Survival "7-Grain" Stout - Hopworks Urban Brewery

Ratman197

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured a clear reddish bown with a small lasting creamy tan head. Aromas of caramel, bakers cocoa, light vanilla and light coffee., Mouthfeel was light bodied and crisp with a dry finish which is a little off for a stout. Flavors of bakers cocoa, roasted malt,light coffee and a hint of vanilla with a crisp dry lingering roasted malt finish

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 22:30:25 | More by Ratman197

DenverLogan

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 22 oz bottle obtained through Letspour.
Poured in Maudite chalice.
Pours very dark or black...light brown head.
Aroma of wet hay, carob, rye, oats, old bacon.
Modest carbonation and mouthfeel.
Flavors of dark malts, sweet malts, various grains, bitter chocolate, cold coffee, slight lactose, #2 pencils, grassy hops. Overall easy drinking yet flavorful enough...lots of different tastes with emphasis on dark roasted malts.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 04:14:03 | More by DenverLogan

scottfrie

California

3.11/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

22oz bottle into imperial pint.

A: Pours a deep dark brown color with a finger of bubbly light brown head that faded into thick and lasting film leaving soapy lace down the glass.
S: Black coffee dominates with a little bit of spice. Pretty one dimensional.
T: More coffee, mild roast, bitter dark chocolate, touch of spice, almost no sweetness, and a bitter finish. Bitter chocolate aftertaste.
M: Thinner than I like, medium body, soda carbonation. Bitter and dry mouth.
O: Solid coffee stout. A bit thin, a bit one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 02:37:24 | More by scottfrie

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into pint glass, late 2012 bottling. Pours crystal clear almost opaque dark brown color with a 1-2 finger dense tan head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of big roasted coffee beans, milk chocolate, roasted malt, cocoa, caramel, oatmeal, toast, light char, and roasted earthiness. Fantastic aromas with great balance and complexity of roasted notes with plenty of coffee presence. Taste of roasted coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, cocoa, light char, oatmeal, toast, caramel, and roasted earthiness. Fair amount of coffee bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, cocoa, light char, oatmeal, toast, caramel, and earthiness on the finish for a bit. Very nice balance and complexity of roasted flavors with coffee; with a good bitterness/sweetness balance and no cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a moderately creamy and smooth mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent American stout style. Very nice balance and complexity of roasted and coffee flavors with the multiple grains used; and very smooth to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 04:47:43 | More by superspak

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 650ml bottle. Pours a dark, dark brown colour. Notes of coffee and coffee grounds predominate. There are chocolate aromas, as well. Taste pretty much follows suit. Coffee dominates, but there are also rich grainy and nutty notes, with a bit of rye bread flavour and chocolate, as well. Mouthfeel is incredibly creamy.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 23:06:20 | More by CookstLiquor

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Had this on 2013-03-23 in Columbia, PA and again on 2013-04-27 at a bit warmer temperature. Raised my review scores a bit as a result.

A - Pretty opaque dark brown with a 2.5-finger dark tan head that drops to 1-finger fairlyquickly. Tons of lacing.

S - Mocha latte with a shot of expresso. Light-medium roasted grain.

T - Sharp and astringent dark roasted coffee and dark roasted grain. Some semi-sweet chocolate and burnt/carmelized sugar for balance. There's some zesty and roasted bitterness in the finish. I like the flavor and it reminds me more of a roasty porter than a stout.

M - Light-medium body and light carbonation. More watery than I expected. Would have liked it fuller and creamier.

O - It's got an appealing chocolate/coffee flavor that improves as it warms. Glad it is organic. This is right in my wife's wheelhouse with the almost-sessionable ABV and porter-like flavor. Flavor-wise, it's a solid contendor for a top spot but the thin mouthfeel detracts from the overall experience for me but not my wife.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 21:25:34 | More by Tucquan

Dope

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Finally knocking off a long-awaited Want. Thanks Daniel!

A: Pours a dark brown with a fizzy, fluffy light brown head. Fades at a pretty decent pace, leaving moderate light fluffy bits of lacing here and there.

S: Super strong coffee, just like sniffing a fresh cup. Has a unique sort of grainy, earthy aroma to go with it. Coffee mixed with dirt. Surprisingly appetizing given that description.

T: Coffee not nearly as strong here, thankfully. Very interesting. Up front there's lots of hearty grain, most of which I can't identify. There is definitely oatmeal, it's got that typical creaminess that I associate with it. Coffee mixes into the middle a bit, providing an extra layer of complexity. Coffee turns a little bitter into the finish with sweet toasted grains, almost pretzel-like in a way. Get a bit of wheat in here too. Very unique, wish I had more experience with these grains to pick them out. Definitely a nice variety that works together well, especially when combined with the coffee. A little coffee lingers between sips.

M: Medium bodied and smooth. A touch drying in the aftertaste.

O: What an interesting brew. Lots of exotic grains that balance well and combine into a surprisingly decent flavor. Coffee is very strong in the aroma but it is toned down in the flavor portion quite a bit, such that it melds with all the grains instead of overpowers them. Don't expect a normal stout with this one, it's basically got lots of toasted, borderline roasty grain notes with coffee mixed in. Like a malt-heavy brown ale with coffee in a manner of speaking. Sort of a hybrid beer. Still very tasty, complex (especially for 5.3%) balanced and smooth. I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 05:16:43 | More by Dope

CJS

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A Dark and a bit thin on the pour. Tanned head that turns into a tiny lacy collar. Non coating on the glass. Looks like a less carbonated soda.

S Very earthy smell. Almost like dirt. Caramel and bitter coffee.

T The earthy smell matches the taste right off. Very grainy. Malty with a dry bread-like body. Lastly a toasted cocoa appeal.

M Think and dry. Goes down easy enough though.

O The organic aspect is appreciated. I wish it had more of a variety in the flavor profile to balance out the earth tones. Really reminds me of a cold carbonated cup of coffee. Not a bad thing, but not what I expected. Would go great with a granola bar.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 00:55:19 | More by CJS

Murrhey

Montana

3.33/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- Three finger mocha colored head. Thick and creamy. Long retention. Nice lacing. About as dark a beer as you can brew. Wonderful looking stout.

S- Strong coffee notes. Roast malts and toffee form secondary aromas. Coffee is strong and the aroma definitely reflects that.

T- Surprisingly watery flavor. Has a smack of roasted malts to it. I thought it might be richer, but the roast flavors are secondary to watery, light flavor in the first sip.

M- Not nearly as thick as expected. Watery, with a dry finish. Not bad.

O- I had higher expectations for a beer that looked so good, but unfortunately it didn't hold up.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 03:21:53 | More by Murrhey

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

thanks to johnmichaelsen for sharing this -enjoyed chilled from the bomber shared with abru17.

the color is deep brown with crimson hues and thick 3 finger cream with very good retention. The smell is a mix of roasted and slightly spiced with mild caramel and currant odors. The feel is good with nice tinges of roasted malt and subtle hints of sweetness gentle fruity yeast.

The flavor is good with nice coffee accent and mild hop bitterness with creamy malt which is toasted with some dried fruit flavor from both the coffee and yeast with nice tinge of herbal hops that balances the grain flavor which has sweet and earthy flavor that adds to the cold pressed coffee which is more cocoa-like than bitter coffee. The overall impression was a very good stout, I like the unique combination of ingredients and flavors that it brings with some nice currant and coffee in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 14:49:06 | More by Slatetank

morimech

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

More of a dark brown color with one finger of head that settled to a thin cap. Moderate amount of spotty lacing is left down the glass.

Interesting aroma but coffee does not play that large of a role. More of a grain mill smell. Notes of chocolate and then earthy hops. Faint aroma of coffee.

Does not really taste like a stout to me. Really unique grain flavor which is not surprising considering the exotic ingredients. A little chocolate and earth adds more flavor. The coffee is faint and unfortunately not a large contributor.

Not the biggest body but considering the ABV, it is understandable. A touch over-carbonated which does not help the feel.

As a coffee beer, it fails as there are dozens of better ones in the market. As a exotic grain beer, it fairs much better as the flavor is unique.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 16:48:52 | More by morimech

brentk56

North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a darkest brown color capped by an inch of foam that is surprisingly light colored for a stout (must be the malt bill); leaves a few shards behind

Smell: Not sure I would be able to pick out the ancient grain collection without out prompting from the label, but the beer sure does have a range of cereal smells in addition to chocolate and blueberry tones

Taste: Chocolate and coffee tones, up front, with the cereal grains adding another dimension through mid-palate; after the swallow, some sweeter, blueberry flavors complement the breakfast cereal theme; the coffee returns in the aftertaste to send you on your way

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A very drinkable stout; I like that it is full of flavor, has a grain bill twist and a low ABV

Thanks, gkatsoris, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 01:30:43 | More by brentk56

bark

Sweden

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

The colour is black, the low head brown.

The smell is loaded with lots of coffee and cocoa. Dry and elegant with hints of unidentifiable hops.

The taste starts off with coffee flavours and a somewhat artificial bitterness. Lots of cocoa/dark chocolate. Semi-sweet notes of coffee candy. The mild bitterness is well incorporated. The aftertaste is smooth with notes of instant coffee and American hops. The bitterness grows and gets drier in the finish.

The carbonation is a bit too strong, the bubbles small. The liquid is quite light.

A elegant fresh coffee stout with well hidden alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 19:20:14 | More by bark

vkv822

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into tulip snifter.

Pours black with a foamy tan head with larger bubbles interspersed in the foam.

A very nice roasted coffee and malt aroma.

More tasty notes of roasty coffee and malt. Some faint chocolate hints.

A medium to light body, with appropriate carbonation.

I really enjoyed this stout and though not something I would get all time, I will keep an eye out for it if I want a nice coffee forward stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 08:59:32 | More by vkv822

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at HUB, Portland, OR

Poured a dark brown-black with a thin tan head. Roasty aroma, dark malts, bits of smoke, coffee. More of the same in the taste basically, big on the roast, dark malts, lightly toasted oats, notes of coffee and cocoa, subdued sweetness, but mostly just roastiness. Medium body with some bitterness left in the mouth. Decent overall.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2012 22:05:32 | More by Rifugium

gkatsoris

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pitch black. Thin tan fizzy head, that disappeared almost immediatly.

S: Semi sweet chocolate. Coffee, roasted coffee, expresso, coffee beans, steeped coffee grounds. Slight dough.

T: No where near the coffee I was expecting. Some chocolate. Bready. Slight alcohol. Very malty.

M: Very thin. Whispy. It does leave a nice coat on the tongue!

O: A very enjoyable beer. I'm glad I have a coouple more to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 01:08:54 | More by gkatsoris

kemoarps

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a black with a pillowy tan head. Good retention and lacing.

I think I mistakenly put my head into a bag of freshly roasted coffee beans. At least that's what it smells like. A little mellowing towards the back end of milk chocolate, but that roasted coffee dominates.

The roasted coffee shines through here as well, with a decent bakers chocolate thrown in for good measure. It's a little thin on the back end however.

Much lighter than I had initially anticipated. This is not to say it is watery or anything, by any means, it just isn't as thick and viscous as I had anticipated. This makes it easy to drink. It's smoothe and tasty, and goes down well.

This is not quite what I expected, but the more I drink of it the more I like it. definitely worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 08:07:09 | More by kemoarps

hreb

Washington

3.95/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber served in a tapered pint glass. Beer is deep brown with a small brown head that rises as the beer settles. Aroma of gently roasted coffee.

Flavor is also solidly of brewed coffee. Undertones are of grain, along with a bitterness that could only come from hops, but compliments the bitterness of the coffee perfectly. There's some sweetness from the malt, but there's no sugar in this coffee.

The beer is relatively thin for a stout, but at only 5.3% abv and 15°P is pretty much where it should be, mouthfeel wise. Given the prominence of "7-Grain" on the label -- and the relative obscurity of the fact that this is a coffee beer on said label -- the grains don't seem to be that prominent. I'm not sure the variety of them add much to the beer. This beer will not remind you of, say Tripel Karmeliet.

That said, I *should* do this side by side with Peak Organic Espresso Amber...if only the two could ever be found in the same place at the same time!

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 00:30:38 | More by hreb

MsRif

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at HUB in Portland, OR. Poured a dark coffee brown color with ruby highlights. Had an aroma of roasty malts, smoke and burnt caramel. Taste followed the nose for the most part though I also tasted cocoa (dark chocolate) and vanilla. Dry finish from the roastiness, but the malts smooth it out a lot.

Medium in body...I found it to be too thin for the style. Low carbonation. Not bad, but not great.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2011 00:11:48 | More by MsRif

cosmicevan

New York

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

thanks to MADhombrewer for this one!

a - opened the bottle and filled my E snifter. poured a rich brown that settled like a dark storm with a finger of creamy milky tan head. pretty bubbly too. 8 ball in a glass. nice chunky lacing.

s - wonderful milk chocolate smell. really organic grainy. great roasted cocoa smell. really really nice.good spicing.

t - the roasted chocolate hits at first, then a blast of spicing and finishes a soft bitter baker's chocolate. bitter aftervibe.

m - kind of thin and watery. easy drinker. finishes a touch bitter. cooling. brisk. seems to thin for the boldness of the flavor.

o - overall a nice bold stout. the body is a bit weird and light and it feels like the ABV should be higher from the shine it leaves in my mouth (perhaps that's the grains at work?). smells pretty great and tastes solid as well. a worthwhile stout to check out for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2011 03:40:18 | More by cosmicevan

Bookseeb

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is dark brown with a creamy dark tan head leaving a nice curtain of lace. Smell of sweet vanilla creamer in coffee. Taste has the roasted malt, coffee bitterness fromn the mild hop thats just enough for balance. Mouthfeel is full, goes down slick with a mild spike of carbonation. Overall a very nice enjoyable stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 02:32:28 | More by Bookseeb

DarthKostrizer

California

3.2/5  rDev -21%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Look: Black with brown rings around the edges 1/4 inch tan head and no retention

Smell: Dark roasted coffee on the nose and it is strong

Taste: Upfront is the same roasted coffee note that that nose had but then it takes a turn for the worse, it transitions into a stale coffee flavor. Not sure if it is the organic ingredients or the coffee but it just taste stale and old. The beer was recently purchase from Belmont station so I know it's not too old

Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium to low carbonation

Overall: Just and ok beer. Not sure if it is the organic ingredients or the coffee but it has a funky flavor profile

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 01:26:28 | More by DarthKostrizer

robwestcott

Indiana

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

thanks to erikkoppin for this one.

poured cold from the bottle near black to a founders brewing goblet with a 1/2 finger, short lasting, mocha head leaving just a bit of spotty lace after each sip.

aroma of milk chocolate and creamy starbucks espresso roast.

great big espresso roast up front, a big coffee beer. more sweet than bitter and perhaps a bit of chocolate and smoke in the wayback.

light bodied for the style, big carbonation, a tang to the tongue quickly fading to a subtle coffee bitter.

overall - very good coffee beer, coffee bender has a challenger !

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 23:25:34 | More by robwestcott

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ the Hopworks Urban Brewery (Portland, OR) on 9/4/11. Served in a mug.

Pours black, with a ½ finger of burnt mocha colored head. This retains with a rich ¼ finger that has a nice flare-up to it, leaving back a sturdy cascade of spotty froth. Espresso jumps right out in the aroma, with an underlying layer to this of green citrus notes and a touch of cocoa and caramel sweetness. I’m enjoying the focus on the roast and hops here in the nose.

The taste is green citric bitterness melding with a maltier base of chocolate and caramel sweetness. A flush of delicious roasted coffee character comes across the backend, leaving this dry and burnt feeling with a touch of lingering hops. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a sharp and mouth-filling feel to the carbonation that really pops the entire roast and hops here on the palate. There is more of smoothness to this on the underside though that helps keep this more approachable overall.

Wow, this was good Stout, with those lush flavors just seeming to literally jump out of the glass here on draft. I became a big fan of Stumptown coffee during this trip, so I wasn’t surprised to find out that this ended up being finished with it, as the coffee character here was my favorite part of this. It was maybe a little too coffee heavy at times, as I really didn’t get any of the nuances from the multitude of grains used in this but whatever. Stouts this rich and flavorful are always appreciated when I find them.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2011 19:10:07 | More by Kegatron

UCLABrewN84

California

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to black13 for sending me this one!

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a 2 inch puffy tan head that settles to a thin cap. Thin foamy rings of lace mark the drink down on the sides of the glass. Smell is of brewed coffee, coffee grounds, and grain aromas. Taste is very heavy on the coffee flavor, almost like a strong coffee that some coffee grounds got into. There are also some grainy flavors but I have never had amaranth or kamut so I have no idea if these are present. Bitter coffee ground flavors stick around after each sip. A low level of carbonation with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good stout that is heavier on the coffee than the grains. Still a solid brew that I am glad I got to try.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 05:07:05 | More by UCLABrewN84