The Heart of Darkness
Root + Branch Brewing

Had on tap at the brewery, it poured black color with a 1 finger thick brown head that faded slowly and left minimal lacing. The nose starts off with the maple syrup hitting first, followed by the roasted malts and then the coffee beans. The stout basics trail with smoked grains, cocoa powder, hints of earthy flowers and faint chocolate. The taste is just like the nose with roasted coffee, burnt coffee grounds, cocoa powder, very strong maple syrup, charred malts, a hint of pine and mild chocolate. This was thick and smooth feeling, masking the ABV with a mild bitterness, going down easy like a fine dessert beer.

 

 

 

 

16oz. can into a Side Project snifter.

Pours pitch black with a 1 finger dark mocha head. Spotty lace but thick, oily legs. Nose is espresso, roasted malt, semi-sweet dark chocolate, and cocoa powder. Aggressively roasty and coffee-forward. Beer opens espresso, mocha, and chocolate. Semi-sweet. Roasty, coarse cocoa powder. Roasted malt, lactose, and semi-sweet chocolate at the end. Light tartness from the roast in the aftertaste. Body is medium to full with moderate to ample carbonation. Slightly prickly on the palate and aggressive and sparkling going down. Long, lingering, filmy aftertaste.

This one ends up being a bit too carbonated for my taste. Heavy coffee flavors are spot on though.

One month old. Can to wine glass.

L: Pours a very dark brown with a foamy brown head that dissipates rather quickly and doesn’t leave any lacing. No floaters.

S: Coffee, dark chocolate, burnt brown sugar and maple syrup. Malty, woody and minimally sweet.

T: Milk chocolate and maple syrup up front followed by cocoa and black coffee. First slightly sweet, then bitter and roasty.

F: Smooth, full and creamy. Medium low carbonation.

O: First stout I‘ve had from R+B and best non-BA stout I‘ve had in a while. Great flavor combination. Perfect balance of sweet and bitter notes. Nice complexity. Very smooth mouthfeel. Easily keeps up with their IPAs.

Sweet maple and chocolate, hint of dark fruits, and a coffee roasty nose on this one! Taste follows with a soft and creamy, chocolate coffee roasty bitter swallow. This is pretty good, but the coffee roastiness needed to be dialed back a bit IMO. It completely overpowers picking up any maple notes on the palate...even as it warms.