Ironclad Stout
The Cannon Brewpub

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at Cannon Brew Pub, 10/18/10.

Appearance: A hazed, dark fudgy brown beer with a fast-fading half finger of cocoa-hued head. True to brewpub form, this one has a fast fading head that leaves no surface lace, side stick, or collar foam, though intense examination under the light does review a few stray, slow bubbles.

Aroma: Similar to the taste (described below), but suffice to say, this one's toasty, a little sweet, and has plenty of heavy coffee notes and faint bittersweet cocoa. After typing that, I'm realizing I'm making it sound a little more varied and complex than it is, but let's just say it's nice without being great.

Taste: Interestingly flavored, and definitely large. Tons of spare coffee notes, almost liqueur-like at points, decidedly earthy and toasty but also definitely sweet, intermingling with toffee, caramel, and honey. A mild hop bitterness sits in the background as an afterthought but balances everything nicely.

Mouthfeel: Soft and subdued, for the sixth time. I guess it's just the way they carbonate their beers here. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes - as is the case here - it's a mixed bag. The end result is that many of their beers seem to taste nitrogenated, which is normally fine for stouts, but this stout is sweeter than most, so it ends up being a little heavy at times without the added carbonation.

Drinkability: A mixed bag. Not my favorite beer of the evening, but definitely not my least favorite, this one had some interesting qualities, some "off" qualities, and a few traditional and uninspiring places, too. On the whole, it has a lot of potential though - amp up the malt base a little, let this one sit in the tanks a little longer, and maybe barrel age some of it (eh? eh? anyone?), and it could be pretty happening.

I had this beer at the Cannon Brewpub on tap, and it poured a dark, chocolate color with a one-finger whitish-brown head.

The smell was of roasted chocolate malt with the slightest bit of hop aroma present. The flavor tasted of roasted chocolate malt with a bit of coffee flavor as well. The hop flavor was minimal with a light bitterness. The consistency was medium and the carbonation was light.

Sort of tasted more like a porter to me, but not a bad beer. I enjoyed it, although it was pretty average overall.

Appearance: Pours a clear, dark brown body with a small, fizzy tan-colored head.

Smell: Mild aroma of dry, dark chocolate with a hint of coffee.

Taste: Dark maltiness with flavors of dark chocolate and coffee, though very little sweetness. Not much of a hop presence beyond a faint, faint herbal character. Chocolate milk finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Mild carbonation.

Drinkability: It's alright!!

Pours a deep dark brown that lets through a miniscule amount of light, topped by a whisp of an off-white head. Comes out of the tank pretty cold, but as it warms up, very nice aromas of rich roasted malt and mocha emerge. Palate is again heavy on the roasted malt, with mocha and a bit of caramel coming out on the tail end. Very nice flavor. Mouthfeel is too thin for a stout of any kind. Nevertheless, when looking for a draft stout in Columbus, Georgia, this is a pretty good option.