Cooler Gargoyle
Riverlands Brewing Co

16oz can
L: tall khaki head caps a near black stout
S: roasted barley, coffee, lactose, cacao nibs
T: rich chocolate, coffee, sweet lactose, roasted grain; mild caramel and vanilla in the background
F: full body, very creamy and smooth, alcohol is well concealed but sneaks up on you at 10%
O: delicious beer

 

Aroma is dark/roasted malts, dark chocolate/cocoa and coffee. The flavor is cocoa/dark chocolate, dark malts, a hint of scotch/vinous and a mild/medium sweet/acidic/warming alcoholic finish.

Served from the can in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Now, are we talking a gargoyle that's more "in"/"with it" than others of his species, or are we talkin' a gargoyle that's affixed to the chest that's keeping your brews cold? Regardless, this stuff pours a deep midnight brown topped by a finger of dark sandstone foam. The nose comprises roasty coffee, roasted malts, mild dark stone fruits, a pinch of cocoa powder, and a twinge of vanilla in the back. The taste holds notes of chocolate syrup, light sweet coffee, and that same vein of vanilla as before, just a touch stronger here. The body is a lithe medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a silky feel. Overall, a rather nice milk stout, one in which the coffee adds a pleasantly subtle additional dimension to things.