First Catch Of The Day
Riverlands Brewing Co

 

 

5 oz serving tasted in a snifter from draft at Riverlands Brewing Company on August 15, 2020.

 

 

Released 5/25/19; drank 12/25/19 @ the Yarchives.

Black appearance.

A violent pour yielded a nice tan head; a thick curtain of tree-rung lace.

Medium roast coffee bean, maple syrup, chocolate syrup & mild vanilla notes in the nose.

Thick, creamy mouthfeel.

Maple syrup, chocolate syrup & vanilla flavors up front; mild booze heat emerged as this warmed up.

Really sweet; this is a true "breakfast stout", and it's a bit over the top. Not awful, though.

This is an excellent stout. It’s thick, it’s bold, it’s flavorful, and it’s boozy. Dark, roasty, malty, syrupy, big and fully bodied, it ticks all the boxes off what I think a stout should be, and, as the name suggests, it’s a excellent choice for the first beer of the day. Riverlands does it yet again.

16oz can, no apparent freshness date. A thick, black body is capped by a foamy brown head. Sweet aroma with maple, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, and alcohol. Rich & decadent flavors that have great balance and complexity: dark bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, coffee, maple, caramel, booze, and modest earthy hops. Full & creamy body, sweetness overpowers bitterness, but the big alcohol boost helps battle the sweetness; earthy and peppery finish with dark chocolate lingering. Wow, this was great! Glad I found one to try!

 

 

Had on tap at Riverlands brewery. This was the first beer I had from Riverlands and I was very impressed. The look was pitch black with a very thin head. The smell was maple and coffee with chocolate and a hint of vanilla. The taste was heavily coffee with maple giving it some sweetness. The feel was full and thick. Very nicely done.

It is hard for a young brewer to pull off this style and be above the average... and Riverlands did it.
Looks are close to classic and certainly good enough: nice foam, pitch black.
Smells have a medley of maple, vanilla, coffee and, ahem, alcohol. Lots of alcohol coming my way. (Could be more subtle.)
Tastes follow. Could have fooled me about the 80 IBU that I thought I read on their website.
Feeling and finishing this sipper in summer is hard work.... but I did it.

Riverlands are almost homeboys to where I grew up in central DuPage County, so I suppose I feel some affinity. They are integrated into their community, but are young. So, I will revisit in a few years and see what they have done.

L: black with a tan head
S: loads of coffee and maple
T: maple first, then coffee, then fading into a black licorice-like bitterness
F: moderately thick, just about perfect body, not a ton of carbonation.
O: My first from Riverlands, and I thought it was pretty great. $10/can seems a little steep, but it was tasty!

 

 

 

 

16oz can shared with a few other bar-bat's. One of the best of this type: stout with maple / vanilla / choco.

LOOK: Typical Stout darkness with small lacing on small snifyer
SMELL: definitely maple - vanilla. Light choc. Very sweet.
TASTE: Sweetness throughout, builds throughout. Can prolly just drink one. Very smooth mouthfeel.

Overall excellent.

 

Pours a black color with a foamy tan head that lasts quite a while. Aroma of coffee and maple. Taste is maple and coffee with a bit of bitterness at the end. Good mouth feel; thick and tasty.