nose suggests. Additional notes of caramel, brown sugar, smoke, charred oak, burnt toast, vanilla, and molasses. Despite it's feel and abv the brew is super drinkable and I'm starting to feel it.

Overall, WOW, just fucking wow. I love everything about this beer. Its big and brash but yet very refined with some many flavors going on. This is why the nbs bif is so worth it. A borderline 5 for me players. I could drink buckets of this.

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2.65/5  rDev -41.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

16oz can, dated 9/6/19 (I think, the first digit is smudged. Happens when you dat eon the shoulder of the can instead of the bottom) poured into 14oz teku. Poured the expected and typical solid black color, with 1/4 inch of light brown head that had low retention and lacing.

The aroma was all coffee. Full on burnt Folgers. No maple scent, and no beer aromas either.

Pretty similar on the tongue, with the maple showing up at the finish. There was also a noticeable alcohol hotness that lingered on the back of the palate.

The body was well thinner than I anticipated, and thinner than the vast majority of big stouts. The beer did manage only a semi-sweet finish, I was expecting a Grape Lotion dye-a-beeetus inducing amount of sweetness.

Drinkability will depend on your level of coffee tolerance; I can handle it as a supporting flavor, but when it completely dominates the beer, well, I coulda just gone to Starbucks.

Overall, not only is this beer not my jam, I don't think it's good at what it's trying to be. As always, YMMV.

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4.3/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: poured pitch black. Appeared slightly thin while pouring and with no presentable head.

Smell: heavy aromas of maple. Almost intoxicating with notes of pancakes. Coffee is kind of hard to pick up, likely due to overpowering maple. There is a slight mocha to the nose. Overall very sweet and robust.

Taste: sweet sticky maple. Just a touch more bitter than I expected. Coffee a little more noticeable with is slight char and roast, yet the maple still dominate. There's also bakers cocoa and notes of caramel throughout, adding a little more complexity.

Mouthfeel: little sticky. Maybe just a touch more thin then their other stouts I have tried.

Overall: an excellent brew, comparing to TG Mornin' Delight, Double Stack is a little less robust and maybe could amp up the coffee or tone down the maple to add balance.

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4.5/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 16 oz. can at home. Thanks for the trade Dan! The taste of this follows the aroma with a nice mixture of maple and coffee. Thick. Very enjoyable.

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4.49/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

16 oz can from Oregon via a friend. Pours a rich thick black with half finger of medium brown head. Aroma on opening can hits with maple syrup evoking a full pancake breakfast - in the glass the aroma remains strongly maple but with definite coffee notes and hints of chocolate.
Taste is sweet maple, vanilla, balanced by coffee/cafe au lait, minimal bitterness, milk chocolate.
Smooth sweet mouthfeel without ever being cloying - creamy with pleasant carbonation. Absolutely fantastic beer.

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4.77/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Tasted from can. Pours dark brown with tan head. Lots of maple and coffee on aroma. Taste is sweet with a chewy and sticky mouthfeel. Flavors of maple syrup, molasses, coffee. Awesome breakfast style stout.

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4.43/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Every Summer, I make this frustrating mistake of thinking that I’m actually going to spend the entirety of the three four high climate months crushing can after can of refreshing Pale Ales or IPAs. This misconception usually results in me doing something stupid like buying multiple four packs of the same beer thinking that the hot weather will help me power through the beers, and make them feel enjoyable all at the same time, while completely discounting such variables as (1) the fact that the human appetite decreases during warmer seasons; (2) my taste buds seem to get burned out from hops a lot faster in the summer; and, (3) regardless of the season, I’m usually too tired to drink a large quantity of beer after work, so I tend to reach for the higher ABV beers than the lower.

So until those three variables are somehow resolved internally, I usually find myself doing the exact opposite of what I think I would normally be doing in terms of drinking during the Summer months: instead of crushing session IPAs, wheat beers, and bretty saisons, I end up fruitlessly trying to solodome bombers of BA stouts and passing out with over half the beer still left in the glass; or drinking one 12oz bottle of a high ABV stout and trying to start another lower ABV IPA and then passing out with over three-fourth of the beer still left in the glass; or actually finishing two tall boys of an IPA, going to bed at like 12:30 AM and waking up tired and hungover.

My idiosyncratic drinking habits formed from my highly functional alcoholism aside, it seems like a single 16oz can of a moderately high ABV stout is usually right around my happy spot of where I want to be when I’m too tired to do anything productive yet not tired enough to go to sleep—lucky for me my favorite brewery has made the ingenious decision of canning their most famous beer in tall boy format; unlucky for me, it’s so rich it’s almost taken me 5 weeks to finish a four-pack by myself.

When I heard that Mikerphone and Great Notion were brewing beers together, I was kind of hoping that their love child would be a cross between Smells Like Bean Spirit and Double Stack, kind of like what EvilTwin did with Westbrook with Imperial Biscotti Mexican Cake Break, but with less spice and more maple. And much less sticky cloying sweetness toward the back. I think they ended up putting out some strawberry IPA which I didn’t try because well, strawberry and IPA are not two words I ever want to see in the same sentence, as well as an imperial stout with peanut butter and marshmallows because I think the bottles were only put out in Chicago, and it was only briefly on tap if ever.
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If you haven’t gotten the hint by me wasting all this comment space while writing absolutely nothing about the actual beer itself, it’s because there’s nothing really to write about this beer: it’s coffee, maple syrup, pancake batter, and done. For posterity’s sake, I will go on record and point out that the beer also contains minor notes of whole grain pancakes which contains half-assedly molten dark cacao chocolate chips, but maple and coffee definitely are the two incredibly bold takeaways from this beer, and for anyone to miss it they’d have to absolutely no functional smell and taste receptors in their body at all.
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Compared to previous batches however, the body has become a lot more enjoyable, and by that I mean that it feels less like syrup and more like 99% humidity while being 102 outside on your skin/tongue. I’ve either become more accustomed to bold, sweet flavors, or Great Notion has wisely dialed down the pastrystout a little compared to their previous batches, so that even sugar averse sippers like myself can reach the bottom of the can, albeit very very slowly.
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I honestly don’t know how I’m going to finish the last remaining can inside my fridge.

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3.96/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Pours really nice with a relatively thick tan head. Smells wonderful, tons of maple followed by roasty coffee. Taste is underwhelming compared to the smell. Neither the maple nor the coffee is as strong as you would expect from the nose, and the base beer is not tasty enough to back them up. Some bitterness comes through, but it's almost burnt-tasting, not sure if that's from the malts or the coffee. Feel is not great. Not really very thick for an 11% stout, and it's a little over-carbed too. Overall, a fairly good beer, but disappointing. I would probably like it a lot more if I hadn't tasted other far-superior coffee/maple stouts like ISLBS and Imperial Falling Colors.

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4.85/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Pours pitch black color with a 2 finger thick foamy tan/light brown colored head that faded slowly and left very nice foamy lacing that did not slip down back into the glass.

Wow, the nose is like a fresh plate of pancakes with a whole bottle of syrup dumped on top of it. Aromas of fresh ground coffee, molasses, brown sugar, burnt coffee grinds, maple syrup, butter, cocoa powder, charred wood and sweet caramel or toffee notes. It teeters on too sweet, but is so rich and like an actual breakfast that it's wonderful to inhale. You can smell the brew in the glass from across the room.

The taste lived up to the hype. It was like dunking a syrup drenched pancake into a stout, then pouring the rest of the glass into the leftover syrup on the plate and tossing some coffee grinds in it. The roasty aspects and slight bitterness of the coffee dial down the sweetness to a reasonable level, but you'd better love maple syrup to drink this. The chocolate, roasted malts, burnt coffee, molasses and buttery notes from the aroma are also present in the flavor. This is craft beer at it's finest, as it's the total opposite of a macro brewed lager and yet made so well that it's delicious while hiding the 11% ABV masterfully. A nice chewy feel to the brew, it's so thick it has a syrup like resemblance. Outstanding overall.

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4.5/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours with a dark moderately thick stream and forms an enticing dark khaki head that dissipates quickly but leaves a nice ring of bubbles around the edge. The smell is very pungent and is dominated by maple. Taste follows the nose with tons of maple and hints of coffee, which comes out more as the beer warms. The body delivers about a medium mouthfeel, which might be this beer's weakest point. The carbonation is medium to high and the alcohol is well-hidden.

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3.97/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Jim S. for this 16 oz. can, a long-time want finally coming off the board.

The black pour looks sticky & swishing like a wine snob proves it to be true. The nose is spot on as advertised: coffee, roast, sweet syrup. Lovely.

Double Stack is more subtle than I expected (with no basis for my assumption). The maple syrup & roast blend seamlessly, neither more dominant than the other. Beyond the core there is a deep bitterness from the coffee, cocoa, touch of vanilla. No hint of booziness, but smooth, sticky, & very easy to drink. Not too sweet at all.

In hoping for a maple syrup bomb, what I received was more like a standard issue breakfast stout that’s finely balanced. Very good beer.

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4.55/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had on tap a couple of weeks back, but happened to be in the Portland area during a release. Naturally, I grapped some cans to go. It was good on tap, but couldn't help but think the feel and aroma were weak compared to the hype. Let's see how the can compares, shall we?
L: The beer pours our a uniform dark brown and near black. A 1/4 finger of a tan head formed from a standard and straight-centered pour. Moderate amounts of spotty lacing marks the glass as I consume this novelty beverage.
S: Holy fuck. As soon as I opened the beer, it was like being exposed in a room filled ankle-deep with maple syrup. The maple is unreal, and honestly fills the surrounding space of my humble abode. Even my wife noted the maple smell from a distance. Despite maple being the star of the show, roasted coffee and malts are also detectible on the nose.
T: As expected from the nose, the amount of maple makes you question if your existence was previously based on a maple tree-based beetle. Maple is present from the initial flavor to the very finish, and resides in an abundance in the aftertaste. Second to maple, molasses and coffee come next in a cascading order of events. The finish comprises an abundance of maple with underlying chocolate malts, molasses and nice black-coffee bitterness. Milk chocolate flavor also linger in the aftertaste.
F: Full in body, heavy in weight. The carbonation levels are at the perfection point- slight fizz on the tongue but the beer still approaches chewy status. It is creamy, full, thick and delicious. Alcohol is completely hidden, making this beer a sweetly lethal offering. Zero alcohol presence, which is testimonial for an 11% brew.
O: Can't say much other than this beer is phenomenal from the can. I am a huge fan of maple flavoring, and thankfully, the maple out weights the coffee by a long shot. On tap, I really enjoyed the beer; from the can, this beer is amazing. For 11 percent, this beer is the definition of a lethal weapon. Chocked full of sweet maple flavor and subtle milk chocolate with a malty finish. From the can, the beer tastes much more balanced and places a greater emphasis on maple syrup and other flavors than what I experienced on tap. I disagree with those that say it is unnatural tasting- its tastes natural, just with an abundance and overload of natural flavors than could be perceived as overwhelming. This beer is fucking great. I am very grateful I returned home with a couple cans. Cheers!

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4.36/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a tulip glass via can

color is motor oil black

smell is sweet maple syrup(almost overpowering) burnt coffee and traces of butter toffee

taste is sweet maple up front, followed by bitter coffee and vanilla and caramel

carbonation is low

and the mouthfeel is a tad light

a solid entry into the "Breakfast Stout" category that falls just a bit short of the hype/praise this has received..that being said I did enjoy this and any Maple Stout fans should seek this out

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3.01/5  rDev -33.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5

On tap at the brewery.

Black with a thin brown head that leaves little lacing, this looks decent. The nose is loaded with maple and coffee with lots of chocolate and sugary sweetness. Sickeningly, syrupy sweetness. Mild vanilla, maybe a little dark caramel? The palate is insanely sweet with tons of maple, so over the top, with a syrupy coffee sweetness. This is like a Vietnamese coffee with more maple syrup than would be advisable, with a shot of vodka added. Boozy, sweet, astringently so on the finish, this is a chore.

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4.84/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a coffee black. Wow, what an aroma! Maple syrup and vanilla bean and some French press all meld together. Sweetly sippable and dangerously decadent. The coffee gives it a sharp edge that's balanced by the sweet side of things. Fantastic.

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4.39/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Very maple. Very very maple. Look is very slippery for a stout - light brown trim on a dark pitch brown body. Maple dominates the nose with some light woodiness on the taste. Kind of has a bottler pitch quality to keep it on the family. I was warned about this beer and made some waffles to go with it. Wise choice.

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4.71/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Appearance - Pours black with a big mocha colored head that settles to a thick cap great retention. Lots of stringy lacing around the glass.

Aroma - Wow huge amount of maple syrup, vanilla, coffee, chocolate and roasted malts. Smells like breakfast in a glass.

Taste - While the maple is more powerful in the nose the maple and coffee are equally strong in the taste. light vanilla and big roasted malts add great balance.

Feel - Heavy side of medium, smooth creamy slightly warming from the alcohol. Nice dry finish.

Overall - One of the best maple stouts I have had, smooth really easy drinking sticky maple feels like you need to wash your lips.

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4.02/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

From a 32oz crowler, filled 10/25/18. Served in a tulip.

Pours impenetrably black with two fingers of fluffy brown head. Retention is excellent, leaving a thin webbery of lacing.

Powerfully intense nose of industrial strength grade b dark maple syrup.

Taste is thick and sweet, maple syrup and coffee and cream sweetened with more maple syrup. And then some more maple syrup.

Feel is dense and syrupy, medium-thick bodied and surprisingly well carbonated considering it's been in this crowler for like a month and a half.

Overall, not bad and, in fact, kind of good in a guilty, sickly-sweet sort of way, but I can't help thinking the beer and (at least some of) the maple would each have been happier had they gone their separate ways, and there's so much residual sugar I can feel the teeth rotting in my face. I can tell you right now, there's no way I'm drinking an entire quart of this. Edit to add: It took all night but I drank it all except for maybe about 4oz, because I'm heroic.

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4.71/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

this is a beautiful looking brew that is wildly aromatic. reminiscent of a sweet and roasty sunday morning breakfast in very way. creamy flavors throughout invoking buttery maple syrup drenched pancakes, roasty coffee is definitely there but it takes the back seat in a way, blending beautifully though. mouthfeel is perfect.

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