The Pike Brewing Company XXXXX Stout
What the brewers say
“This gorgeous and full-bodied stout is full of velvety malt texture and hints of chocolate, licorice, and dark roasted coffee. You may notice intriguing hints of spice, which make this stout a perfect pairing for any food that you’d usually serve with red wine.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “The dark roasted coffee character dominates the nose. Hints of dark chocolate, burnt sugar, and sweet malt are present. Earthy, herbal-tea hops aromas. Fruity, with vinous raisin esters.”
Flavor: “Rich dark burnt malt flavor dominates the palate, with dark coffee and espresso that lend bitterness throughout the taste. Molasses adds sweetness in the middle. Notes of black licorice, raisin, plum, prune, raisin, dates, sherry, and dark cherry are present throughout. Some hardwood characters in the flavor—maple and hickory.”
Overall: “The burnt roast dominates, with evident tobacco and wood-like notes. Would have appreciated some additional fruit to cut through the roast astringency. However, some of the malt sweetness helped cut through the roastiness to add a bit of complexity.”
