Mr. Grumpy Pants
Norway Brewing Company

 

 

Such a let down. It looks lovely - rich dark brown, almost black, with an attractive foamy head. It's smooth but thin - the coffee notes reminds me of gas station drip coffee, and there's no biscuity, oaty depth. It's bitter rather than creamy.

Can from MrBarleywine, thanks for the opportunity!
Inky black with thin tan head that slowly recedes. Light chocolate with an onslaught of coffee. Creamy smooth mouth Not bad.

 

 

I took a flier on this beer with the intriguing name at The Foggy Goggle at Sunday River. No expectations. Was I pleasantly surprised! My first Norway Brewing beer was fantastic. Dark muddy brown in the glass. The mouthfeel was silky smooth, almost like a Nitro pour. Rich roast dominated the flavor (in a good way), and blended beautifully with chocolate. There's no need to be grumpy with a glassful of this!

poured into a mushroom tulip. canned 9/23/20

A - dark black, tan effervescent head hangs around for quite a bit. thin lacing.

S - licorice, coffee, smoke, char.

T - bitter chocolate, chocolate malt, espresso coffee, vegetal hop bitterness with coffee finish.

M - really nice carbonation and medium-thin drinkability from the oats.

O - the oatmealy-ness here along with the coffee is great. A very balanced every-note-hitting example of the style.

On tap at the brewery

A - Poured an opaque black with one finger of slight tan head. Head was more loose than creamy and dissipated quickly. Very low lacing.

S - Deep chocolate notes, dominate the nose from the can. Upon pouring, still an intense dark chocolate as well as coffee and roasted malt. Aroma is on point for the style, smells great.

T - Taste follows the nose really well, chocolate and coffee dominates as well as tons of roasted malt. The coffee isn't overpowering or fake tasting, its in perfect harmony with the flavor profile. Some hops present, with a slight earthy pine peaking through the waves roasty stout flavor. Hops are most prevalent in the finish where you get a nice bitter that balances really well with the sweet chocolate taste. It also has a nice roasted malt aftertaste that lingers for a while, something I love in a stout and I find it here. So I am happy.

M - It is thick and creamy and begs for slow sipping, ample carbonation to keep things lively, however this is meant for slow sipping and mouth feel is on par.

O - This is a great stout. It has a deep complex flavor as well as that nice roasted malt flavor that lingers, its thick and creamy and very enjoyable. One of the better local oatmeal stouts you can get in Maine right now.

Disclaimer: This beer is a free sample provided by Norway Brewing. While free samples are appreciate, in no way does this affect my stated opinions nor my review of the product. All my reviews are written in a real time stream of consciousness format, and reflect my personal, subjective opinion of the beer, which I strive to keep as unbiased and honest at all time.

Pint can - dated 11/16/2019 - poured into an RC IPA pint at 46F.

Pours a dark oily brown, sitting black in the glass. A finger of light brown head builds, before quickly reducing to a thin grayish collar.

Nose: A bit muted, perhaps a touch too cold. Typical dark roasted malt profile with an above average level of chocolate. Smells precisely like the puffy chocolate ball children's cereal. The coffee comes through strong and balanced, very identifiable as coffee, high quality, very fresh, with no green pepper or other off aromas. Coffee By Design (CBD) happens to be an extraordinarily high quality coffee, producing some of the best roast on the market. It's no surprise that the aroma is attractive.

Palate: The beer greets the palate with a moderate dark malt sweetness. Not cloying, not dry, but somewhere in between semi-dry and semi-sweet. The moderate roast lends some chocolate baking chip, brown sugar, dark bread crust, a hint of molasses, and a nice fresh coffee note. It's quite impressive how much flavour they have managed to cram into a 5.6% beer. Mouthfeel and body aside, this could pass for a 9% ABV stout without the booziness. Moving forward, the coffee note gradually builds, until we get to the finish where it fully asserts itself, with a beautiful roasty backdrop that really emphasises the fresh black coffee suggestion. The remaining sweetness fades, leaving a dry, roasty, fresh coffee finish, with moderate, balanced bitterness with no metallic flavours, and a touch of some classic bittering hops. A round maltiness lingers in the background, while bitter roast, coffee, and baking chocolate linger, with a slow fade.

Mouthfeel/Body: The beer is relatively light bodied, particularly for the style, though it manages to escape being watery or weak. It does have more of a dry Irish stout feel to it, but there is a little more heft than that, and some sweetness is in fact left behind clinging to the lips. I emphasise the fact that despite being light-bodied, it isn't too thin or watery, and has the same body I would expect from that average, un-oated 6% NEIPA. Crisp, light, drinkable, with a little bit of body and a little bit of cling. Effervescence is lively and uplifting.

Overall: Coming from a reviewer who has never been a fan of coffee stouts, I have to say that this is remarkably well done. The malts they used are absolutely wonderful. They're round, nutty, and full, with an expertly dialed-in level of roast. Not charry, ashen, or acrid, but bold enough to emphasise the coffee and provide a drying finish. The coffee is integrated into the ale incredibly well, coming forth on the nose, and at just the right point on the palate, to where it never overtakes the ale, but asserts its presence in the finish - remaining clean and fresh the entire time. It's a damn good coffee stout that threads many needles, and stays on the lighter side of drinkability. Well crafted.

A- 16oz can pours into a wine glass with a coffee bean black body and a deep cocoa colored cap. The head ascends to an inch high with a thick and creamy consistency and good retention. Plentiful, thick webs and drizzled lacing after each sip.

S- Coffee, chocolate and roast barley are the dominant forces of the aroma and seemingly balanced equally. Overall reminds me of a baked coffee chocolate dessert suggesting moderate sweetness with dark chocolate chip, dark roast coffee, chocolate malt and nutty notes.

T- Like the aroma it takes on the feel of a baked dessert and to me its like a chocolate chocolate chip cookie or a brownie paired with espresso. Very smooth balance between the chocolates (milk and dark), fresh brewed espresso and the barley base. Toasted, charred, nutty, roast barley and slight licorice in the base stout. Just a hint of earthy hops. Becomes a bit raw grainy with some time.

MF- Medium bodied consistency with a moderate level of carbonation. The texture is slightly creamy and frothy and it finishes with a roasty bitterness. Fluffy but not as creamy and smooth as some similar stouts.

Coffee and malts combine to give plenty of depth of flavor on the roast part of the spectrum all balancing well. Combines to come off as an espresso paired with a brownie or double chocolate cookie.