Organic Portland Roast Espresso Stout - Laurelwood Public House & Brewery

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

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

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #39 (Apr 2010):

Opaque as much as a Stout needs to be, dark with a big crown of lace on the glass. Serious coffee bean action in the nose, it smells of a fresh iced double shot of really good espresso; the only thing that gives it away is the burnt sugar and breadiness deep within. Smooth, yeah, smooth ... quick snap of crispness in the medium body. The espresso shell is hard to crack--the flavor does somewhat dominate and lingers on the palate. Roasted malt is second fiddle, hops are mild and the alcohol is pretty tame. The berry fruitiness seems to come from the coffee and perhaps the alcohol. Roasty finish does not fade quickly at all.

Yeah, this is a beer, and a super flavorful one at that. The coffee bean wins here--not sure if you can put much more coffee character into a beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 02:21:48 | More by BeerAdvocate

kevanb

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle poured into a Goose Island Stout Fest '13 Mini Pint Glass.

The beer pours a deep jet black color, touches of cola brown with a thick yet fluffy khaki head that has good retention but leaves no lacing behind. The aroma is super coffee forward, mild roast and lightly fruity, with some chocolate and almost some milky aromas, very nice expression of coffee. The taste however is a bit of a weak spot, lots of roasted coffee, but quickly it turns to light cocoa mix and watered down milk with some sweet coffee malt at the finish. The body is light, thin and a bit watery that finishes with a carbonated bite.

Verdict: A decent American Stout from Laurelwood, the aroma is wonderful, but the flavors and body really leave something to be desired. I would find it very difficult to drink an entire bomber solo, good thing I was able to share this multiple ways.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 20:46:20 | More by kevanb

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1%

03-31-2013 21:12:31 | More by RedneckBeerz

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.18/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: very dark brown/black color, medium brown finger of head, light retention, no real lace.

Aroma: huge coffee, roast, cocoa powder, milk chocolate.

Taste: coffee, chocolate, roasted malts, bittersweet dark chocolate, dry finish.

***Body is medium and has a creamy texture, overall good and indicative of its 6%ABV, but nothing out of this world. The taste and aroma though, a coffee lovers dream. It's kinda like it was dry hopped with espresso beans with its fresh roasted coffee nose and taste. It doesn't stray to far from those flavors, but this is a coffee stout and its makes no attempts as presenting itself otherwise, so you should know what you are getting into from the start. Love coffee? Go here. I loved it.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 20:33:41 | More by EgadBananas

JRod1969

New York

4/5  rDev +1%

03-06-2013 03:39:32 | More by JRod1969

sprucetip

Alaska

4/5  rDev +1%

03-03-2013 19:54:23 | More by sprucetip

strongaf

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

02-28-2013 03:17:58 | More by strongaf

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

22oz bottle from 2009.

Pours opaque black with a thin head of beige that shrinks to nothing with zero lacing.

Aromatics lead off with strong coffee notes, char, molasses, bakers chocolate, and roast. Faintly sour fruit follows through.

On the fuller side of medium bodied with a slickish mouthfeel. A bit oily.

Roasted, smokey malt laced with sturdy coffee, dark chocolate, and a hint of Kahlua starts the palate. A trace of lactic tartness runs underneath and lingers amongst the coffee and stout character.

Finishes with dark coffee, burnt malt, and a very mild tartness.

This beer did not age well. The light tartness detracts and hints at an infection and the base beer is not big enough to overcome.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 01:27:14 | More by brewandbbq

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.28/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from the bottle into a nonic glass

A- Poured a dark brown with lots of reddish hues shining through, not completely opaque. Creamy and frothy mocha colored head left some splashy lace

S- Intensely roasty, extreme coffee bitterness, very dark roast, big aroma of freshly cracked coffee beans

T- Big coffee bean flavor, fresh brewed dark roasted black coffee, a dry cracker taste, light creaminess in the flavor. This is probably the most coffee forward tasting beer I have ever had.

M- Very dry, medium to lighter bodied, medium carbonation, goes down very easy

O- Reminds me a lot of Oakshire's Overcast Espresso Stout, but this is even more coffee forward. Tons of dark roast, coffee bitterness, and dryness. This is a coffee lover's beer

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 04:25:19 | More by Hoptometrist

vcoggins

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

02-14-2013 16:20:03 | More by vcoggins

Slammy

3.25/5  rDev -17.9%

01-30-2013 05:19:30 | More by Slammy

Adidasakh

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

01-27-2013 21:42:31 | More by Adidasakh

SocalKicks

California

4/5  rDev +1%

01-23-2013 04:24:00 | More by SocalKicks

johnnyboy76

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

01-16-2013 02:37:52 | More by johnnyboy76

snaotheus

Washington

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a large snifter

I have reservations about the way this beer looks. The opacity doesn't match my model of a stout -- it's fairly translucent. Say, a darker than average scotch ale. Perhaps my judgment is skewed by drinking too many imperial stouts lately, but the lightness of color is putting me off a bit. Head is small but fluffy , light brown.

Smell is utterly dominated by coffee. If you're not a coffee person, just based on the smell, I would probably skip this beer. Luckily I'm a coffee person, and it's pretty alluring. Somewhere under the coffee I can barely detect some faint yeasty/bready aroma.

Taste is dominated by coffee, but not as much as the scent. I get a lot more going on here -- there's some cherry, lots more roasty malt, some creaminess and sweetness that makes me think of milk stouts.

Mouthfeel is creamy but light. Overall, this is pretty good, but surprisingly light in color.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 05:39:07 | More by snaotheus

throwerbri

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

12-20-2012 19:20:35 | More by throwerbri

jnoelani

Washington

4/5  rDev +1%

12-05-2012 03:50:36 | More by jnoelani

acurtis

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%

09-14-2012 01:22:20 | More by acurtis

claytong

Vermont

4/5  rDev +1%

09-12-2012 22:00:02 | More by claytong

beerpadawan

California

4/5  rDev +1%

08-26-2012 23:11:35 | More by beerpadawan

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a large brown foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of aromatic coffee notes is very enjoyable and well balanced against dry roasted notes. Taste is a smooth mix between some rich black chocolate and aromatic coffee notes that are not too dry. Body is slightly above average with good carbonation. Well brewed and very enjoyable stout which ends up being not too dry.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 17:32:10 | More by Phyl21ca

brentk56

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: A fudge brown pour, with an impressive head of tan foam; very nice on the retention and lacing fronts

Smell: Freshly ground coffee beans dominate the aroma, though there is a dark bread and chocolate element hiding out, underneath

Taste: Coffee, verging on espresso (but not quite as robust), up front, with a bit of sweetening and cream developing by mid-palate; after the swallow, the robust espresso flavors start to come through and linger in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A really nice coffee stout, by my definition, but I like coffee; I also enjoy a flavorful stout that doesn't also have to load up on the ABV and thick mouthfeel (don't mind those at all, but like the alternative, too)

Thanks, gkatsoris, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 21:40:24 | More by brentk56

morimech

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Black color in the glass after a brownish pour. A massive tan head forms and slowly settles to a thick cap. Sheets of lacing is left down the glass.

Love the coffee aroma of this beer. Espresso that is fresh and pure. That is the only thing that I smell as the stout elements get lost.

Wonderful espresso flavor as well. More of a beer flavor that lies at the base of the beer. Roasted malt that compliments the espresso. Surprisingly the bitterness is mellow and seems low.

The body is moderate with good carbonation. Seems like a 6% ABV beer that neither surprises or disapoints.

A beer for coffee lovers. Pure espresso flavor that is just a joy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 17:05:34 | More by morimech

Reidrover

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle from "Lifesource" Salem. $4.99 Black with slight mahogany hints beer with a luscious thick ,creamy tan head. Damn delightful! Coffee nose,i like Sumatran coffee beans and this smells just like them freshly ground.This gets good marks for that. Fine mixture of coffee,molasses and toasted oat in the flavour..coffee finish. Great palate..smooth yet carbonated ,keeps things moving along. I think this is a great drink..but you HAVE to like fresh ground coffee

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 02:12:29 | More by Reidrover

Scotchboy

Idaho

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

Busting the cherry on my brand new CBS snifter (thank you Aaron!)...it appears that all of this 22oz bomber would fit in here but I'll restrain myself.

A: Pours a dense dark black with transparent brown along the edges of the glass...decent head and lacing.

S: Espresso right up front, dank coffeehouse, very roasty, with dark malts and faint chocolate underneath.

T: Roasted, bitter coffee on the palette, almost grainy in a nice way...coffee really dominates again with faint hints of chocolate and hops as well, which have some earthy undertones and hint at spiciness.

MF: Feels medium-thin with a good dryness and bitterness, decent carbonation.

O: An easy drinker, one dimensional as you would expect a coffee stout to be, but enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 15:35:09 | More by Scotchboy