Coldbusters Stout
Microbrasserie Pixel Brewing Co.

Appearance: Poured with a single finger of head that did not lace or retain. The body is a proper opaque black that light simply cannot penetrate.

Smell: The dominant note is some nice dry coffee, but when I say dry I apply it as a descriptor to the coffee, not the beer. I'm not that much of a coffee aficionado but I suspect this coffee was from Costa Rica as it reminds me of a medium roast I had from there not too long ago. It's worth mentioning as it really showcases how strong the coffee note is and that it holds on to that uniqueness. The downside here though is that it's pretty much the only note, as I struggle to catch even the barest whiff of toffee like malt in the background.

Taste: Starts us off with sweet toffee malt, which seems honestly a bit out of place, given the darkness of the beer, but it works in then blends well with that strong dry coffee taste that takes control then releases it with a sweet snap at the end with the beautiful mild bitter earth note.

Mouthfeel: The coffee dominates the aftertaste, but it's bitterness is curtailed just well enough by a slight sweet cling, the transitioning is great and has this unique blending and relinquishing coffee and malt note. My biggest complain here though, is the carbonation falls flat a bit too quickly here.

Drinkability: Heavy and drinks like a meal, as a good stout should although I've certainly have heavier ones. It's very apparent coffee is the central focus here, but it's done so well with that sweetness. It is certainly more of a sipper and the dry coffee does curb you a bit, but I'm not known for guzzling stout.

Final Thoughts: This was an exceptional beer, and I'm honestly a bit suspicious that lactose wasn't involved here given the sweet note that is present. It's not listed as an ingredient, so I presume it wasn't used. My next guess is they are achieving it by brewing something like a thick, malty brown ale and having the coffee take over the color. Regardless of that, this beer is great, and I would certainly buy it again if it was accessible to me.