Lil' Cowboy
Newport Beach Brewing Company

Served on nitro at the brewpub itself in a 16 ounce shaker. On to the beer:

There's one thing which nitro comes through more often than not; providing a thick creamy head which retains all the way down, and as a bonus decorates the glass in lace. The beer itself is colored black, which is no surprise per style. The aroma is at the very least fun to smell. It smells like smoked chocolate, and its intensity is modest.

I've never tasted the regular cowboy at Newport Beach Brewing. As it stands, it would seem that it would taste really good, because the smaller Lil' Cowboy provides a robust flavor, composed of baking chocolate, a little roasty note, smoke, and a kiss of bittering hops at the end. It's medium-full bodied and smooth feeling leaves this as a very good stout which is worth the purchase.