Black Stag Stout
Elk Head Brewing Company

 

 

Fresh from the brewery on 4/17/2012.

Appearance: Small, loose khaki head. Dark brown with a slight haze, which is expected given the unfiltered nature of the beer. Deep red hues when held to direct light. Pours a little heavier than expected.

Smell: Loads of cocoa. Some burnt notes. Deeply roasted. Sweet with a touch of char. Lots of malt depth going on here. Some coffee and touches of leather round out the back. Tiny dusting of citrus on the back, but it's malt-heavy and delightfully so.

Taste: Bigger roasted notes than the nose. Sweet and burnt. Coffee and cocoa with a sweeter milk chocolate flavor coming through on the back of each sip. Dusting of char with a huge burnt malt character. Deep roasted flavors push hard for fresh espresso and dark chocolate.

Mouthfeel: Moderately full body with a higher than expected carbonation. Drinks smooth and creamy.

Overall: I tried every beer they had on tap at the brewery and this one stood out. Loads of flavor with a nice drinkability overall. It pushes the boundaries of what I would expect from a straight American stout. Well crafted. Drop the carbonation a touch and it will really be something special.

My experience with Elk Head’s “most complex beer” (according to their menu) was disappointing. I first hoped that all that professed complexity was yielding an intended outcome too idiosyncratic for me to cozy to. But my Black Stag ultimately revealed itself as a victim of bacterial infection. The pained aroma gives it away. The flavor projects an odd, cream soda-like quality that might be of interest if cleaned up a bit. But beyond that, there were few hints of anything worth salvaging.