Locomotion
Kansas Territory Brewing Company

Just wanted to let the Kansas Territory Brewing Co. that they have appropriately named this beer. Truly it is a steam engine sludge with a kick of lighter fluid and smoke. In fact this is probably the worst tasting beer that I have ever tried. And this includes the 6 month old coors light that I found in the ditch when I was 14 years old.

12 fl oz bottle purchased in Kansas and served into a Guinness pint glass.

"Stout." No ABV is listed on the bottle.

Pours a creamy khaki colour head that could be softer and more robust but boasts a nice ~8 minute retention. Body colour is predictably an opaque black. No yeast/lees are visible within.

Aroma hits on chocolate/chocolate malt/baker's chocolate, caramel, dark malt sweetness, malted milk balls/Whoppers, and cacao dust. Lacks overt roasted barley aromatics. Yeastwise, it actually seems more English to me than American. Hopping is all bittering. Suggests a balanced if somewhat pedestrian stout. Aromatic intensity is average.

Taste follows the aroma for the most part, though the caramel is dialed down in comparison and it finishes on a stale dark malt note after committing to the chocolate (malt) flavour up front. Balanced if a bit basic as well as underattenuated. There's a scintilla of coffee substitute (e.g. chicory).

Texture is somewhat dry and somewhat coarse. Aptly medium-bodied. Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, scratchy, harsh, or astringent. A bit stale and a slightly acidic. Has enough heft on the palate to back its mild flavours, but it's not a thick or syrupy beer, luckily, making it a bit more drinkable.

Overall, it's a nice little stout that targets a classic flavour profile but falls short of matching the quality of good widely distributed expressions of the stout style. Worth trying and drinkable, but it won't dazzle discerning drinkers.

C+ (3.15) / ABOVE AVERAGE

***
03/13/18 impression from a bottle:

Very basic. Pedestrian.

ABV is quite well hidden if this is indeed 7%.

C / AVERAGE

 

Bought in Manhattan, Kansas while visiting my son at Fort Riley.... Army Base. Was told this was one of the best local beers. It was not bad, but wasn't great either. It was a solid Stout with a good mouthfeel. The initial flavor sense on the pallet was low though.

 

 

 

Poured into a pint glass from 12 oz bottle.

Look: Dark brown more than black. A nice compact tan head quickly recedes to a little film with a little lacing.

Aroma: Good chocolate malt aroma, some roasted coffee beans, chocolate malt grains, with some malt sweetness.

Taste: Again, a good malt presence, slightly sweet, with light coffee and chocolate notes. A slightly bitter finish accomplished with some boil hops and the char of the malts help to balance out the sweetness of the malt.

Mouth feel: I disagree with another review which calls it slightly thin; it has a good "full" mouth feel with very slight sweetness. I get a little alcohol hotness on the tongue but not much and no overpowering carbonation. It is smooth and sweet.

Overall: Very good, and I'll get this again. It is a very good representative of the Stout (but not Guiness) style. Nothing over the top on this beer and it is not a wimpy stout imitation. Good roast and malt flavor. I'll try more KT beer, and soon!

A - Poured out an opaque, jet black color with a tan head of foam.

S - It smelled of roasted malt and oats.

T - It tasted of roasty malts and sweet chocolate. Just a little bitter hop presence.

M - It was crisp and sharp with a smooth finish.

O - This is a nice stout.

 

Poured into a shaker pint glass.

Look: One of the lighter stouts I've had, it pours more of a dark Tootsie Roll brown, but it's so dark brown that it could pass as black? A tan head recedes to a decent film with no lacing.

Aroma: Good chocolate malt aroma, some roasted coffee beans, charred grains, subtle malt sweetness.

Taste: Again, a good chocolate malt presence, be it in bitter dark chocolate form, light coffee notes, a good roasted grain and malt quality. A perfectly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: On the thin side, but perfectly for sipping. It's allegedly 7% ABV but there is no official website to confirm it.

Overall: Pretty good, something I wouldn't mind having again. A little thin, and surprisingly high ABV. I'm still doubting that it is 7% ABV, but that's just me. Good roast and chocolate qualities. I'll try more beers from this brewery soon.

Insanely good for the price I paid. 50 cents a can? Is this even possible?

A tepid head and a thinner mouthfeel are the only two strikes, the rest is quite admirable!

Wish I would've bought more, but I had no idea it'd be this decent!