Natural Necessities - The Natural
Round Table Brewery

 

No date on bottle. I suspect it's from late 2023. Poured into a stout glass at 64° It's nearly ink black with a frothy, light khaki-colored head that dissipated quickly. It has a great smell with lots of freshly-brewed coffee, chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, and nutty char. This is tasty! The coffee is fresh and acidic and would do any Jersey diner proud. The chocolate is sweeter than in the base Dark Necessities and there is also a hint of vanilla/caramel sweetness. The malt base beneath is dry and bitter with some charred nuts. There is also an intriguing hint of dark fruit, which I really like. The barrel influence is very subtle; it's noticeable but doesn't distract from the other flavors. The mouth feel is rather thin, the carbonation level is appropriate, and it's very drinkable at 8.5% ABV. I like that Round Table didn't go too big on the alcohol. Overall, The Natural is a very good coffee-forward BA Stout. I prefer it to the base stout.

Bourbon Barrel aged coffee stout. Decadence if it had a second name.

Very nice opaque pour with a thin, light tan head. Carbonation evident. Coffee and bourbon on the nose, with coffee prevailing. The taste is on the sweeter side but still quite complex. Caramelized sugar. Oak. Vanilla. Dark chocolate. Medium Roast coffee with creamer. Thick mouthfeel. Honestly i'm surprised the ABV is "only" 8.5% Its a slow drinker like other barrel aged stouts, but at a much lower ABV.
Honestly, it's up there with some of the other BA stouts i've indulged in over the years. Highly recommended for BA Stout seekers.