Green Flash: Double Stout

So of my recent beer adventures, this is the best choice i have made. Thick brown head and a first sip that just says, "hey, im a stout. Where the hell have you been?" Passes the stout hole test easily, presents a brown chocolate malty deliciousness that i have been missing. The flavor lingers and reminds you that you just had a stout. Not quite a chocolate cake but more of a great balanced porter. A+

Stout Hole Test, Dogfish Head - Palo Santo

Stout Hole Test, Dogfish Head - Palo Santo

Even thought this isn't a stout, I wanted to see how it would do in the Stout Hole Test. It just barely fails, not bad for a brown ale huh!

Guiness: Stout

It was St. Patricks day and Guiness is what you're supposed to have. I will no longer honor this tradition in the fashion consumed. It was poured from a can and then put in their can-to-tap piezo thingy. It has the wrong body, wrong flavor, and was missing the very essence of a nitro-pour, being the frothy thick cream like head. Even still, the glass was hard to finish but I did anyway. Even consumed with Baileys it kept the same qualities (just more kick). 

And it fails the Stout Hole Test (sorry no picture).

Bridgeport Stout

Bridgeport Stout

Stouty goodness - passes the stout hole test. Nothing crazy here, solid stout that covers all it's bases.

Avery Mephistopholies - Passes the stout hole test.

Redhook Double Black Imperial Stout

Redhook Double Black Imperial Stout

Fails the Stout Hole Test.

I agree with munkey 1, it smells like IPArter. Which smells like hop flavored coffee. I like the smell. First sip is kind of bitter, a lot like black coffee like the name claims. Nice and roasty with a decent mouthfeel. But with the first sip it's also evident that this is not an imperial stout. Weighing in at 7% its got some balls, but this is more of a coffee infused dark amber than an imperial stout. Being a Washington brewery they should know that we're a bit spoiled when it comes to beer. Don't get me wrong, it's good, no weird flavors, very drinkable with a smooth finish and honestly I’ll probably pick up another bottle soon. Redhook has another solid beer here, but it lacks the intricacies of a real microbrew stout. I know I'm being picky... but I’ve got a thing for imperial stouts. Guess I’m trying to say - Good beer, just labeled wrong. Try it for yourself.

Oaked Tard Munkey

Oaked Tard Munkey, 13 months old.

Beer pwn fluorescent light, rar! Passes the stout hole test, as if there was any doubt.

Smells like molasses and maple syrup, it smells thick if that's possible. Clings to the glass, side note: this beer stained a thermometer while it was brewing. The first sip is a magical overwhelming sensory journey for your taste buds. First taste is sweet chocolate maple syrup on pancakes. Next an oaky vanillaish that blends into a velvety thick mouthfeel. Little bit of carbonation on the end I think is masking the high alcohol (14%). Smooth finish, I can't believe I'm not tasting the hops, this brew is well over 100 IBU's. This is a dangerously tasty and drinkable beer!

Carlton and United Beverages: Sheaf Stout

I had my doubts going in but this is a good beer. Imported from Tansmania Australia, this black bodied stout has a deep chocolaty flavor, white head, light carbonation, and a nice light mouthfeel. It poured very black and blocked the light entirely from my LED flashlight
and a LASER POINTER! This was a little misleading since it had a lighter body than say Deschutes Obsidian Stout. I was unsure as to whom made it cause the name on the bottle sounds more like a distributing company than a brewery. I'm going to read up on the Australian brewing practices and maybe post later. It was under $4 for a 23oz bottle and it was worth it. Also worthy of note was its impressive Stout Hole Test (it passed easily).

Stout Hole Test - North Coast Brewing, Old Rasputin

Old Rasputin - Pass!

Stout Hole Test - Elysian Dragontooth Stout

Elysian Dragontooth Stout - Pass!

Stout Hole Test - Great Divide, Oak aged Yeti

Oak aged Yeti Imperial Stout - Pass!

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

Results of the "Stout Hole" test below

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

First thing I noticed is that I can see through it. Hmmmm I think Munkey 1 and I are going to introduce a new stout test. I call it the "Stout Hole." You know, like black hole, but with stout instead of black... come on, I'm trying to be witty....

Moving on

I remember this beer being better. It tastes like a sweet reheated cup of coffee. Its got a little funk on the end of the pallet that I don't remember it having, I'm a little disappointed. Smells ok, kinda like my coffee grinder. Its pretty thick, definatly has a presence on the tounge. I'm going to have to try it again later in the season, I could have sworn I really liked this one last time I tried it.