100 Beers, 100 Days: Day #12
This was a treat to find: a stout from Ireland that isn’t Guinness. I don’t want to knock on Guinness too much—it’s lifted my spirits and melted away weariness and despair on many an occasion—but the truth is that it’s really kind of thin and bland. And it’s also the only stout that many people know, and that white-topped black tap handle is a soothing sight in the neighborhood dives where the other taps all say “Bud” or “Coors.” I like stouts, but I wish that Guinness were a better stout.
Now here’s a stout. I used one of those Sam Adams science glasses, since I ran out of regular pint glasses (note to future self: turn on the dishwasher before you leave tomorrow), and I think this was the right choice: the smell was delightful, winey and nutty and a bit of that bare, charcoally roasted odor, lurking away in the corners. It feels creamy, with a sharp tickle from the carbonation; it has a strong roasted malt taste, of course, but there’s also a sour undercurrent, a fruitiness challenging the dominance of black coffee and char. It finishes dry, with just a hint of bitter hops coming through the taste of the malts. Even with such a full taste, this beer is quite quaffable, and quite tasty. This is the taste you should think of when you think of a stout.