Dark Side
Bath Ales Ltd

 

 

My favourite stout, Period! - Very dark in colour with a rich, strong, smokey flavour and a touch of fizz up front - pleasing, complexity on the tongue with just the right amount of bitterness in the after-taste. Consistently superb stout!

The colour is very dark brown, almost black. The finger thick head is beige and compact; it sinks slowly leaving no lacing on the glass.

The smell is roasted with malt notes of coffee, cocoa and a touch of tar.

The taste is bitter-dry and roasted, almost burned. Coffee, charcoal, pumpernickel and rye crispbread. Light clean bitterness. Light to medium body. The aftertaste got growing herbal bitterness, passing cream and a hint of tea. Pumpernickel and liquorice in the short finish.

The carbonation is medium strong; the many bubbles are small and fresh. The liquid is light.

A pleasant and dry English stout.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a thin head on a black body.
The aroma is lots of licorice with touch of black coffee. Simple but deep.
The taste is again lots of licorice, some burnt malt.
The texture is smooth.
Enjoyable.

Black, even when held against the light, with a one-finger beige head that disappears after a couple of minutes. Not much lacing.

Soft nose. Some burnt grains. Some coffee. I'm drinking it on the cool side, as recommended on the label.

Again, coffee and smokey malts. Very smooth.

The mouthfeel is a little watery. But this is only 4% ABV so it's an easy-drinking stout which, when served cold, means it's exceptionally refreshing for the style.

 

 

 

 

A very light and tasteless stout.

 

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Sept 2014, so it's a bit out of date. Acquired a while back from a supermarket. The label states that this is a stout brewed with various dark malts and hopped with Fuggles.

A: Poured into a tulip pint glass. A dark brown hue that appears virtually black in the glass. Yields a decent head of creamy beige foam that lasts for a few minutes before reducing to a patchy surface layer.

S: Aroma of mild roasted malt with hints of subtle burnt grain, caramel, ale yeast and faint stewed leaves. Pretty good.

T: Tastes of roasted malt with a dry, bitter finish. Notes of mild burnt grain, dark malt, faint coffee, a twinge of molasses, earthy yeast and subtle stewed leaves. Well-attenuated, followed by a restrained, malty bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with pleasant carbonation and decent body. Could be just a shade thicker for the style. Somewhat astringent, accompanied by an aftertaste of bitter roasted malt, burnt grain, stewed leaves and vague earthiness.

O: Not bad - a respectable stout with a balanced character. Looks nice, while the aroma and flavour offer a satisfying blend of roasted grain, mild hops and earthy yeast. Body is OK. Fairly light and easy-drinking; worth sampling if you come across it (especially on cask).

 

 

 

 

Poured into english pint.
Dark brown beer with only a ring of froth on a top. Aroma is mild, prunes and coffee. Taste is not very sweet, coffee, roasted malts. Very light-bodied beer, medium carbonation. Wasn't very impressed by this specimen neither for its bouquet nor for consistency. Too watery to be essential.

 

 

Bottled
Black with off white head - Dark malt body with some fruity tones - Malt body with some roasted notes with bitterness - Malt goes into the finish that is on the thin side - This was nice, but a little bit thin

500ml bottle poured into an Abbot ale glass tankard two days after it's BBD on 14 Jun 2013.

Deep, deep dark brown, maybe even black: tanned head.

Roasted malty nose: I got coffee and dark chocolate notes from the aromas, rich ground coffee in fact.

Smooth and almost creamy in the mouthfeel, the malts that rule the taste again give off chocolate and coffee flavours. Fairly sweet, which I like: all round a good beer for my taste buds.