Star Spangled Stout - Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap @ the King of Prussia Rock Bottom on 7/24/10. Served in an oversized mug.

Pours black with a finger of mocha colored head. This stays foamy around the edges, leaving behind some thick swathes of lacing which hang on the sides of the glass. The aroma is fairly hop forward here, with floral (and a bit dank) notes and some sharp green earthy accents. There is an under layer of chocolate roast (and to a lesser extent coffee) present to give this some darkness in the nose, while sweeter notes of cocoa and caramel lay some tang on the edges.

The taste is similar, with some assertive hop flavor that I wouldn't call overly bitter but does pack in a LOT of earthy and green feeling citrus character. The malts are roasty and sweet across the back of the palate with a mix of chocolate, caramel, and roast all mingling and lingering with a dry bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a pleasant enough bubbly creaminess to it that possesses some light crispness as well. Pretty easy in the mouth for the most part with no alcohol detected at all.

This was described on the board as a "Hoppy American Stout" but with its equal mix of hops and roast and only 5.7%, there wasn't a whole lot of body here to really differentiate this from an American Porter or even a Black IPA. Whatever you want to call this, this was still pretty tasty, if only maybe relying on those earthy hops just a little too much in the taste.

Serving type: on-tap
@ Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, 160 N Gulph Rd, King Of Prussia

07-27-2010 16:51:45 | More by Kegatron