Dragonhead Stout - Orkney Brewery

heygeebee

Australia

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 1st choice

Pours a black body tan head. Two finger coarse head a sheets of lace

Aromas are toasty and roasty, choc dominates

Taste is amazingly full on for a such a low ABV beer and really hits the stout mark. Not too sweet nor dry. Lots of roast malts, lots of chocolate a hint of coffee and hint of cream.

Mouthfeel well carbonated.

Overall I would have scored much lower but really this is AMA amazing beer for 4 percent.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 11:10:34 | More by heygeebee

Beamer83

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-27-2013 02:48:08 | More by Beamer83

Kinsman

New Hampshire

4.23/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Fills the glass with a nice dark black stout body and a creamy tan head. Aromas of coffee, chocolate, and a bit of fruit fill the nose. A hint of tobacco in there as well.

Sweet and roasty on the palate with a nice chocolatey flavor. Some yeasty qualities as well with hints of fruit and a bit of a mineral character, possibly from the brewing water. Either way, it's a pleasant array of flavors.

Velvety smooth and creamy on the mouth with a light feel to it. Overall, a pleasant change of pace from the norm of bigger and bolder American stouts. Packs quite a bit of flavor in a small 4% abv package.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 21:29:12 | More by Kinsman

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

02-06-2013 20:35:09 | More by DmanGTR

KellBell

Ohio

3.96/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This beer was so pleasurable on the nose, I wish it came in a scented candle. It's reminiscent of sweet pipe tobacco and soft leather, maybe a hint of chocolate.
It poured (from 0.5L bottle) an oily black with at least an inch of caramel head, which quickly thinned away.
On the palate, this beer is fairly smooth with nice carbonation; not too thick
The taste seems lacking in sweetness, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but other stouts I've tried seem more well-rounded. There is a very interesting rich roasted maltiness and just enough hoppy sharpness to make this stout a plus on my list, in spite of the dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 00:27:04 | More by KellBell

KStark

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +4.2%

01-21-2013 00:01:14 | More by KStark

Bix

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -15.4%

01-10-2013 16:05:33 | More by Bix

SpruceMoose

Australia

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Being an accustomed stout fan, I revelled in the opportunity to try Orkney Brewery's addition to the scene. Although it sports an ABV of only 4% (remarkably low for a stout of its taste and calibre), Dragonhead promises a warm treat on a winter's night with its bold taste and enticing appearance.

Appearance: A mildly aggressive pour leaves a beige-brown head that retains its size for a few minutes. The body is completely black and characteristically opaque, informing the drinker that it is a full-bodied stout.

Smell: Hints of coffee, chocolate, toast and other bitter aromas are instantly noticeable upon the first whiff. The beer's odour is as deep and bold as its taste, not dissimilar to Samuel Smiths stouts.

Taste: A strong and cohesive combination of bitter and smoky flavours is instantly pleasing. An aftertaste of coffee and chocolate flavours remains on the senses long after this beer.

Mouthfeel: Thick and bold yet not overly carbonated. Classic stout mouthfeel, heavier than Guinness yet smoother than other English stouts.

Overall: A brilliant stout that is to be tried by anybody even vaguely interested in darker beer. However, the intensity of its flavours means that such people should perhaps warm themselves up with contemporary stouts such as Guinness or Murphy's before abandoning the sweetness and nitro-carbonation for the rich smokiness and experience of Dragonhead. Another fine brew by the lads at Orkney!

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 05:52:36 | More by SpruceMoose

bucho

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very, very nice nose - definitely pour this one into a snifter. Low alcohol and sits kind of heavy, but is nice for those afternoons up north at the cabin when you're just kicking back and relaxing. Kind of has a smoky taste to it - very unique. A bit on the expensive side.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 21:36:58 | More by bucho

lilnicky068

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

12-03-2012 03:32:13 | More by lilnicky068

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 500ml bottle. Pours a typically black colour with a healthy brown/beige head. The nose is very Scottish and suggests the sea/ocean and smoke. On the palate it is notably dry with smokey/earthy/dirt notes. Definitely a unique dry stout in many regards. It has many characteristics of much bigger (imperial) stouts, but is very modest alcohol-wise.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 20:23:02 | More by CookstLiquor

Thullin187

Tennessee

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

11-24-2012 04:12:04 | More by Thullin187

HumphreyLee

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.2%

10-29-2012 05:09:44 | More by HumphreyLee

neophilus

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark brown pour into blackness, medium tan head.

Mildly roasty malt up front with hints of buttery sweetness and some tones of chocolate.

Flavor has some hint of peat and more buttery sweetness, very reminiscent of a good scotch. This is the closest thing to a scotch I've ever tasted in a beer. Obligatory roasty body, more tones of chocolate and coffee from the roasted malts but all wrapped up in this delicious peaty sweet finish.

Good body, smooth aftertaste. Great flavors that are different from most American stouts I have tried. This one definitely bears its Scottish label of origin proudly.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 20:07:00 | More by neophilus

boonejag75

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

10-15-2012 01:18:22 | More by boonejag75

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle. What is it about the Orkney islands that is so appealing to me, at least on an intoxicating beverage level?

This beer pours a deep abyss of blackness, until upon further inspection an ethereal reddish cola highlight presents itself to break up the overall bleak monotony, with two fingers of rocky, tightly foamy beige head, which leaves broad, brash swaths of storm center-worthy lace around the glass as it gently ebbs away.

It smells chiefly of dry chocolate malt, mild day-old coffee, some soft just-expired milkiness, and musty, leafy hops. The taste is somewhat tart dark fruit, middling baker's chocolate, some soft pale graininess, a weird lactic sourness, stale coffee, and earthy, weedy hops.

The carbonation is present, and gently simmers as things progress, the body on the lee side of medium weight, and generally smooth, but with a growing clammy character. It finishes off-dry, the bittersweet chocolate rather tempered by that edgy dark fruit sourness, some lingering milkiness, and over-matched leafy hoppiness.

This looks quite good at first glance, but the eventual strange fruitiness, in all its underwhelming sideshowiness, kind of mars an otherwise decent stout, what with its inherent chocolate tendencies. Oh well - I guess that this is just one of those 'easier to drink than analyze' offerings. Hey, it happens.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 01:52:13 | More by biboergosum

DarrellK

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

09-20-2012 21:50:53 | More by DarrellK

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -21.9%

09-12-2012 17:35:00 | More by FreshmanPour77

TonyTalon

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

08-30-2012 00:38:06 | More by TonyTalon

Liquoric3

Germany

4/5  rDev +4.2%

08-21-2012 18:34:47 | More by Liquoric3

hopnerd

Australia

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

08-12-2012 12:46:22 | More by hopnerd

deg

New Hampshire

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I poured the beer from a bottle into a glass. The beer was dark, almost black. The head had a tan color. I couldn't smell anything. My sense of smell is weak (hence the average rating). I could taste roasted malt and coffee. The beer felt light in my mouth and went down easy. I note the alcohol level was low. I didn't pick up any alcohol warmth which I would expect for that level of alcohol. An easy drinking, good tasting stout.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 22:16:12 | More by deg

Lee_Hancock

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

07-28-2012 00:28:55 | More by Lee_Hancock

Tumble

Florida

3/5  rDev -21.9%

07-04-2012 20:07:12 | More by Tumble

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

500ml bottle. Enjoyed on agt´11. Pure black into a Pint glass. Dark beige , small bubbled, foam creates a dense, creamy & thick layer crown. Lasting head & spotty lacing. Toasted malts sweept up by winds of coffee to the nose, subtle fruity aroma too. Dry bitter coffee at first sip, slightly sweet flavor in the middle is increased by chocolate hues. Medium body & low carbonation. Sweet finish then coffee returns, Nice drinkability, unfortunately this pretty gentle stout results quite cloying finally.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 08:58:19 | More by GONZALOYANNA