Irish Stout - John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House

Jason

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Sampled at Framingham. This is different than the Irish Dry Stout in Cambridge.

Smoothness has an intense depth and goes down so easy. Great head retention and sticks all the way down the glass. Mild roasted coffee flavour with a hint of sweetness upfront, after that a touch of bitterness from the hops and roasted grain dry the palate. Calling this an ideal session beer is not enough.

Serving type: nitro-tap
@ John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House, 1 Worcester Road, Framingham

08-17-2002 08:12:27 | More by Jason

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer at John Harvard's Brewery in Manchester CT.
The beer was served a dark, dark, almost black - no light passed through. There was a very thin tan head that lingered through most of the beer. Minimal to no lacing. There was not much of a scent to it, slight malt and chocolate. Great flavor, medium to full body, hints of chocolate and deep flavoring.
This is a great irish stout.

Serving type: on-tap
@ John Harvard's Brew House, 1487 Pleasant Valley Rd, Manchester

09-19-2008 00:50:24 | More by Jayli

connecticutpoet

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer was brewed using pale and roasted malts, along with roasted wheat malt. It was hopped with East Kent Goldings.

My beer arrived with a half finger head, composed of fine bubbles of foam. It was dark brown, and clear.

Aroma was mainly of the roasted malt, with some coffee notes. No chocolate to speak of. It seemed to suit a dry stout quite well.

Taste was of roasted malts, nice and toasty. Well balanced with the hops, but a little weak.

Mouthfeel was wonderful. Not too thin, smooth and creamy. Quite enjoyable.

Drinkability gets a good mark, because it was the kind of beer you could session with quite easily. And because of the lower alcohol content, you wouldn't get too messed up. It went down easily.

Serving type: nitro-tap
@ John Harvard's Brew House, 1487 Pleasant Valley Rd, Manchester

12-07-2007 02:30:51 | More by connecticutpoet

plaid75

New York

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a deep brown, almost black hue with amber highlights and a finger and a half creamy off white head. There was decent retention and good sticky lacing.

The smell consisted of a good burnt grain and light smoky aroma.

The taste featured a medium roasted malt with good smokiness and a mild cocoa element. There was a slight metallic taste however. Good hop finish.

The mouthfeel was dry, but a bit on the thin side.

Overall a servicable stout. It needs a bit more depth body wise however.

Serving type: nitro-tap
@ John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House, 2093 Smithhaven Plaza, Lake Grove

03-13-2007 13:30:22 | More by plaid75

BBM

New York

3.15/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Had this beer (on cask) at John Harvard's in Lake Grove, NY. Poured a thick opaque black with a creamy tan head that was there for virtually the entire drink. Looks like your typical Irish stout, which still looks pretty damn good. Aroma was barely detectable; light nodes of nuts and chocolate.

The best way to describe the taste would be to compare it to those chocolate covered coffee beans you find at gourmet coffee shops. Certainly an enjoyable flavor, if you like roasted coffee beans with hints of chocolate and nuts. There is really no hop presence, and no "bitter Guiness" kick at the end or anything. Really the flavor is not objectionable at all, but it's just not that pronounced, either. Keep your palate clean (hard to do at a restaurant) or else the beer will lose all flavor. Not a strong enough taste, in my opinion.

Mouthfeel is creamy, chewy and dry. This is a thick beer, so if you do decide to get food, you won't be able to have too many. They're quite filling. Overall a fairly average dry stout from John Harvard's. They have better here.

Serving type: cask
@ John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House, 2093 Smithhaven Plaza, Lake Grove

11-16-2006 14:03:21 | More by BBM

gentlebubbles

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark chocolate breew with milk chocolate foam and a ruby hint at the bottom of the glass.

Sweet Malta-goya scent.

Coffee and smoke wrap around a deep, dark malt--not caramel or toffee--but true malt. Some odd sourness in the finish like Guinness. This instance had some oatmeal, adding to the silky texture and a hint of its own to the mix.

Rich and smooth mouthfeel. Too bad I have to drive to get here, or I'd have another.

Serving type: nitro-tap
@ John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House, 1 Worcester Road, Framingham

04-24-2005 21:52:56 | More by gentlebubbles

mschofield

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown or black, topped with a two finger light tan head, leaves wide bands of lacing, almost a full sheet.
Creamy, roasted aroma, earthy and herbal hops with a touch of citrus even.
Very roasty flavor, a bit acrid, expresso/coffee, earthy.
Medium-full, with a creamy nitro texture. This would be very easy to sit drinking all day long.

Serving type: nitro-tap
@ John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House, 1 Worcester Road, Framingham

07-09-2004 00:05:50 | More by mschofield

dweideman

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On Tap @ Framingham (11/5/03)
Nice pour with John Harvard's "stout faucet". Light brown frothy fully lasting head. Roasted, dark chocolate aroma with the sweetness of the malts coming through. Initial sweet flavor with the hops and roasted malts coming through in the finish. Medium bodied with average carbonation. Surprised that the body was so light.

Serving type: on-tap
@ John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House, 1 Worcester Road, Framingham

11-06-2003 01:50:43 | More by dweideman