Breakside Brewery Salted Caramel Stout

**Aroma:** “Roasty with a hint of smoked meat, almost bacon-like, but balanced with a sweet citrus and pine hops character.” **Flavor:** “Medium malt sweetness with a moderate tannic astringency. Hops are earthy and spicy with a slight grassiness. Complex flavors bounce from roasty, smoked, and slight coffee notes to a sweet and dank hops character.” **Overall:** “Very nice example of the style—the smoke gives it an extra ‘oomph.’ The roastiness evokes Starbucks’ Casi Cielo coffee, and the selection of hops is inspired.”

**Aroma:** “Huge chocolate nose, almost reminiscent of chocolate extract, with little roasted malt or coffee coming through. Very chocolaty (milk chocolate and Hershey’s syrup) and sweet. It is hard to get past the chocolate in the aroma.” **Flavor:** “Huge chocolate flavors, mostly reminiscent of a sweet chocolate bar or a chocolate factory. Coffee and roasted malts are subtle and help to balance, but finish is sweet and chocolaty with some slightly minty flavors. Tastes exactly like a mocha frappuccino. Very faint hops bitterness and some alcohol warmth that provides a nice accent.” **Overall:** “Very complex, unique beer that showcases chocolate more than coffee. It tastes like a sweet chocolate bar in a glass. It would serve as an incredible example of a chocolate stout, but is lacking as a chocolate coffee stout. This isn't so much a beer as it is a dessert. However, the sweetness is not cloying, and the finish is clean.”

Aroma: “Sweet chocolate with medium lactose and medium caramel. Caramel sweetness mixes with a light maple- syrup aroma. Caramel is complex, indicating a variety of colors (degrees of caramelization).” Flavor: “Like a liquid caramel chocolate candy. Caramel dominates with the chocolate and roast playing an important supporting role. The salt adds just a touch of complexity but elevates the beer tremendously.” Overall: “Exactly what you would expect but even better balanced. It’s very well made and it does an excellent job of expressing the adjuncts and tasting like salted caramel added to a rich milk stout. Rich and creamy up front with a lingering chocolate sweetness.”