Dance Money
Forest & Main - The Brewery

 

Deeply black coffee brown is the color of the brew as it cascades from pint can into a clear glass liter mug. Emptied entirely, there's an overly generous foamy and dark tan head on top. The aroma is a decent and properly roasted malt only character, as it should be. It's defined, but not pungent. This is practically the epitome of what a good standard stout should taste like. It's much more flavorful than the world's most popular stout, but naturally so. There's no apparent additional flavors to the traditional roasted barley malt, hops, yeast and water that create this wonderful style of beer. Yes, there's some additional oats, but not enough to effect the taste. The roasted malt provides just enough sweetness, assisted by some alcohol. Then, by virtue of the roasting, contributes to a mildly bitter counterbalance. Of course, the common nuances of coffee and dark chocolate are there, as this has a complex taste far beyond its basic ingredients. The mouthfeel is just about right for its style, maybe just a little lighter and that actually works better. There's almost no glass lacing, despite the foam, but this goes down so easily and tastefully, it's really not missed. This brewery continues to amaze with the quality of its British style brews.

 

 

Sampling a 16 oz can of this beer poured into my snifter. Given to me as part of a Christmas beer exchange. No date stamp on the label or the can.
The beer pours a dark black coffee color with a dense spongey head of 5 or 6 cm foaming up and basically overtopping my glass. I have to leave ~25% of the beer in the can, and this snifter is able to fit 22 oz. Gentle pour and big foam, has me a little worried so far. The foam slowly fades to a very sturdy surface covering and leaves some scattered lattice as it slides away. Dinged appearance a bit for overly foamy.
Aroma on this beer is very roasty, almost charred wood, some dry coffee grounds in there, high% Cacao notes and just a little grassy hop note in the background. No hint of any ABV on the nose. Seems a good olde fashioned stout.
First sip reveals a medium body with fine and mild tingly carbonation. No stickiness or oily texture. Beer drinks easy on physical traits.
Flavor is similar to the nose advertisements. I get some roasted malt and very dark chocolate, high% Cacao candy bar. No sweetness here on this beer. A little bit of black coffee and some slight bitterness, but from dark malt, not hops. Beer dries out my palate on each sip and flavor is fairly sharp and doesnt let up long after each swallow.
This is a no frills American Stout with a ton of roast and dark chocolate. Pretty easy to drink, but dont come here looking for any sweetness or additives. Glad I tried this one!

 

excellent

 

 

16 oz can, picked up at the brewery

pours jet black, with thick tan colored head. pretty good head retention. big roasty aroma - espresso, dark cocoa. similar taste, fairly dry. fuller bodied.