Party Trick
Mast Landing Brewing Company

It's not a bad stout -- lighter than I expect. It's a bit thin on the mouthfeel -- I expect stouts to be a bit weightier. I can't taste chocolate or coconut. Neither note shows up much in the smell. Head is minor. The stout flavor, though, if you rate it like a standard stout, is pretty good.

I don't think I'd buy more of them (they don't have the advertised flavors) but I wouldn't have any qualms about grabbing this from a fridge if I saw it there.

 

 

A great collaboration with Banded Brewing, another excellent Maine brewery. Wow, this one is an accomplishment! Nice velvety, black color with very good head retention. Roasty malts, dark chocolate, and a bit of coconut in the nose, but even more chocolate and coconut in the flavor. The taste - like a melted chocolate bar with just enough hop flavor to keep it from being too sweet. Just after the swallow, there's a slight aftertaste of dark chocolate, just enough to keep the flavor there after the beer is gone. Quite the party trick - a beer that provides lots of sweetness without becoming too sweet. Great balance!

A- Tallboy can pours into a tulip glass with a very dark brown to black body and a nutty brown head. The head has a foamy and creamy consistency rising to a finger high. Good head retention and some small webs of lacing.

S- The aroma is strong on this one and it certainly showcases the two adjuncts in chocolate and coconut. The chocolate comes off as a somewhat dark chocolate blend with cocoa powder hints, it smells like good chocolate. The coconut naturally plays well with that and it comes in with a medium strength allowing a balanced yet rich aroma. Roast grains, toffee, caramel, vanilla sweets and a hint of coffee. Inviting.

T- As strong as the aroma was the coconut and the cocoa both intensify further on the palate and the combination has the essence of a great dark chocolate coconut bar or dessert but it is not nearly decadent enough to be too heavy to gulp on. 70%ish dark chocolate, cocoa powder, slight milk chocolate, dark roast coffee, toasted dried coconut, toffee, caramel and roast barley come to mind. Again, the balance is so key here as nothing is too over the top.

MF- A medium thick body with a hefty creaminess on the palate that is both puffy and somewhat creamy. Bittersweet cocoa feeling on the palate.

A brew with both strong coconut and luscious complex chocolate flavors that is rich enough in flavor profile while still retaining a wonderful balance and drinkability.