Mountainview Stout
Bench Brewing Company

bitter bitter bitter. overly roasted. dark coffee or beer?

 

Pours an opaque dark black, faint ruby hues shine through the light on the bottom only slightly. Two and a half fingers of darkly tanned, brown head appear and condense over 5, 6 minutes into a half inch of dense foam. Hard to deny this looks really good

Aromas of coffee, roasted malt, and I get a bit of a doughy note here… though I do bake sourdough bread a lot lately, could just be smelling that. Cocoa and some wooden notes, kind of like wet burnt cherry wood or something.

Taste follows the nose pretty tightly. Maybe less of a cocoa taste and more dark chocolate, general coffee grounds taste, slight hop bitter edge mixes with a slightly burnt bitterness. Roasted caramel malt.

Medium-ish bodied, moderate carbonation, maybe slightly higher, very well carbonated with foamy tightly packed bubbles. Pleasant finish and aftertaste, recalling mostly dark chocolate notes and a nice malty yeastiness

Everyone else’s review in Oct/Nov, here I am in June. Beer was canned and shipped before Christmas last year, I’ve probably had this sitting in my fridge for four months so not the freshest, might explain the slight bitter twang I noticed in the glass (ironically, didn’t notice it drinking the last 75mL left in the actual can itself). After being on BA and seriously reviewing beers for a while, this beer is the first I feel like I’m getting good at noticing actual tasting notes. After posting the review, I read the other ones and noticed we independently used many of the same descriptors and noticed the same flavours. Very happy

But this ain’t about me, it’s about Bench! I always see the Bench guy talking to LCBO employees about their stuff and where they stock it and what cans to stock. They’re coming up in the Ontario world so I’m glad they hit the right track with their beers. I never bought much of their stuff, not for any reason, just seemed basic, but I think I will now. This is a better than average, strong flavoured stout, while not insanely complex has more to offer with strong notes than most stouts out there

 

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Aug 27 2021 and best before Feb 27 2022. Served barely chilled.

Pours a functionally opaque black-brown colour, with burgundy red highlights 'round the base of the glass when held to a light. Seated atop is half a finger of bubbly, frothy tan-coloured head that dissipates within a couple of minutes or so; its remnants include a soapy collar and narrow ring of lacing. Nice roasted malt character on the nose - dark chocolate and cocoa, with hints of espresso, chocolate-covered raisin and molasses. Maybe a touch of smoke/ash, as well, but I could just be imagining that.

A quality stout with a balanced flavour profile: a little sweet at first, with caramel, molasses, sourdough and a touch of red fruit (maraschino cherry, maybe?) preceding roastier flavours that develop by mid-sip. Dark chocolate and espresso, with suggestions of raisin, fudge and weakly herbal hops; finishes back on the sweet side, with coffee grounds and baker's chocolate bitterness fading into the aftertaste. On the heftier side of medium-bodied, with low carbonation that limply nudges the surface of the palate, resulting in a smooth, fairly satisfying mouthfeel. No sign of the 6%, so this is just as drinkable as stouts in the 5 to 5.5% range.

Final Grade: 3.89, a B+. Bench's Mountainview is almost exactly what I want out of a 'regular' stout - big, bold malt flavours with a nice mix of roastiness and sweeter notes. There's been no adulteration - no vanilla, no cacao nibs, no barrel, no coffee beans - just pure, solid, stout-y goodness. It's not the most exciting or memorable stout I've ever come across, but it's well-made and tasty from start to finish, with no real flaws for me to get hung up on - something I could see myself drinking regularly this winter. If you're a stout drinker looking for something you can drink one after another, this brew warrants some strong consideration.

473 ml can served cold into a pint glass. LCBO purchase for $3.30 CDN. Canned September 13, 2021.

Appearance - Very near black from the can and in the glass. Dark an ominous with a big 2 finger fluffy dark tan head. Pretty good staying power and plenty of spiderweb lacing.

Smell - Big roasty chocolate notes, a little coffee too and more roasty malts. A touch of marshmallow sweetness.

Taste - Moderately bitter, some dark chocolate flavor, a hint of marshmallow sweetness and maybe some milk chocolate mixed in too. Tastes good but less intensity than I would've expected for a 6% ABV stout.

Mouthfeel - Medium-full bodied, quite creamy and appropriate carbonated.

Overall - Rather solid stout, just wish the flavors had a touch more intensity.

March 15 2025