Stir Stick Stout - Half Pints Brewing Company

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Pours inky black topped by a creamy tan head, nice, intricate webs of lacing and good head retention.

This has just a wonderfully dry, roasty, woodsy, smoky, cedary aroma of wet coffee grinds.

And the taste follows that exactly. It has wonderfully dry roasted malt with hints of fireplace, and like I took a scoop of cold spent coffee grinds out of my coffee maker and sucked on them. (I love coffee. This is a good thing, believe me). This is played against restrained caramel notes.

It's a little lighter bodied than I would prefer.

Overall this is a great tasting stout full off nice black coffee goodness. I found it moreish and sucked it back a little too quickly. I want more.

Another great beer from a great brewery.

Thanks to stagger for this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2009 00:58:37 | More by MeisterBurger

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Tall tight spongy beige head that leaves thick gashes of lacing in its wake. Dense, dark brown, yet still slightly translucent when held to direct light, at least it reveals rick oaky highlights.

Robust coffee-like notes are prominant on the nose, a creamy sweetness, roasted and burnt malt, grainy malt.

Coffee is prominent in the flavour too, held up by a decent backbone of roasted and burnt malt, some smokey and woody aspects, astringent bitterness on the finish from the grains, yet a creamy mocha character develops in the aftertaste.

Medium-bodied mouthfeel, light and slick at times, fullness returns on the finish.

An overall great drinker for a stout, the addition of coffee isn't an excessive ingredient or a burden, but blends right in with the malt bill. Would even make a decent stout for a session ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2009 07:40:57 | More by IronDjinn

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

341ml bottle poured into Creemore glass nov9 2009

A not quite jet black but quite dark with a two finger head that sticks around for a few minuets and leaves a few patches of lace

S this is beer right? It smells very strong of fresh coffee grind and that's about it. I keep bringing it back to my nose and I'm wondering if I'm going to catch a buzz (a caffeine buzz of course)

T coffee is fully in charge here but it's friend cocoa is playing a small part

M not as thick as I would hope for and it's a little flat but still above average

D add it all up and you get a pretty nice beer drinking experience. I will be drinking this again and you should too

I am truly impressed by this brewery, I have yet too have anything by Half Pints that disappointed me in any way.
keep it up guys (and girls)

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2009 01:53:22 | More by wordemupg

GregH

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'm an oddity in that I don't drink coffee but I still love this beer. I get the coffee flavour right off the first sip and it carries throughout. Maybe a hint of dark chocolate but mostly dark roasted malt. Thin to no head. could be served a bit warmer than mine and the taste improved and became more complex as my glass warmed. Very yummy on a cold day. Wish Tim Horton's sold this.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2009 04:46:33 | More by GregH

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341 ml brown bottle, allowed to warm slightly, poured into my large dimpled mug.
Poured basically black, some reddish highlights around the edges. Large, solid head of tan foam. Nice retention, sticky lace. Lots of espresso coffee aromas. Also sense some dark chocolate with the roasted malts. Great flavors, dark roast coffee and dark chocolate. There is some bitterness, but balanced out with enough malt sweetness, almost like an espresso with cream. Also find some nuttiness, slightly smoky finish. Earthy hops keep it from being too sweet or sticky. Creamy mouthfeel, medium body, rich balanced flavors. A tasty and very drinkable stout. Great balance of coffee and stout. I could sip this one all night. Definatley one I need to get again.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 14:06:37 | More by BigBry

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Thanks go to Deuane for hooking me up with a 4-pack of these Half Pint brews from a recent trip.

Pours a very deep brown/almost black, with nearly 2 fingers of mocha colored foamy head. Creamy looking thin layer of retention fires up magnificantly, leaving back a great looking cascade of lace that hangs in thick swathes. Espresso and roast just dominate the aroma, with chocolate and toffee mixing in to create a sharp roasty and bready tang in the nose. Just a solid pop in the nostrils here.

The taste is black roast and coffee darkness up front, which just levels a pleasant crunchy bitterness on the profile. This is balanced by a chewy underlayer of chocolate and toffee, which leaves just about as big of an impact as the darker flavors did. The finish is actually a bit cleaner than I would have thought, with a bit of dry lingering bitterness and that's it. The mouthfeel is medium-fuller bodied overall, but has an overall mellower (and slicker from the espresso) feel to it. Some pricklier carbonation comes out towards the back of the swallow, giving this some extra presence.

Another well done Half Pints beer here. Nice intermingling of roast, coffee, and sticky malt flavors makes for a great fix that any Stout lover would enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 16:46:28 | More by Kegatron

Shadman

Alberta (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

now available in Medicine Hat...who wudda thunk it?

Nice looking stout...dark like used oil. Creamy head receeds fast, but lacing puts up a good fight to stay noticed.

Ah yes...coffee...smells almost good enough to be a morning drink..if I wanted a short morning.( 5.6% abv) lot's of rich coffee with some bready chocolate maltiness. Hint of floral hop as well.

Smooth and balanced...first things that come to me as i taste it. Rich smooth coffee infused with some dark chocolate. Some hop present to make it interesting and not so 1 dimensional.

Goes down very easy...carbonation is almost spot on. Actually quite creamy.

Glad it's available here as I will be drinking A LOT of this beer in the future.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2009 04:49:39 | More by Shadman

CoolJosh

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to Carolyn and Deuane for sharing this one. I wasn't sure if I was going to be deemed worthy of this, haha ;-)

Poured into a small snifter, this beer pours a heavy dark brown, with some clarity around the edges. No head, and lots of carbonation bubbles stream through the glass.

The first scent that hits my nose is a biscuit/bread scent, most likely extracted through the use of biscuit malts. A nice compliment to the bread scent is a nice roasted coffee smell. Smells like an Italian roast. Some bitter chocolate, but not much to speak of.

The taste is spot on, with a nice amount of coffee roasts, some roasted chocolate malt flavors, and the bread taste that was apparent in the smell. It tastes mostly like a piece of toast dipped into a cup of coffee. The mouthfeel is smoother then I anticipated, and the carbonation seems more subdued. There is a really nice sweet chocolate finish on the end, and the beer is creamy almost all of the way through. A nice roasted malt taste really does well with the coffee.

Really enjoyed this one, and could easily drink a six pack of this without thought or hesitation.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2009 01:27:56 | More by CoolJosh

treyrab

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Whoa whoa, big thanks to Deuane and Carolyn for picking this up for my buddy and I on their latest excavation for fine beer across the country. Much appreciated!

A: Pours a cola brown with a rather spritzy light khaki head. Carbonation sticks like glue to the side of the glass as the head lasts for a few minutes and fades slowly away. The colour (hey, it is a Canadian beer) is clear and dark brown as the glass gets consumed.

S: Fresh as can be roasted coffee (none of that Folgers stuff), nice espresso, and some Bakers chocolate. Very, very robust and enticing.

T: Very nice flavours (there I go again) of roasted coffee and nice espresso. The espresso really comes to the forefront and makes it appearance big time. The dry, roasted coffee and chocolate creep in at the end.

Thanks again guys, this was a real surprise! (No rhyme intended)

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2009 01:26:54 | More by treyrab

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Decided to grab a bottle at Volo to finally get an idea about what this great Canadian brewery is up to.

Dark, oaken pour with a frothy mocha head that left some touches of lace as it slowly dissipated. The aroma has to be smelled to be believed... its as if I've plunged my nose into the coffee grinds I use for the morning cup of joe. This is a wonderfully smooth and intense hit, with great notes of cocoa. The flavour is nicely nuanced, and contains a lot of coffee, while also managing to stay balanced, In part this is due to generous notes of chocolate and caramel, which take the edge off the coffee bitterness. Everything is capped by a slightly herbal, dry finish. My only complaint would be the body. Its good for a regular stout, but in an ideal world I would have gone for something bulkier, and played off the breakfast theme by throwing a bit of oatmeal in the mash.

If Half Pints always brew like this I'll be happy, and it sure bodes well for the burly wine that I have at home. I think I need to do a bit more investigating...

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2009 16:51:51 | More by bobsy

GK14

Manitoba (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one came from the bottle.

Very, very dark....like a good stout should be. Pours smooth with little head but nice lacing afterwards. The aroma of the beer is the best part, heavy on the coffee and to a lesser extent some chocolate. With respect to taste, a little on the bitter side though still respectable. A velvety mouth feel, really enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2009 03:16:50 | More by GK14

oakbluff

Manitoba (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle- pours quite dark, lively two finger offwhite head and sticky lacing. Nose- fresh coffee grounds. Taste- big and bright coffee initially, quickly fades to a burnt roast flavour. Some dark chocolate. Finish has some dark fruit character and slight bitterness. Body is little light. Moderate carbonation. I'd love to see a souped up version of this.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2009 23:06:50 | More by oakbluff

Graham5161986

British Columbia (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My first beer from Half Pints!

A: pours a dark black with a slight ruby tone when held up to light. gives a nice, rocky dark-tan head that has decent retention and leaves a slight lace.

S: chococoffee malts and slight hops

T: light coffee flavour with slight, milky chocolate and a touch of hoppy spiciness on the finish. slight nuttiness on the linger.

M: surprisingly light bodied, creamy, a nice touch of carbonation and a light, creamy finish.

D: This is a pretty good little stout - very easy to drink given it's relative lightness but perhaps could use a slight flavour kick as it seems a tad reserved. Nevertheless, I am anjoying this beer and I will be buying it again. I look forward to further offerings from this brewery

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2008 06:53:49 | More by Graham5161986

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Biergotter Club Brew marathon tasting. Zithal provided this sample.

Pours an opaque brown/black, thick off white (almost tan) head forms, lots of nice lacing, good retention. Smell is sweet, some caramel, citrus, light roast, chocolate and coffee, not wowing me. Taste is licorice, roast, caramel, some coffee/chocolate, not much flavour, seems a bit thin. Mouthfeel is light bodied with low carbonation, pretty slick. Not bad, but I didn't get much of the coffee in this, think I need to get my hands on another bottle. Thanks Rob!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2008 05:18:55 | More by Viggo

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Zithal shared this one at the Biergotter group brewday 2007. Thanks Rob!
Clear, dark brown with a ruby hue and sticky tan foam composed of fine bubbles. Good head retention with some nice lacing. The aroma was fairly hoppy, but was still dominated by roasted barley and coffee grounds. Mild bitterness with coffee grounds and roast up front, malty sweetness and dry cocoa, with a bit of licorice as well. Quite dry with lightish body and carbonation, decent texture. A pretty good stout with roastiness well-integrated into the flavour. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2007 15:22:34 | More by DrJay

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Decent coffee stout when there are so few available in Canada. Looks nice: black, brown head. Average stout smell though, hardly any coffee in the nose. Better taste: coffee is noticeable, and definitley there. It takes a back seat to roast malt and chocolate tastes, but it holds its own. A bit high on the carbonation and the coffee leaves a bitter after taste, but better than Phillip's discontinued offering and even though I can't get it here in Vancouver (yet!) its done year round -unlike Steamworks (IMO) superior offering that comes up every other year for a few weeks it seems.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2007 08:14:03 | More by BDTyre

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The cool thing about this stout is that it really tastes like a chocolate covered expresso bean ( and smells like one too lol). A very flavourful stout that is low on the carbonation scale and high on the drinkability scale. A lot of coffee stouts kinda lose the focus and taste like an average stout when in fact the coffee component is the key. Good job on keeping the coffee part at the forefront.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2007 20:57:10 | More by canucklehead

xav33

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Half Pints Stir Stick Stout
22 oz bottle
Moderate pour in a snifter.
Recent brewing, stirred 08/07

Poured black with brown highlights with a moderate light brown fizzy mostly diminishing head.

Smelt of moderate chocolate, and light coffee.

Taste was upfront bitter moderate roast to burnt grain and coffee and light chocolate followed by more of the same, with a slight almost metallic or green twang on an average finish.

Palate was light bodied, lively carbonated, slightly oily and lightly astringent.

Overall, this is an easily drinkable coffee stout. Not the richest or most powerful, but a good summer stout. Great chocolate nose!

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2007 18:16:17 | More by xav33

markaberrant

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a 20oz pint glass.

Pours opaque black. Small tan head forms, and quickly recedes to a thin cap. Splotches of lacing are left down the glass.

Aroma is dark roasted malt when I open the bottle. In the glass, it's nothing but coffee with a hint of cream. Finally, a coffee stout that smells like coffee!

Taste continues with a distinct coffee flavour, but there is a bit of sweet malt and hops to make it recognizable as beer. Finish is not overly bitter, which I would have to say is quite nice given the bitter coffee flavour that is alreay present.

Mouthfeel is somewhat creamy, not overly heavy, seems appropriate for 5.6% stout. Carbonation is low and perfect for the style.

Drinkability is high for me. Every time I go in for a sip, I get that great coffee aroma, which keeps me coming back for more. This is my kind of session beer.

Overall, this beer is a pleasure to drink. Yes, it is somewhat one dimensional (COFFEE), but very well done and unique in it's own right. Thanks Dave!

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2007 20:12:04 | More by markaberrant

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Highly carbonated. Dark brown body, big, fluffy, cocoa'tan head, nicely frothed.

Rich espresso nose, very earthy, nutty, a little chocolate, nougat...yeah, nice, and intriguing....ah, yes, it's the Ethiopian coffee beans sticking out, now that I read the label...

Generously flavored, robust body, big mouthfeel, but smooth and easy-going.
Rich, roasted malt, licorice and dry toasty coffee flavor, minor cocoa...fading off, and finishing neat and dry-ish.

An interesting stout. Well-done, solid, refreshing, drinkable, downable, and rearding. Might be my favorite from the four beers Dave was so kind to drop off for me, all the way from Winnipeg. Much luck to this little, plucky brewery, they're headed in the right direction!

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2007 07:29:39 | More by feloniousmonk

vanrassel

Alberta (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed a 660 mL bomber received in trade with trevorwideman — thanks!

This is a decent example of a coffee-infused beer that doesn't go too far over the top and remains pleasantly drinkable.

It poured virtually opaque brown, with ruby highlights only visible when held up to a light source. The smell is subtle compared to others in the style, but coffee is still the main attraction: coffee grounds dominate the foreground, backed up by roasted malt, a whiff of chocolate and the tiniest bit of sour yeast.

Malted milk, chocolate and roasted barley start things sweet before the coffee kicks in for a bitter, drying finish. The nice thing about the coffee flavour is it's present but not to the point of being cloying — one could easily finish a bomber without being put off. The lower carbonation felt right but I thought the beer was a little thin-bodied and watery.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2007 20:52:08 | More by vanrassel

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A big bottle of roasted coffee, thanks to Blair for bringing back. Dark with strong coffee aroma and characteristics. Harh on the stomach as so much coffee will do. Bitter but somewhat balanced with malt. Somewhat smooth, multiple sharing recommended.
3.5 years later bottle- solid stout and I have upgraded it.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2007 03:45:15 | More by northyorksammy

demcorhip

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Good stuff, enjoyed on a bitterly cold February night. Thanks to chonyr and raider for bringing this treat back from the 'peg.

Appearance
Pours black, nearly opaque, some blackened ruby tones reveal where the light passes through the body around the edges of the glass. Big three finger tan coloured head formed on the pour. This mildly carbonated stout left a somewhat scant yet intricate ring of lacings inside my Samuel Smith pint glass.

Aroma
Big espresso nose on this one with aromas of dark roast coffee and dark chocolate. A hint of creamy nuts and treacle lie underneath the aromas of roasted coffee and roasted barley. Theres also a hint of smoke, as well as the slightly bitter, earthy, pleasant fall-like decaying leafiness from the fuggles.

Taste
Yummy! Slightly bitter flavours of dark roast coffee and roasted malts take the fore on this one. Their clean and clear flavours of dark roast coffee and dark chocolate compliment each other so well its difficult to pinpoint the contribution each made to the overall flavour profile. Underneath the roastiness lies lesser complimentary flavours of creamy nuts, treacle, and a very mild smokiness that all nicely blends into the earthy and leafy fuggles with mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel
A slightly creamy medium bodied very well balanced stout. Hints of bitterness from the roasted coffee, roasted malts, and the fuggles balance out the richer malts in this one. Very mild level of carbonation present as fits the style.

Drinkability
A yummy, tasty and very drinkable stout. Certainly sessionable, and should be approachable to the stout novices who are adventurous coffee drinkers. Would like some of those ethiopian beans that made their way into this one for my morning cup o joe. Recommend that you try this if you havent, Ill be drinking this one again.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2007 14:59:57 | More by demcorhip

Orrshow

Alberta (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A thanks goes out to elricorico for sharing the bottle. I lost count long ago how many we’ve shared.

Appearance – This beer pours an opaque black with dark brown tinges around the edges. The little head that does appear soon falls to close to nothing.

Smell – First impression is rich dark roasted coffee ground. There is a slightly bitter smell but it is faint compared to the coffee.

Taste – Begins on a slightly roasted malt flavor but then the heavy dark coffee flavors take over in a big way. The aftertaste that lingers strongly reminds me of iced cappuccino. There is a light bitterness to go along but mostly all you taste is coffee.

Mouthfeel – The body on this Stout is decent. The carbonation is toned down nicely.

Drinkability – I had an easy time drinking this and enjoyed it. Sometimes the coffee flavor was a little much at times but overall it is well made. Any coffee/beer fan will like this a lot.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2007 23:20:48 | More by Orrshow

elricorico

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep dark brown in colour, nearly opaque except for the edges. Only a thin tan ring of head around the glass.

The smell is that of real ground coffee, and plenty of it. Perhaps a bit of nuttiness to it as well, but the coffee aroma pretty much buries anything else.

The first mouthfull has a good roasted barley stout taste. Supsequent mouthfulls are a toss up between a complete coffee flavour and a mix of faint stout flavour with strong coffee. The front of the tongue does pick a little bit of dark chocolate at times, but basically the coffee flavour rules this one.

Nice light carbonation with some body to it. Could be thicker, but not bad.

This is a pretty good beer, considering the style. A coffee drinker could really love this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2007 04:43:46 | More by elricorico