Holy Donut - Dark Chocolate Peppermint
Lone Pine Brewing Company

It pours nearly black with the obligatory beige head. The foam lasts a couple minutes and leaves an island and ring. The ring coats the glass nicely on the sip.

The smell is pretty subdued. Mostly stoutlike with some chocolate and a bit of peppermint. Dark malt, minimal char, slightly sweet.

The taste is better than I expected. You can tell it's a stout no doubt. Dark and roasty with just a touch of char and grainy bitterness. Slightly sweet. Then mid-taste there's slightly bitter dark chocolate that is fairly assertive but eventually blends back in. As it finishes, the peppermint says a hearty hello - its pretty strong and carries into the aftertaste. And my knock here is it's a peppermint oil kind of flavor- not artificial, but not herbal like i went outside and picked it, either. Peppermint candy without the extra sweetness. I don't really get donut and after a while the peppermint dominates.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, minimal carbonation. A bit chalky. The peppermint builds up and creates a bit of a sting and us a tad bit tongue-numbing. Pretty dry as well.

Overall, it's not bad but I wouldn't get it again. Meets the intent for sure. I'd rather the peppermint be more herbal. Everything is fairly well integrated but the peppermint takes over just a little by accumulating in the end. That is why I'm feeling it's a peppermint oil/extract - the residual really sticks and becomes overbearing.

 

Dark brown appearance with a scant fast fleeting tan head and no lacing to speak of. Pleasantly surprised with the chocolate and mint notes without being overly sweet. Medium to thick mouthfeel, moderate carbonation. Very nice.

 

Can from Bert's
Dark brown bordering on black with a thin tan head that quickly dissipates.
Chocolate dominates and peppermint supports in the flavor and aroma. Sweet and sticky full body medium carbonation. Not bad for a sweet fix.