Riley's Stout - Paper City Brewery Co., Inc.

Jason

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Black as night with a lacing that drops rings on the glass most of the way down.

Very smooth with an underlying crispness that is hard to beat. Deep dark chocolate, mild coffee and charcoal aromas and flavours are dominant. Hop bitterness is there but under the roasted flavours.

I’d pick this over Guinness or other similar American brewed dry stouts. A pleasure running into this one in the Boston area.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2002 07:32:09 | More by Jason

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12oz brown bottle. Best if served by stamped with a date. Label boasts a cool looking coat of arms; two lions holding a red, bleeding hand.

Appearance: An absolutely opaque liquid of jet black. Pours a mean tan foam of various bubble sizes, patchy, creamy and sticky. Drops to a nice amount of head that can be roused with a gentle swirl. Make sure you have a big pint glass to pour hard to see the cascading effect.

Smell: Huge aromatics of sweet and roasted malts, sweet carob soya milk, charcol and a faint hop bite in the nose. Very rich smelling.

Taste: Upfront, the initial taste is that of a silky smooth mouthfeel that brings with it strong roasted notes with a moderate astringency to it. Body is full, robust and rich. The palate dries up, a lot, followed by a mild fruitiness and soft salty-rind bitterness, accompanied by its quick hop sting. Coffee, chocolate and faint smoke flavours come to mind as the beer warms. And the beer is warming in itself. The overall astrigency/bitterness balances extremely well with the sweetness of this brew and the beer finishes on a dry note with some faint diacetyl butteriness in the back and upper palate.

Notes: Yah! Talk about roasted! This is probably one of the best Dry Irish Stouts that we have ever had the pleasure of reviewing. Impressive and highly recommended. Up there with Gritty's Black Fly and Shipyard's Bluefin.

Riley's Stout is named after the first settling family in Holyoke, MA.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2001 00:00:01 | More by BeerAdvocate

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: dark brown in color, 1/3 inch head, opaque, high carbonation

Smell: roasted malt, earth, and baker's chocolate

Taste: roasted malt, earth, baker's chocolate, slight tobacco, and creaminess at the end

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy bodied, medium-high carbonation, sweet with earthy bitterness

Overall: A pleasant above average Irish stout. If I were in the mood for an Irish stout I could see myself having a six of this. That said, I will not be in a rush to get it again any time soon.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 14:04:37 | More by tigg924

YeastInception

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%

11-07-2012 18:33:50 | More by YeastInception

ms11781

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -10%

07-13-2012 00:16:48 | More by ms11781

57md

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep dark brown, almost black with about a finger of tan head. The nose has some roast in it, but it is not super strong. This offering is a classic example of an Irish dry stout with hints of roasted malts present throughout and mild bitterness on the finish.

I love big, amped-up stouts with coffee and chocolate notes, but occasionally I just want a straight forward "black beer" (as John Wayne calls it in the Quiet Man). The folks at Paper City have managed to produce a perfect example of a simple, yet elegant stout.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 07:18:11 | More by 57md

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It's very dark and opaque. The head is a solid two fingers tall that has a creamy texture to it. Upon thining out some lacing is left behind.

Aroma: Strong espresso, dark chocolate, faint milk sugars. Dark bready malts, hops are roasted to the brink of being slighty chared which give it a light dryness.

Taste: Silky smooth mouthfeel and dam creamy. Lots of chocolate malts dark roasted hops. Big espresso notes with faint vanilla bean. Wisps of milk sugar in the back.

Notes: Dam this is remarkable incredibly smooth and a great mix of flavors. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 01:12:07 | More by horshack7

Nordicsk8er

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

06-02-2012 23:37:48 | More by Nordicsk8er

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12-ounce bottle into a

A: Black with reddish brown highlights and a massive, three-finger head of creamy tan foam. Nice carbonation levels leave a clingy lace and well-retaining head.

S: Dark roasted coffee and black malts with an herbal, mineral and bittersweet cocoa essence melded in.

T: Sweet, roasted, bitter and dry up front. A thin, slightly fruity, weak coffee and salty mineral flavor prevails with a hint of a nutty, cocoa-like taste. Hops are light, dry and herbal, but the taste stays slick and somewhat sweet nonetheless. The finish is roasty, with a hint of licorice and smoke left on the palate.

M: Sweet, slick and somewhat viscous, it wasn't the thin, yet creamy, herbal and dry mouthfeel I was kinda hoping for.

O: A fairly good American stout, but it doesn't match my perception of a dry Irish. The herbal fruitiness and slicker mouthfeel combined with the 5.5% ABV made me feel more like I was drinking a thinner U.S. version of a standard stout. It's not bad, and the bottle may be past-prime (can't make out markings) but I couldn't see what all the fuss was about.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 23:05:24 | More by Gambrinus1184

iohann

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -10%

02-28-2012 06:28:35 | More by iohann

bearsxco

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a pint glass. Poured brown/black in color with a half finger tan head that lingers in glass. Nice amount of carbonation. Oak, slight coffee, almost a hop smell to it. Can' t really put words to the smell. Smooth up front with a little carbonation. Very nice. Not very complex, simple and just good.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 22:36:25 | More by bearsxco

tclapper

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +2.8%

12-05-2011 02:12:24 | More by tclapper

lovindahops

New York

4.08/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

An afternoon beer to watch the ncaa lax tourney on a rainy sunday. Lil irish dry stout action from paper city

A- pours an opque look with a head that quickly resides. A strong stout look

S- a strong robust malty scent with major dark chocolate flavor arising from the brew. Maybe a little cocoa powder theme as well

T- a dry and bitter roasted malt taste with hints of chocolate. This is very tasty with the dry and bitter flavors crossing over well.

M- good hearty flavors with the necessary carbonation to make an impact

D- great drinkability with the tasty flavor you want with a stout. These can be drank very smoothly

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 17:48:59 | More by lovindahops

Brad007

Vermont

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown, almost black color into my glass with a one-finger head. Pretty standard for the style.

Sweet, roasted malt. A small hint of cream and coffee are also apparent.

Sweet, dry roasted malt with just a touch of cream on the palate. More coffee than cocoa/cream.

Dry mouthfeel with lots of roastiness still on the tongue.

A fine example of the style. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 03:04:46 | More by Brad007

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Black with reddish hues. Thin off-white head has little staying power. A few meager patches of lace slide loosely down the glass.

S: Sweet sugary chocolate, like a chocolate-frosted cake. Fudge, cocoa powder. Freshly brewed coffee. Earthy yeast smells and a bit of herbal hops. Great nose.

T: Chocolatey roasted malts are quickly overtaken by a bit of cola-like sweetness, which in turn is supplanted by a bit of acidity and burnt malts. Chocolate cake moves to the forefront sporadically. Light earthy hop tastes provide balance, and earthy yeast is the anchor. Finish is dry with a medley of roasted malt tastes: chocolate cake, a touch of smoke, and roasted coffee.

M: Medium bodied, full, creamy, and very smooth. High carbonation.

O: A great example of the style, and very drinkable.

Notes: One of the best tasting Irish Dry Stouts I've ever had. I'm glad I live only a few minutes from the brewery and have easy access to this gem.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 17:50:25 | More by ryan1788a5

nickdago

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from the brewery's Friday night open tastings.

When poured into a pint glass the midnight black liquid immediately begins to cascade and form a delectable frothy head of about and inch 1/2.

Chocolate and coffee is present in the aroma, but not over powering. (not a huge coffee stout fan) (blasphemous I know)

The greatest thing about this beer is the smooth creamy texture that is present while drinking. Coffee and chocolate hints are detectable.

As far as stouts go, this one is a very easy drinker and enjoyable as well.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 21:57:26 | More by nickdago

mgbickel

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass. Instantly formed a massive 3-4 finger dark cream head that you could watch dissipate. Lots of lacing. Very dark body with tiny hints of amber at the edges.

Nose has sweet and roated malts, bakers chocolate and toasted coffee beans. There is something earthy in the background...

Semi-sweet chocolate and a light-roast coffee dominate the palate. The maltiness hits in the middle and has a slightly bitter finish. The backbone is sugary, cola-like.

Mouth feel is light and very creamy.

Drinkable, but not very complex. This can serve as an excellent gateway between Guinness and other stouts.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2009 03:06:23 | More by mgbickel

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours pitch black into my pint glass with a three finger creamy light tan head, which ends up retaining at about one finger for a decent amount of time. Pretty thick lacing is left behind by this one. A good looking Irish Stout. Instantly as I smell this one I think of a Guinness. Lots of roasted malts, some chocolate, vanilla, a coffee like smell that could come from a grain of some sort. The smell dies down pretty quickly and I have a hard time picking it up again. Taste is also that of roasted malts, chocolate/mocha and some hops, earthy ones. Part way into the beer the roastyness I enjoyed seems to disappear and allow the hops and sweetness to come through a bit too much. I wish the initial taste stayed there. Mouthfeel is decent for an Irish Dry but still a bit watery to me personally. The carbonation feels appropriate for the body and taste. No warming whatsoever going on here. Drinkability is good, the taste is not bad, the price is good, there are no huge off flavors to take over the beer and ruin it totally, it was certainly worth trying as I enjoy stouts very much but I'm not sure if I will get this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2009 07:47:37 | More by cbutova

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black with a thin head that fades very quickly to a thin ring. Nicely balanced aromas of a medium roastiness, slightly sweet malt, and some creaminesss and some earthiness. Th flvor is similar, quite balanced between sweet cream and a dry roastinrss as well as a bitter earthiness and a hint of almond-like nuttiness. Very dry, and with a late, tight bitterness. Pretty enjoyable stuff from a brewery that is new to me.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2009 16:42:58 | More by Georgiabeer

albern

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a nice dry stout that comes in the Paper City variety pack. It pours a very dark brown, impenetrable to light color, with a creamy off white head that doesn't retain all that well, no lacing. The nose is on the subtle side, there is cocoa powder, coffee, dark chocolate, roasted grains.

The taste pretty well follows the aroma. There are deep roasted dark grains, chocolate, and mocha coffee. The beer is very creamy, very smooth, there isn't any bite or charred flavors, the beer is a touch sweet, but has nice drying qualities. The beer is medium bodied, maybe a touch watery. There is some drying notes in the finish, and there is a distinct coffee mocha flavor in the aftertaste. There maybe a slightly nutty quality to the beer, but the coffee flavors are the most striking. I'm not a big coffee guy, but this beer is good, so that is saying something right there. The chocolate notes are a touch powdery, bittering, not sweet at all, and really just deep dark cocoa. This is a nice creamy beer that has a lot going for it. L'Chaim.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2009 20:15:48 | More by albern

natasharai

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Poured with a large tan creamy and fizzy head that dissipated quickly leaving no lacing. The beer is black but lets a little bit of light through around the edges.

Smell: Strong roasted and toasty malt, chocolate and coffee notes, sweet smokey smell.

Taste: Sweet chocolate, roasted malt, dark toasted malt, very light smokey flavor.

Mouthfeel: Light body, a lot of carbonation, dry, and leaves mouth with a light dry and slight sweet film.

Overall: Good drinkability, a little too much carbonation. Really good roasted flavors with sweet chocolate to balance it out.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2009 00:41:32 | More by natasharai

schroederm

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

In a pint glass:

One finger of sudsy head which is off white in color. Ruby/brown body with good lacing and retention. Nose has soy and roasty aromas. Kindof salty. Overall somewhat muted. Taste isn't very malty, with hints of coffee and a touch sour. -Finishes very dry and roasty. Good body and very good carbonation level. Very drinkable, in line with the style. Helped by a subtle bitter and lightness.

Overall: Good brew, but its just not very exciting. I would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2009 15:20:33 | More by schroederm

gfreed

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Quite dark; not much of a head; what was there was airy and bubbly. Lightly roasted aroma with some vanilla and apricots, and even a little bubble gum. More roastiness in the taste, but it was swept aside by the hops which came on a bit stronger than I expected. Rather thin in the body, but that's what made this pleasant to drink on a nearly-spring day in New England: not too thick but still heavy enough for a chilly afternoon winter. Pleasant enough when you're seeking a lighter stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 01:39:53 | More by gfreed

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The last one to review from the Paper City mixed 12 pack.. so far this brewery has really let me down to be honest with the first 3 beers.

Pours a deep mahogany color with a tannish head and lots of lacing. Aroma is very roasty smelling.. nice touch to it. Taste it of roasted nuts, very malty but smooth. Nice mouthfeel and body to it and finishes dry. I haven't had much from this style but I find it smoother than Guinness. While it isn't spectacular, its by the best in their mixed 12 pack (other 3 are below average for sure) and was glad I saved this one for last. Give it a try if you're into Irish stouts.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2009 22:06:10 | More by marlinsfan4

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a single from Party Source in Syracuse. This is a good, rippingly dry Irish stout. It makes a touch in complexity, but the almost sour black roasted malts are big and bad (delicious). The appearance is pitch black with a tan head. I could drink more of these. Comes off very traditional - in the best way. A little heavier than the true Irish stout (Beamish, etc), but hardly less sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2009 17:18:56 | More by tempest