Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti

Why I tried this: First off, wow. What a mouthful to say the full title of this beer. Secondly, I decided to try this beer because it had just come in stock at my UCF WoB. I was talking to Kyle and asking for recommendations, and he asked if I was feeling adventurous. I said I was, and this was what returned with him. Was glad to see a stout!

Smell: Very strong roasted malts, some coffee, and sweet chocolates. Strong, like a good imperial stout should be.

Taste: This beer starts off with a plethora of roasted malts, and doesn't stop from there. A hint of coffee kicks in, joined with a bit of aged oak, and lots of sweet chocolates. This beer is thick, and the taste is very powerful. You get a fair amount of carbonation, and the strong taste never lets up, all the way down.

Overall, I'd probably give this beer a quarter glass. It was very good, maybe even good enough for an empty glass, but I think what held it back for me was the extreme taste and thickness of the beer. Don't get me wrong, I love a strong, thick stout, but I don't think I could drink more than one of these in a sitting, which is why I can't quite give it the empty glass award. If you are one of those people that are taste above all else , then this would probably be one of your favorite beers. For the rest of us, we'll just have to be happy knowing that this is a very good beer that you'll want to try at least once.

--Jeff

Hitachino Lacto Sweet Stout

Why I tried this: Interesting story. I was at World of Beer UCF (no kidding right?) and talking with Kyle for a bit. He informed me that their machines were down, so we couldn't access my account or print out my list. I told him we'll figure it out, and asked for a recommendation. He came back with a 22oz highly alcoholic scotch ale, to which I told him that I needed to make it home. So, he came back with choice #2, the Hitachino Lacto Sweet Stout. I know Jon is a big fan of Hitachino, and I've tried their Classic Ale and Espresso Stout, so I took it.

Smell: Not a lot there, actually. There's a faint smokiness, on top of a malty sweetness. It didn't smell particularly roasty, and I didn't detect the usual coffee. It was weird.

Taste: The first thing I got when taking my initial sip was sweet malts. I detected some caramel in there, as well as a smoky flavor. As the sip fades, it turned from sweet to slightly sour, with a definite smoked flavor to it. Not bad.

I have to admit, that this was not what I was expecting from a stout. To be fair, the beer came from Japan, and I tend to notice beers from there are pretty unique. The smoky flavor was an interesting twist, and the milk sugar and caramel malts made a nice sweet mixture that faded out into a mild sourness that wasn't unpleasing at all. If anything, this beer will stick out in my mind as more being unique than it was delicious, but overall it was still pretty decent. With that said, I'd give it a quarter full glass award.

--Jeff

Bell's Expedition Stout

Why I tried this: It was Bell's night, and up next was the Expedition Stout. Previously, I had written about the Bell's Consecrator. I think this stout chronologically came right before the Consecrator and was the primary reason why I started to get pretty drunk. Thanks Kyle and Logan. Anyway, this is just the next in a series of Bell's beers I'll be covering from that night.

Smell: It has a very roasted, malty scent, with a good mix of chocolate. You can easily smell the high alcohol content of this beer.

Taste: I pretty much got the same thing I smelled. It had a very dark roasted malt flavor to it, with a fair amount of chocolate to balance it all out with sweetness, but there was a strong taste of alcohol that burned the tongue a bit. I don't believe Bell made much attempt to hide how strong this beer was. Definitely an imperial stout.

At 10.5%, this imperial stout was definitely a kick to the teeth. It was also the main cause of my downward spiral of the night. However, despite the harshness of the alcohol, what was there was very good and balanced. I always enjoy a good stout. However, I don't know if I would order this again. It was a sipper for sure. With that said, I'd probably give this beer a quarter full glass. If you're an imperial stout fan, give this one a try. You may be surprised.

--Jeff

Victory Donnybrook Stout

Why I tried this: What's this?!?! A new stout on tap that I haven't had yet?! This is fantastic. In this long journey to champion 500 beers, sometimes it's hard when your options are dwindling for a favorite beer type. Stouts are one of my favorite types and it's been hard lately for me to find one I haven't had yet. Whenever a new stout goes on tap at World of Beer UCF, it's pretty much an early Christmas present, or in this case early easter egg I guess.

Smell: Roasted malt/coffee flavor. Not very strong. There was another scent there too that would probably be best described as the smell when it's about to rain.

Taste: This beer was probably one of the oddest tasting stouts I have ever had. When you take your sip the first flavor you get is pretty watery. The water flavor isn't soft or bad, it's crisp like a good bottle of water. The difference in the water flavor is like the difference you would notice drinking Fiji water over bottled drinking water at the grocery store. It's a bit more crisp and refreshing. If you don't agree with me nobody cares what you think, you're wrong. Anyway, the beer flavor is odd because the best way to describe it is a watered down stout, that sounds a lot worse then it tastes in this beer's case. The crisp watered down flavor is pretty refreshing but all of the malty flavors and roast flavors you would expect take the back seat, a far back away seat, like in the back of a limo.

Im giving this beer a ranking of a half full beer glass. While this beer's watery flavor made it fairly refreshing and crisp, thats not what I want when I order a stout. I would possibly get this beer again but only in very specific circumstances. It has a pretty good flavor, it's not a beer that I had to force down or anything, in fact the watery flavor made it a quick easy drink. I would probably only suggest this beer to someone that told me they would like to drink a stout but the roasted malt flavors are too strong for them.


--Jon

Bell's Kalamazoo Stout

im an artist, what an artsy picture

Why I tried this: I wanted a stout. I had been avoiding this beer for a while because apparently it's brewed with licorice and I hate licorice. Yah, on a side note that means I hate Jager too, that stuff is the worst. Anyway, a few beers later and eventually my desire for a stout outweighed my hatred for licorice.

Smell: Coffee and chocolate scent with a slight roasted scent.

Taste: Before I took that first sip, I was a bit concerned. I blankly stared at the bottle for a while because of how much I really hate licorice. After some hesitation and thoughts of regret I decided to go for it and tackle the beast. As I flinched expecting a licorice beat down the flavor opened and it was very pleasant. The roasted flavor is noticeable and strong but is balanced very well by the other flavors of this stout. The chocolate and coffee malt flavors are superbly blended, there is also a syrupy sweetness to this beer as well. I didn't really notice any licorice flavor or maybe I just didn't mind it because of how blended in it was, either way it made me pretty happy.

After completing this beer and loving every drop this beer gets an empty glass rating. The flavors were great together and this beer was a very enjoyable smooth drink. This is a beer I would absolutely get again and again and like it every time. If you don't like licorice don't let that stop you from getting this beer. If you do like licorice, what's wrong with you? It's terrible. In that case you'll love this beer, especially since you can stomach and enjoy licorice.

--Jon

Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout

Why I got this: While at World of Beer UCF I decided that I wanted another stout that I hadn't tried.  Since its my favorite beer style my choices are quickly dwindling of stouts at World of Beer that I have not had yet.  The bartender Lindsey suggested I give this one a shot.  Lindsey always recommends good beers so I decided to get it.  I had never seen a Japanese stout in my life until this one.

Smell: A coffee and chocolate aroma is about 90% of the smell as I expected.  There is a different scent that was more subtle and less noticeable but I couldn't identify it.

Taste: Up front you get a strong coffee and chocolate flavor.  What amplifies the coffee and chocolate malt flavors is how roasted they are.  Adding to the bitterness of this stout is the very strong roast flavor.  If you dont mind a strong more bitter malt flavor you would probably really like this stout.  The strong roasted after flavor also will stick around a little bit longer then you would typically expect.


So whats the final rating? Well I really did enjoy this beer a lot from the strong roasted flavor to the robust coffee and chocolate malt flavors.  This beer absolutely had a unique flavor to it and it will absolutely be a beer that I remember and stands out however there are also a lot of other stouts I would rather have over this one.  If I want a strong stout I would probably just go for the Nitro Milk Stout by Left Hand or Rogue Chocolate Stout. Id probably end up taking a Murphys or Guiness over this as well.  It was a very good beer, but I would probably only get it in certain circumstances.  This beer receives a good rating of 1/4 left in the glass.


--Jon

Rogue Chocolate Stout

Thought I had a pic but I do not.  I
guess thats the only problem with
reviewing alcohol, sometimes you forget.

Why I tried this: Some dude online told Jeff that if you like the Shakespeare Oatmeal Rogue you will love the Rogue Chocolate Stout even more.  I also love stouts, realistically thats the only reason I need.  Also, look how happy that lady is.

Smell: roasted chocolate, while being the only scent I didnt think it was particularly strong.

Taste: Yummy.  This beer is really really good.  The chocolate flavor is more of a cocoa flavor and not as sweet as with most chocolatey beers.  Very subtle coffee flavor but somewhat noticeable.  For the most part all you will taste with this beer is the strong roasted chocolate flavor.  It actually tastes a lot like the bakers chocolate that says semi-sweet or whatever on the container.





We have been reviewing nothing but good beers lately but I guess thats not a bad thing. Anyway, this beer receives an empty glass for sure.  The bottle I purchased came in a 22oz bottle and I have already purchased it two times at World of Beer UCF instead of trying something new.  The flavor is a bit simple since its a roasted chocolate stout and thats exactly what you get but its so smooth and enjoyable I dont mind at all.  I always steal a sip of this when a friend has it and they get up and go to the bathroom, haha.




--Jon

North Coast Old Rasputin

Why I tried this: I had Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout a long time ago but I didnt really remember what it tasted like.  While browsing the bottle menu at World of Beer UCF I came across it and decided to give it a try.

Smell: Has a strong scent which seems to be alcoholic with a coffee and chocolaty scent.

Taste: At 9% this beer is very enjoyable, from the flavor even with the smell as it was you would never guess this beer was 9%.  The chocolaty malts and coffee malts work together very well and make this beer very good.  The alcohol is well hidden and hardly noticably, less than in any beer I have ever had at 9%.  This is an Imperial Stout I would absolutely recommend trying if you like Imperial Stouts.

This beer deserves an empty glass most definitely.  From the well masked high alcohol content to the flavor this beer is pretty much unbeliveable.  The flavor is very well rounded and nothing at all is overpowering.  If you like an imperial stout with a nice coffee and chocolate malt you will absolutely enjoy this one.  While enjoying this beer you may find yourself asking as I did how could this possibly be 9%.





--Jon

Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout

look at this angled picture Jeff took of me.  Jeff is such an
artist

Why I tried this: I was sitting at 99 beers and wanted to try something awesome for my 100th beer. I really wanted to find a good stout at World of Beer UCF that I had not had yet.  While browsing through the stouts I came across this 22oz mammoth and decided it could be a fitting 100th beer.

Smell: The smell of this beer was lighter than I thought it would be.  There was a slight chocolaty scent but its aroma was very mild.

Taste: This beer was pretty enjoyable overall.  There is a roasted malt flavor that stands out pretty strong in the flavor.  The beers flavor was simple but it was very pleasant and smooth.  The chocolaty flavor and oat flavor is most of what I could pick up on in addition to the roasted flavor.  This beer was an easy drink and went pretty quickly (all 22oz of it).


I gave this beer a rating of 3/4 completed because it had a smooth well rounded good flavor.  Its flavor was a bit simple but it overall worked out really well for this stout.  It was a delicious beer and I would definitely get it again however it wouldn't break into my "favorites" category.

(the emptier the glass the more we enjoyed it)




--Jon

Victory Storm King Imperial Stout

Why I tried this: I was at World of Beer UCF and felt like I needed a stout. Kyle recommended this to me, and although I have so far been wary of Victory, I trusted him. This could be a dangerous game to play...

Smell: Roasted malts and coffee. Lots of it. Just barely below the threshold I'd consider overpowering. I was fairly impressed.

Taste: Just as it smelled, strong roasted malts and coffee tones came through sip by sip. The beer was strong at 9%, but not strong enough that you could taste the alcohol. It was enough to let the strong flavors come through. Really good.

It looks like listening to Kyle paid off yet again. This was the first good beer I've had from Victory...lol. It was a fairly strong imperial stout at 9% alcohol, but it hid the alcohol well, and had a wonderful mixture of strong roasted malt and coffee flavors. The smell was nice and as a stout should be. The pour was thick and practically black, leaving a nice light brown head. Overall, I'd definitely get this one again.

--Jeff

Lion Stout

Why I tried this: Continuing my love for these craft beers in cans I came across Lion Stout.  I had been wanting to try Lion beers for a while and finally decided today was the day.  Additionally, the brand is called Lion what more reason would I need anyway?

Smell: Smelt very much so like a stout does.  I sensed some chocolate and coffee scents with a hint of a toffee like smell.

Taste: This beer has a very typical flavor that for me changed into something more unique on the back end which I liked a lot.  The beginning of your sip is malty and fairly strong and you pickup on the chocolate and coffee malt flavors.  After a second or two the toffee flavor reveals itself more so and there is a bit of a more roasted/smokey flavor.



Jons Rating (see about ratings page)

I enjoyed this beer very much.  It tasted great and I enjoyed it from start to finish.  It isn't one of my favorites but I would order it again if I was out somewhere.  1/4 glass left for this beer.

(closer to empty means we enjoyed this beer more and therefore would drink more of it)





--Jon

Bell's Special Double Cream Stout

Why I tried this: On another World of Beer adventure I had no idea what to order next.  The waiter we had Kyle typically suggests good beer to me so I told him to bring me a stout that I haven't tried yet.  A few minutes later and this bad boy was sitting in front of me.

Smell: Smelt like your typical stout.  A roasted malt smell.  The coffee scent stands out a bit but not too strong.

Taste: This beer at first tasted like I would expect a stout to taste like.  Since the label said cream stout I did expect a slightly creamier flavor then I sensed but it was still enjoyable.  This beer had a very well rounded flavor none of the malts in my opinion took over the flavor too much.  There was a flavor in the back I couldnt detect that gave it a very good and very original flavor.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give this beer an 8.  This beer was very tasty and had a flavor I could not describe that made it more enjoyable.  Other than that this beer tastes like what you would expect a good stout to taste like.  If you are a fan of stouts and haven't had this one out I would definitely recommend it.

--Jon

Dunedin N2 Stout

Why I tried this: While Browsing the menu at World of Beer I came across I new stout that I hadn't tried yet so I decided to give it a shot. In addition to looking like a tasty stout it was also from Florida.

Smell: Taking a sniff of this beer was as expected for the most part. Dark malt scent with a very strong coffee malt scent. The coffee smell was much stronger then expected.

Taste: This beer tastes almost exactly as it smells. You get the flavor of dark malts and then the coffee flavor comes in, takes over, and pretty much keeps punching you in the face. I like coffee so this was pretty enjoyable however I do look for more than that in a beer. If you are a coffee junky you will probably enjoy this beer.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give this beer a 7.5. This beer was pretty good and drinkable but I do look for a little more depth in my beer then just a strong coffee flavor. Would I get this again? Probably not. If I went to a bar and there were only one or two other stouts on tap I may end up getting this but there are plenty of stouts Id rather drink instead of this.

--Jon

I had a few sips of this and found it to be very similar to a Guinness, but with a more pronounced coffee tone to it. Didn't quite like that, since I'm not a fan of coffee. I'd rate it a 6.5/10.

--Jeff

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Why I tried this: I'm a big fan of stouts, what can I say? It was on draft, and I've heard nothing but good things about this beer.

Smell: Such a powerful smell. You get very strong chocolate notes that are balanced out by a bit of coffee and roasted malts. Almost wish I could eat this beer.

Taste: Creamy, malty, chocolaty goodness. You get such a nice mixture of flavors that pass over you as you drink it. It's so smooth. The malts in this beer are quite roasted, which give it a bit of a burnt impression, but that's where the chocolate kicks in to sweeten it up a bit. The flavor of this beer is just so rich.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it an 9/10. Young's Double Chocolate Stout is definitely one of the better stouts I've had in a long time. It's smooth, it's thick, it's creamy, and it's incredible delicious. With a nice chocolate and coffee smell to complement, this beer really isn't missing anything. The only downside I can see is that it's not a beer you'll be able to drink more than a couple of in one night. Other than that...strongly recommended.

--Jeff


Had this the other night it was great.  The flavor is very smooth and makes for a very tasty beer. 9/10

--Jon

Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout

Why I chose this: As stated in the previous post I tried this beer because I showed up to World of Beer for a poker tournament. How did I do? Well I'm no pro and drunk happened, so I didn't do so well. That aside I started talking to a random dude at the bar and suggested a beer for him to try next(Full Sail Session Black Lager), and he recommended the Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout to me. I am a pretty big fan of pretty much every beer especially stouts so I decided to give it a shot. I am a pretty big fan of jumping all in to try something and dont sample at all, maybe that explains a lot about my poker style.

Scent: Very strong roasted malt, chocolatey scent. A very nice smell, smells very sweet.

Taste: Introduction aside this beer was great. If you are a fan of Guinness Stout or Murphys Stout and wouldn't mind something a little, sweeter I guess, you will really like this. I absolutely enjoyed this beer however I dont think I could drink much more than 2-3 of these on a beer outing because of that sweet flavor. The chocolate and coffee flavors are very apparent however not quite as overpowering as other "chocolate branded beers.

On a scale of 10 I would for sure give this a 7, it would be an 8 but if I picked up a pack of this I dont think I could drink and still enjoy this by the 3rd to 4th pint. This is dessert.

--Jon

A few days after this posting went up, Jon recommended this beer to me. I'm a huge fan of stouts, and I couldn't love this beer enough. I agree that 2-3 of these beers is more than enough due to the flavor, but wow. The way the roasted malts mix with the toffee and chocolate flavors and scents, is just incredible. I'd give it an 8.5/10.

--Jeff

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