Hillsborough River Dry Irish Stout (Patio Tools) - Cigar City Brewing

Immortale25

Florida

4.44/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at The Local Miami. Served in a Guinness tapered pint glass.

A- Pours a perfectly opaque black color with a 1/2 inch tan head that stays and stays before eventually diminishing to a 1/4 inch head. Thick, fluffy resilient lacing.

S- Very nice milk chocolatey caramel aroma with a hint of mocha.

T- Incredibly smooth flavor reminiscent of a chocolate milkshake due to the nitrogen. Minimal bitterness although there is some on the tail end. The taste ends up being quite neutral, but let's just call it balanced and super drinkable.

M- The creme de la creme...literally. So creamy and soft it's sublime. Semi-robust body.

O- I'm such a sucker for stouts on nitro pour so my rating is a bit overly generous. Still, this is a fantastic beer and I highly recommend it, nitro pour or normal.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-07-2013 23:03:02 | More by Immortale25

brentk56

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Has the Guinness appearance you would expect from a nitro tap and leaves plenty of lacing behind

Smell: Roasted black bread, vanilla and a hint of coffee

Taste: Roasted black bread, up front, with the vanilla and a bit of burnt brown sugar in the middle; dries out, after the swallow, with a bit of bitterness in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Very nice dry stout and I love the pun

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-01-2013 22:56:17 | More by brentk56

standardcherry

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nitro-tap at CCB takeover at OTC.

A: Good looking stout. Dark brown with a small tan head. Standard for the style I guess.
S: Not much going on. Some dry, dark chocolate smells and roasty malts. Very faint though.
T: Dry roasted malt. Some vanilla and chocolate, with a burnt flavor at the end. Slight bitterness.
M: Thin bodied. A bit watery. Super creamy mouthfeel though because of the nitro. Silky smooth.
O: This is a great sessionable stout. The thin body bothered me a bit but this was overall very smooth and drinkable.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-21-2013 04:18:13 | More by standardcherry

Florida9

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On nitro tap at Mellow Mushroom Brandon.

Beer is a fully opaque black in color. Served with about s half inch of very stable, very long lasting, creamy rich tan colored head. Lots of lacing. Aroma is mostly roasted malts, with notes of toast, coffee, and slight hint of smoke. Taste is more roasted malts, creamy milk chocolate, mild coffee, and cocoa. Body is a bit thin, but the nitro gives this one an incredibly smooth mouthfeel. Moderate bitterness. Another quality beer from CCB.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-08-2013 02:00:53 | More by Florida9

jucifer1818

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

a: dark brown, and what can I say. Its to style
4.5/5

s: Light chocolate smells, but to be honest, their isn't much here. nothing bad, but it really needs more aroma.
3.5/5

t: Where this beer shines. Light milk chocolate in flavor, slight earthyness (from the nitro), and a immense creamyness that makes it taste more like a oatmeal.sweet/milk stout vs a Irish stout. The hops only shine through in the after taste, giving it a nice dry roasty/bitter flavor in the after taste. Its fair to say I thought that this brew was fantastic.

m: Slick, creamy, mellow, and highly drinkable
5/5

Overall: I thought that this was a fantastic brew. Very slick and easy to drink, with exactly the flavors I wanted. Not exactly a traditional Irish stout, but for what it is, I highly recommend it (at least on nitro).

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-27-2013 02:45:24 | More by jucifer1818

d1ckvanswype

Florida

4.49/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Quick review scribbled at the bar, didn't know this was going to be around, they tapped out on Cigar City's Minaret right when I ordered it so this was the replacement, and what a replacement!

A: Jet black, thick, rich tan head that lasts and lasts and lasts.

S: Roasty malts, coffee.

T: YUM. Imagine having a bowl of Chocolate Rice Krispies, and instead of milk you used cold brew coffee with a touch of cream. Pretty much exactly there.

M: Super creamy, rich, a little chewy, with a deliciously welcome coffeelike astringency. Amazing, I just wish it was a TINY bit fuller, it should feel like I would get a tired jaw from chewing on this beer.

O: Easily one of the finest nitro beers I've had, one of the best Irish dry stouts, beats the everloving shit out of Guinness, I want this beer to be available year round, across the planet so people can use this as a marker for the style.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-20-2013 07:29:00 | More by d1ckvanswype

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've come across this three times in three different places in Florida. This time, I found it on nitro-tap.

A-completely black with a nice creamy dark tan head with some lacing. perfect.

S-smells like fresh ground coffee.very good strength

T-slowly hits with a good strong taste of fresh ground coffee. the tastes last and forms a great semi-bitter after-taste. This isn't a complex beer, but the flavors are very strong and thorough. It lacks any negative tastes.

M-medium creamy carbonation with a dry finish

O-this is an impressive and fair example of the style. i've had this a few times and every time I am satisfied. its a much more versatile stout that most. a lot of flavor from the ABV.

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-16-2011 10:48:59 | More by AdamBear

codysjb

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark Brown, little head, good lacing.
S: Dry, some chocolate notes but not much.
T: Like an irish dry stout lol. It was a little watered down but there were some nice coffee and chocolate notes.
O: Ok, a decent if not somewhat watered down example of the style just not amazing.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2013 01:08:36 | More by codysjb

PorterLambic

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours an extremely dark brown, nearly black, and viscous looking with a good-sized dark tan head. Retention is decent from the initial pour but pretty good after it settles. Great lacing.
Smell is a heavy wet cardboard with smoky malt and a hint of hops.
Taste is heavily roasted malts, smoke, light hops and wet cardboard.
Medium-bodied at best, slightly watery throughout. Strong effervescence in the middle after a lighter start and a nice finish. Flavor is pretty good but I would like more heft to it and a bit more balance in the nose.

Serving type: growler

11-04-2011 03:20:35 | More by PorterLambic

pmccallum86

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark almost black color with a tan colored head. Lacing remains on the glass as it dissipates.

Smell is of big roasted malts. Kind of a dry aroma really.

Taste is of big dry roasted malts. This beer is surprisingly light in body, but finishes with a nice crisp flavor.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp and smooth. Very interesting beer, glad I got to try it.

High drinkability, I am not sure about the alcohol content as it is unknown, but it seems relatively low meaning this could be a great session beer.

Serving type: growler

09-30-2011 13:52:03 | More by pmccallum86

adam42381

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from notes at Cigar City's taproom on 9/9/11 for Firkin Friday.

Draft poured into a 4 oz. sampler glass.

Appearance: Poured dark cola brown with a creamy light tan head. Excellent lacing.

Smell: Roasted malt, vanilla and coffee beans.

Taste: Dark roasted malt up front followed by vanilla and sweet malt in the middle before ending with burnt toast at the finish. Aftertaste is dry and bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium-to-full-bodied with a decent amount of carbonation.

Drinkability: Good drinkability. Goes down very easy.

Overall: Good beer overall. This would be great on a cool afternoon. Give it a try.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2011 22:12:03 | More by adam42381

kylehay2004

Florida

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: black with a single finger head

S: Mild roast and coffee with vanilla notes.

T: a pretty mild stout, little roast and smoke flavor. Very tame beer but an interesting spicey note to it. Base flavor is true to the irish stout genre.

M: smooth and a little dry, medium body for a stout.

Overall: This is a very nice irish stout. Smooth, easy to drink with nice flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2011 00:29:23 | More by kylehay2004

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.33/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler generously gifted by Chaney. Thanks Brandon!

The beer is dark brown, nearing black. The head is thick and beige and leaves some random lacing on the snifter. The aroma offers dark fruit, smoke, and roast. The flavor is quite nice. Eight ounces down, this is likely the best Irish stout I have yet had. Light bodied and easy drinking, with spot on carbonation. I would definitely drink this again.

Serving type: growler

08-01-2011 00:16:19 | More by Huhzubendah

JohnQVD

New York

4.22/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the brewery and brought a growler home.

Appearance is very dark, with an almost nut-brown head. Poured with a one-finger head which dissipated somewhat quickly. It has a light caramel smell. Mouthfeel is light, but not insubstantial with bright carbonation. The taste is dry and moderately bitter, with notes of coffee, chocolate, tobacco and hazelnut. Very drinkable.

(Original review posted 3/15/2011 when it was still called Patio Tools.)

Serving type: growler

07-28-2011 23:24:14 | More by JohnQVD

glid02

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On-tap. Originally posted under Patio Tools on 5/18/2010 but moved after an incorrect merging.

Pours black with a one-finger brown head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving thick lacing.

Smells of heavily roasted malt with good amounts of unsweetened chocolate. Also present are hints of char and tobacco.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Robust roasted malt flavors kick things off and are quickly tempered by lightly sweetened dark chocolate. Midway through the sip the flavors dry out a bit with hints of char. Good amounts of tobacco flavors enter into things before a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a smooth thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is great. I finished my glass very quickly and could have a ton of these, especially at such a relatively low ABV.

Overall this is likely in my top three CCB beers I've had, and that's among some stout company. A very flavorful low ABV stout that's well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 21:55:09 | More by glid02

Aiptasia

Florida

3.28/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Sampled this at Engine 15 Brewing company in Jacksonville Beach, on tap, with a bratwurst and chips, under the old "patio tools" non de plume.

A: Poured a dark coffee into a 16 oz. pint glass with no discernible head, just a halo. Lacing was apparent, like a sea foam fishing net.

S: Didn't get a lot of smell on this beer. Smelled like toasted water if there is such a smell. Was hoping for more smell character.

T: The taste was fine and very underwhelming. This beer would probably benefit from warmer temperature (60's f) drinking than the ice cold way I tried it. Subtle hints of vanilla sugar, not much from the hops, wet middle, dry finish with no aftertaste.

M: It drank fine, no complaints. Microcarbonated, wet middle and drinkable on a warm day.

O: Expected more flavor depth on this one, but I guess it was intended for easy drinking after working in the yard or while grilling outside. To that end, it's just fine, just not my thing. One positive is that it would be an easy dark beer for non-craft beer enthusiasts to enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 20:10:01 | More by Aiptasia

Lerxst

Florida

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Original review from April 2010 when this was "Patio Tools."

On tap at Kickbacks

A-Pours a near black with a somewhat thin beige head. Fair lacing.

S-Roasted malt, light roast coffee, a whiff of vanilla. Understated, but nice.

T-A semi-sweet chocolate flavor I didn't get in the nose is there, but the roasted malt is most predominant. The coffee makes an appearance as well. Not terribly complex, but enjoyable to be sure.

M-On the light side of medium body. Dry.

D-A few of these wouldn't be a problem at all.

Overall, a very nice beer from CC.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2011 00:18:09 | More by Lerxst

FLBeerGuy

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Original Review date of 05-14-2010 when it was Patio Tools.

Pours near black with a small tan head that leaves some lacing.

Smell is roasted malt with a hint of chocolate

Taste is roasted malts, a hint of chocolate with a nice hop finish.

This one makes for a very nice session beer. Worth trying if you can find it.

Serving type: on-tap

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2011 21:49:13 | More by FLBeerGuy

mondegreen

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

32oz Growler into a CCB snifter.

Pours a deep brown with a short lived head. Leaves pretty good lacing.

Really nice roasty nose. This beer is to roast what a single IPA is to hops. Simple, but elegant.

Taste is bitter roasted grains. Elements of coffe and bitter chocolate peek through a light body. Very drinkable, a really nice traditional style from CCB.

Serving type: growler

07-26-2011 20:33:24 | More by mondegreen

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Originally patio tools when I had it.

Thanks to gtreid for this one!

Poured into bruery snifter.

Pours a finger of light tan head. Head leaves some solid lace walls down the glass. Color is a fairly dark black.

Aroma: Roasted malts and then some. Sweet vanilla and a touch of toffee. Chocolate notes. Not a lot in the nose, but not bad.

Taste: Lots of roasted malts with vanilla and chocolate. There is a dry taste that I can't put my finger, I think it is peanuts or peanut oil. I doubt they used that in this beer, but something resembles it.

Mouthfeel: Roasted, smooth, and somewhat crisp. Medium bodied with a decent amount of carbonation. Ends really dry and roasted.

Overall, I like it for what it is. A good beer, but not something I would want a lot of. Glad I got to try this. Now that I am done with my review, I am headed to the patio (but not to be a tool). Decent drinkability.

Serving type: growler

07-26-2011 17:24:49 | More by mothman

pacond

Florida

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

16 oz pint(maybe?) on-tap at a new bar Gainesville, so it was definitely fresh dude. Well balanced toasted malt flavor and hoppy finish. No off aromas or flavors, I enjoyed it and had a second pint.

I would like to taste this beer on Nitro sometime too guys...

Serving type: on-tap

07-26-2011 17:03:11 | More by pacond

nickd717

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Growler via trade thanks to Sebletitje, called "Patio Tools" at the time. CCB growlers don't seem to hold up too well when shipped, but this one was very good and well-carbonated.

Pours pretty much black, but not too thick, with a small tan head that lasts.

Aroma is very nice - roast and coffee dominate, and there is also an earthy aspect as well as a hint of chocolate.

Flavor is also mainly charcoal-like roast and coffee. The dark chocolate asserts itself more here, and there is definite earthiness and even a little wet dog (that's a new one, huh?). Wet dog is one of my favorite beer flavors. A little anise as well.

Very dry on the palate with lasting drying from the roast. Finishes cleanly, and has medium body.

Overall, this is just excellent for a style that often isn't that exciting. Supremely drinkable. This probably won't surprise most of you, but I had this next to a Guinness and it was not even close! The Guinness was way sweeter and less dry, more watery, and just less flavorful in general. Goes to show how good this beer is for the style.

Serving type: growler

07-26-2011 16:46:23 | More by nickd717

womencantsail

California

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler shared by Joe at Oakquinox 2010. I had to move this review because for some asinine reason, the name of the original beer was changed to the oak aged version and a new listing for the original beer had to be created. Way to go Beer Advocate...

A: An almost black pour with a small tan head.

S: Not an overly complex nose on this. Certainly quite roasty and heavy on the coffee with maybe a hint of earth to it.

T: A very intense roast, almost charred, flavor with plenty of coffee and a mild acidity. A pleasant bitterness and just a hint of chocolate.

M: Medium in body with a full and tingly carbonation. A nice dry finish to it, which is one of my favorite aspects of the style.

D: A nice easy drinking stout and one of the better offerings from Cigar City I've had to this point.

Serving type: growler

07-26-2011 14:36:20 | More by womencantsail

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Decided to crack this one open to end the night last night. I wanted something a little heavy, but nothing terribly strong and this seemed to fit the bill. Served from the thirty two ounce growler into two pint glasses, this one was consumed on 04/08/2010.

The pour was dark, dark brown, nearly black in color with a small and fleeting head of light brown that just barely covered the top on the pour. First hints of the aroma are roasted malts, caramel, and a touch of light coffee. Warming really brings out the light cocoa touches I was looking for and gives it some nice depth. Going in for the first sips I am immediately impressed with the dry and smooth feel to it. Really quite nicely done I have to admit. Each sip seems filled with cocoa and roasted malts. Lots of smoky notes coming through now for me as well. Again very nicely done. Carbonation is just about right as it is full and unique but not overly aggressive and the light abv certainly makes for a very enjoyable and very session able experience.

Overall a very nice and light little stout. I would have no issue with polishing off multiple glasses, in fact the growler was gone in about 45 mins. Really very nicely done and something I am glad I was able to try.

Serving type: growler

07-20-2011 02:09:49 | More by mikesgroove

mdfb79

New York

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 3/27/10 notes. Poured from a 32 oz. growler into a pint glass. Reclassifying this review from the White Oak version as apparently it got put in the wrong place when they were separated/changed.

a - Pours a pure dark black with no head and very little carbonation evident.

s - Smells of coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and roasted malts.

t - Tastes lightly of coffee, as well as the roasted malts and a hint of chocolate. Subdued taste.

m - Light to medium body and low carbonation.

d - Overall I liked this one a lot. It was very easy to drink and had a nice subdued coffee taste to it. Feel like I could drink a lot of this with the low ABV.

Serving type: growler

07-18-2011 14:31:53 | More by mdfb79