I’m a sucker for a stout. I don’t know what my problem is, but I suppose there could be worse issues to have. I picked this one up a little while ago in what turned out to be a stout day. I think over a third of the single bottles select were stouts.
Aroma
There is plenty of chocolate malt in this one. It’s got hints of caramel and coffee to compliment the chocolate. There was also a slight nuttiness in the mix. This one smells great.
Appearance
You’ve just got to love a beer that pours out as black as the night. It looks thick and oily. There wasn’t much to the head, but what little was produced was a rich toffee brown.
Taste
For as little head as there was on the glass I was expecting less activity in the mouth, but the beer bounces the coffee and chocolate around in your mouth nicely. I got a really nice smoky cigar finish, but without that dark coffee bitterness that often comes with the territory.
Overall
The Steelhead is an excellent beer. It’s got a nice complexity to it yet retains all the key elements to a fine stout. It’s smooth enough to enjoy one Sunday instead of my morning coffee. Rating: 4/5
