Reagin's Stout
McNeill's Brewery

Reagin's StoutReagin's Stout
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From:
McNeill's Brewery
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
American Stout
ABV:
5.2%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.96 | pDev: 11.87%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
20
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 19, 2016
Added:
Apr 03, 2004
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 2.25 by Lucoli from New York

Jul 19, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by InspectorBob from New Jersey

May 27, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by jawneyt from Wisconsin

Mar 26, 2012
Photo of SickGnar
Reviewed by SickGnar from Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: True black – no light passes through when held to light. Brown cap of big bubbled foam falls quickly to a ring that also fades & leave no real lacing.

S: More bitter than sweet baker’s cocoa. Wet coffee grounds, dark fruits with an edge of tartness. Roast builds in well with time. Dark, dark malty sweetness. Background hints of hops and an earthy note. Decent, but lacking for strength.

T: Quite a bit more roasty than the nose. Firm & big roast grain component that just hints at coffee up front and then fades to char & loamy earth. Plentiful dark sweetness – blackstrap molasses, scorched toffee, baked raisins. Malt notes are rounded out by a bit of very dark bread crust and edges of slightly burnt cookies. Bakers’s cocoa is there as an accent note. Coffee & roast return in the finish along with a hint of woodsy hops. There is an avrid / tart edge that flirts in and out.

M: Medium body with soft carbonation. Smooth with some chew and a few sticky sugars. Mostly semi-sweet in a mild way with just a bit of initial soft drying at the end that lingers and really grows in the finish to become firmly dry and a touch acrid.

D: All the complex and rich foreign extra stout taste with a lower abv and lighter heft. Quite nice. Some lace would be nice, and a more forward nose. But the flavor and feel of this really shine. Overall it is nicely drinkable and enjoyable. I feel it must be stronger than 5.2 percent.
Feb 16, 2012
Photo of woosterbill
Reviewed by woosterbill from Kentucky

4.12/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bomber into a shaped half-pint; shared with vonschplieffen. Thanks Drew!

A: Black body with brown highlights; one-finger head of fine brown foam. Good retention and lace. Nice.

S: Bold aroma of dark chocolate, brownie batter, and coffee. Rich and roasty. Excellent.

T: Not quite as intense as the nose, but solid: chocolate and caramel up front, coffee and herbal hops on the back end. Tasty.

M: Soft, creamy, and full of fine effervescence. Pleasant but a bit too frothy.

O: Very nice stout. I'm genuinely impressed by the amount of malty goodness packed into a mere 5.2%. Well worth trying.

Cheers!
Nov 06, 2011
Photo of edchicma
Reviewed by edchicma from Massachusetts

3.97/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A pretty good brew. Pours almost black with very little head. Good malty smell and presence in the taste, Good chewy quality that invites you to another quaff. First McNeill's I've had in awhile, but I foundly remember them as one pf my first forays into the world of craft beer, As before, they did not disappoint with this offering.
Jul 24, 2011
Photo of afksports
Reviewed by afksports from New York

3.92/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Mmmm. I and enjoyin thi one. While watching two low seeds get their ass kicked at amity gall.

It kooks like a stout - black with brown rushing, bit fades from that a but as the head and lacng disaappear. the snell I'd rich, burnt malts, coffee hint with true bitter chocolate present.

Taste is quality, with a smooth clean finish to what's a truly nice sour. I'm very impressed with the drinkability on this one - it's a very easy go. Quick to move from sniffer to stomach, it's burnt and roasty notes are the most prominent.

Overall a quality bev. Much more so than the low quality competition in this round of ncaa's.
Mar 26, 2011
Photo of currysage1
Reviewed by currysage1 from Maine

4.07/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 5
From a 22 into an Imperial Pint served at cellar temperature.

Very thick on the pour, deep and dark, mocha fizzy bubbled 4 finger head, takes its time to go down. Good lacing.

Smell is of dry cocoa and dark chocolate, slight boozy dark fruits, specifically dates. Kind of a nutty undertone.

Taste is heavily of mocha with burnt coffee, residual flavors of vanilla extract, good bitterness that balances the malt, too dry though for my taste. For all this flavor I would like it to coat my mouth and stick around for a second or two.

Drinkability is very good, definately quaffable.

Much better on cask at the pub.
Dec 31, 2008
Photo of thekevlarkid
Reviewed by thekevlarkid from Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Pours a jet black with a half inch of thick, mocha colored head. Nice lacing. An inviting aroma reminiscent of unsweetened baker's chocolate. Full bodied and deep. Roasted malt and espresso up front. Lots of tiny, delicate bubbles help to give it a creamy mouthfeel and a long, smooth finish. In this regard, you can tell it's unfiltered. Unsweetened chocolate at the end again. Varietaly correct, this is a very good example of what a stout should be. Vermont proves its worth once again.
Aug 19, 2008
Photo of Jwale73
Reviewed by Jwale73 from Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Purchased at the brewery on 5/9/08. Served in a nonic. Poured opaque black with some dark brown around the edges. Half-inch mocha-colored head eventually settled into a thin slick of foam and tiny bubbles. Sheets of watery lacing with very little adherence. Scents of malt, roasted coffee and a hint of alcohol in the background. Taste similar to nose with a touch of dark chocolate. Nice dry finish without being chalky. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with light carbonation detectable throughout the mouth, but concentrated on the palate. This is one of the most sessionable stouts I've tasted. ABV seems pretty low on this one and flavors are very well-rounded (not too sweet and not too burnt). One of Ray McNeill's best in my opinion.
May 22, 2008
Photo of cichief
Reviewed by cichief from Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Purchased a few bottles at the brewpub in Brattleboro, VT.

A- Pours almost a jet black with a decent brown head.

S- A lot of coffee and a bit of licorice, all in all very inviting.

T- Powerful! A good stout with lots of espresso and a bit of chocolate, starts malty sweet, but finishes nice and dry.

M- This beer was bottle-conditioned and it showed in the tongue. The beer was nearly perfectly carbonated, lots of really small bubbles, but not fizzy, medium to thick on the tongue.

D- Very easy drinking for a big stout. Most of McNeill's beers are great drinking.
May 10, 2008
Photo of Brad007
Reviewed by Brad007 from Vermont

4.38/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Color: Pitch black with a creamy brown head.

Aroma: Thick and roasty. A big malt backbone with hints of coffee in the aroma.

Taste: Very roasty upfront. Hints of coffee and even a bit of chocolate from the malts. Smooth.

Mouthfeel: Roasty and smooth. Dry at the back of the throat. The roastiness actually coats the throat.

Drinkability: Very decent stout for the style. One of McNeils better offerings.

Verdict: Pick it up. Then again, if you like McNeils stouts, you'll love this one.
Apr 19, 2008
Photo of weeare138
Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

3.56/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appears a dark black with a 3 finger tan head of thick foam that slowly fades into a velvet cap and a hearty rich collar. Tons of lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of roasted grain, cream, caramel, vanilla, stale coffee grounds, wild mushrooms, slight hint of crushed grapes, lactose, and mild oxidation. Yes...it's past it's prime butwho knows how fresh these things ever are b/c they never put any sort of dating on the labels.
Taste is of the aromas with roasted grainsand dark fruits standing out with highlights of plums.
Mouthfeel is medium full bodied, slightly tart, with roasted coffee, and a hint of dark chocolate.
Dec 28, 2007
Photo of Stimack
Reviewed by Stimack from New York

4.3/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I was able to track down a number of offerings from McNeill’s this past summer, but since most where either stouts or big beers I wanted to hold off till the weather turned chilly before I gave them a whirl. I was a little concerned wit the age of the brews but that did not impact this one. This brew poured to a pitch-black color with a nice thick darker tan head that had pretty good retention, which left a fair amount of lacing at the upper sections of the glass. The aroma is nice, rich roasted malt barley scent with a strong chocolate and coffee smell. Very inviting! The flavors go along with the aroma pretty well, but the coffee and chocolate smoothness comes out, very creamy texture. A sweetness is there but to me is not pronounced and is in nice balance. This is a nice brew, a great example of the style IMO, looking forward to my next trip to VT to score some more.
Dec 18, 2007
Photo of Imstillthegman
Reviewed by Imstillthegman from Delaware

4.45/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
This bottle looks like it was made by a third grader. Blue piece of paper that someone printed up on their home computer on stuck to the bottle (in a wrinkly manner) with Elmer's white glue. Looking at it made me worry....

This stout pours pitch black with a small tan head with good resiliency.

Aroma improves as it warms some. Dark roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee. Really inviting smell.

The flavor is almost good enough to make me want to wallpaper my room with their quirky label. This one is so smooth. Blast of strong coffee at first sip leads in to a creamy sweetness in the middle before the lightly bitter chocolate finishes it all up. This is some tasty stuff.

Smooth, creamy full bodied brew. This bomber vanished quickly and made me long for another one. This one is one to search for. I just hope my friend will be able grab me another bottle or four if he ever makes it back up to VT. Great job, McNeill's.
Sep 15, 2007
Photo of shbobdb
Reviewed by shbobdb from Indiana

4.53/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Ahhhh. Thank goodness for bury-the-hatchet trades! This beer is an absolute marvel! It pours a deep-deep-deep black with a proud coffee-and-cream head that lasts and lasts. 30 minutes into the bottle, there is still a nice ring present.

Speaking of bottle -- this has got to be the least professional looking label job on a bottle I've ever seen, I love it!

The smell is rich. A strong presence of roasted barley, that powdery chocolate smell that mmmm, gets every beer lover going. That gets criss-crossed with plenty of coffee. Mmmm. I wish my morning cup smelled like this!

Which is just how I feel about the taste: I wish my morning cup tasted like this. The perfect blend of deep, rich coffee with a rich, dry chocolate taste. Yeah. Take a sip and POW! A blast of morning espresso, with a brief-but-important slightly sweet middle, which fades into the rich, bitter chocolate I keep raving about.

Wow. Good stuff.

And the mouthfeel is excellent. It is thick enough to make the beer's presence know, but also light enough that it doesn't interfere or become sticky-sweet. Really and truly delicious. The mouthfeel compliments the taste quite well. Rich, but not too thick. A delicate line to walk, and this beer walks it well.

Yeah, wow. A great, great beer. It reminds me a little bit of the beers made by Viking in Wisconsin, particularly their Big Swede. This is a big, unapologetic beer that rocks it all the way down.
Apr 12, 2007
Photo of silver1audi
Reviewed by silver1audi from Vermont

4.06/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Another great brew from Mcneill's. This beer looks great in my mug with a great black body and a thick coffe colored head. Smells of lots of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, and maybe a touch of toffee. It tastes really good too... just like how it smells pretty much... no need to go over it again. Mouthfeel is right where you'd expect it to be, although it did seem a little bit porter-esque to me. It's just a good solid stout. I gave it high scores because it was extremely enjoyable and I am continually impressed with Mcneill's offerings.

I would recommend picking this up if you see it. Personally I prefer the oatmeal stout but if you are new to this brewer, you're always safe with one of their stouts (and most everything else they brew). This is by all means a great beer but IMO not quite on par with their other stouts which seem to be a bit more complex and exhibit more than the standard stout characteristics. Far more can be said for them.
Oct 06, 2006
Photo of lpayette
Reviewed by lpayette from Vermont

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance- Wow! Very thick. It gurggles out of the bottle with near consistency of used motor oil (definitely the same color). Head is straight up brown- one of the darkest heads I've seen. Impressive. I'd give it a 5 if there were lacing involved.

Smell- Major roastiness going on. Coffee and Chocolate, with hints of lactose.

Taste and Mouthfeel- Thick and chewy. Heavily roasted malts, coffee and chocolate... Some apparently sweet unfermentables such as lactose. You pretty much know what this is going to taste like from the smell.

Drinkability- Pretty decent for the thickness. It took me a while to finish the 22oz bomber, but it probably has a million calories.

Other notes- thick black residue remained on bottom of bottle after pouring. I'd be careful about drinking this one again as it did a number on my digestive system... that being said, it was still a very impressive beer.
Jul 10, 2006
Photo of ppoitras
Reviewed by ppoitras from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22ozer from Waterbury Beverage, Waterbury, VT.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" milk chocolate head over a dark as hell brew. Head uneven, but again similar to a cask ale, kind of light and big-bubbled, and laces well. Deep dark malt aroma, no hops noticeable. Flavor is, as expected, dominated by sweet chocolate and coffee and roasted malts, but carefully balanced so as not to allow dark malt bitterness to take over. As has been noted for many of the other McNeill's brews that I have had, mouthfeel is somewhat disappointing with the low carbonation (not unexpectedly), but for a stout, I can forgive this. Mouthfeel good and smooth, but nothing a bit of carbonation wouldn't help. Drinkability is good as well. I bet this is a real firecracker on tap.
Jul 21, 2004
Photo of scottum
Reviewed by scottum from Vermont

3.73/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The bomber was full to the brim with almost no air, but the brew still poured out blackish black with a full dark tan head. A hard pour was required, but the head did stick around. Carb level still was not yet right though which lowered the mouthfeel score for me. Roasty and dark like a stout should be. Certainly worth trying. I'm sure I'd like a different sample even more.
Apr 03, 2004
Reagin's Stout from McNeill's Brewery
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 20 ratings