Martello Stout - Garrison Brewing Company

Conrad

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a very dark, almost black, with brown tints on a white creamy head. The foam dissipated quickly and left some nice lacing.
S: Had to bury my nose in the glass several times to sort it all out, and I still can't pin them all down. At first, there is molasses, then coffee, then chocolate, then malt.
T: I expected molasses, but got coffee, and some chocolate, malty sweetness. It it were a Tim Horton's, it would be a double-double.
M: Nice and thick. Coats the tongue with slight effervescence.
D: A very good brew. Yes, I do believe I will have another. Yum.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2006 18:55:02 | More by Conrad

DanielleLouise

California

5/5  rDev +28.2%

05-06-2013 03:14:30 | More by DanielleLouise

lgmol

Nova Scotia (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +9%

03-19-2013 20:26:21 | More by lgmol

Ivanhoes_Backpack

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Finally. After running around NB for a year trying to get some it finally comes into the liquor store here in Fredericton.

500ml bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Dark mahogany colour, head dissipates quickly leaving light brown/tan lacing around the edges.
S - roasted coffee beans, hints of cocoa, toast, hint of sweetness at the end.
T - again, coffee, bittersweet cocoa, sweet (almost a hint of tangyness at the top) followed by hop and cocoa bitterness.
M - very smooth, bit of carbonation, but goes down easy.

Overall this beer has been worth the wait for me. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's the best stout around, but it matches Picaroon's gold medal winning Timber Hog and Gahan's Sydney Street Stout. I'm glad it's in stock here now, it's a great, flavourful English stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 22:45:35 | More by Ivanhoes_Backpack

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

02-14-2013 22:07:09 | More by DaPan

CurtisD

New Brunswick (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.6%

01-15-2013 03:04:37 | More by CurtisD

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a dark mahogany with an off white 1/2 inch head that is nice and frothy. Beer has low lacing.

S: Dark malt, coffee, hints of vanilla, nuts and bread.

T: Dark malt, coffee with chocolate. A hint of smokiness is detectable.

M: Light - medium body, low-medium carbonation, balanced bitterness to malt.

O: This is a great stout. It has a balanced bitterness to malt, carbonation is well present yet does not distract from flavours. Flavours are well balanced, non competing, all complementing.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 00:51:38 | More by Kremlock

bcrocker

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%

10-06-2012 20:01:25 | More by bcrocker

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance – Pours a rich dark brown with a finger width of creamy beige head.

Smell - Roasted malts, light hazelnut, chocolate, coffee bean.

Taste – Roasted malts are the predominant flavour, well balanced with a harmony of the nutty, chocolatey flavours that were picked up in the aroma. Roasted flavours remain throughout and in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied with light carbonation. A touch creamy.

Overall – A good representation of an English Stout by Garrison. As soon as I got a whiff of this brew’s aromas, I knew I was in for a flavourful stout. Appearance could use a little work (I would have preferred better head retention). One of the better Garrison offerings that I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 02:49:31 | More by leaddog

jbonapar

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Garrison certainly has been becoming one of Canada's best breweries... Between them and Propeller, two of the best along with Dieu di ciel, UNibrou, Winnepeg's Microbrew...and WAYYY better than all the ontario microbews...For some reason, Ontario gets all the credit, but most of their beers are just so plain and boring....

Anyway, pours black with an increadable thick, dark foamy head. I highly suggest serving at celler temp and NOT cold....

Taste is thick, dark and creamy....So much dark roasted flavor for such a low alcohol beer...amazing....Sit and sip and enjoy...Espresso, Dark chocolate...

Fantastic...Love Garrison...

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 02:25:21 | More by jbonapar

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful blackish burgundy, with only the faintest colour highlights when holding the glass up to light. Minimal coffee-coloured head dissipates quickly, but mouthfeel pleasant with sufficient carbonation and an unexpected creaminess.

Aroma of roasted malts is milder than I remember when enjoying this on tap earlier this year, but still a hint of oak. The taste is solid and robust, with notes of chocolate & coffee, plus a surprising citrus bitterness at the finish.

Would highly recommend this beer and will purchase again whenever I find it...

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 02:12:12 | More by hopsolutely

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.6%

01-19-2012 06:45:00 | More by schopenhauerale

mmurphy525

Nova Scotia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.6%

12-11-2011 00:18:30 | More by mmurphy525

abust

New Brunswick (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -10.3%

12-09-2011 19:54:21 | More by abust

benbou17

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.6%

12-05-2011 09:30:53 | More by benbou17

jsnoek

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.6%

11-24-2011 02:53:18 | More by jsnoek

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml Bottle - Thanks to cfrancis for this one

Appearance - The beer pours a black/brown colour with a huge size fizzy light brown coloured head. I can't see much carbonation due the darkness of the beer and there is some good lacing on the sides of the glass. The head lasted for 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Chocolate, malts, smoke, roasted nuts

Taste & Mouth - The beer has a high amount of carbonation and it feels very lively on the tongue. I can taste chocolate mixed with malts and a roasted/smoke taste. There is also a bit of a caramel flavour. The beer ends with a smokey and roasted chocolate malt aftertaste.

Overall – Definitely an above average stout that reminded me a little of the St Ambroise Oatmeal stout. (which is also good) It's worth trying if you happen to see it. I look forward to trying more beers from this brewer.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 17:51:22 | More by spinrsx

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance. Pours pretty black with a finger of thick, bubbly, dark tan head that leaves some nice lacing.

Smell. Light roasted coffee and sweet chocolate. Some smokey grains and burnt sugar.

Taste. Roasty malt, smokey coffee and a little cocoa. Maybe a little wood.

Mouthfeel. Medium-light body with pretty strong carbonation.

Overall. Good stout. Not too sweet and a little nice smokeyness.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 03:10:55 | More by Rutager

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - pitch black, generous mocha head dissipated slowly, sparse lacing
S - roasty with light coffee, licorice, and a little musty
T - very roast malt, some coffee, slightly sweet and sour, with a bit of a tar like aftertaste
M - strong carbonation kick, slightly chewy, bitter and chalky finish
O - tasty up front but the lingering finish is not ideal, decent but not what I'm looking for in a stout

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 02:09:27 | More by joemcgrath27

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

341ml bottle poured into a pint glass.

A - Pours with a finger-and-a-half of creamy, dark mocha head. Totally pitch black color, even if held up to the light. Looks really good, and leaves plenty of lacing.

S - Nose is predominantly coffee and roasted malt. Noticeable bitterness coming through as well.

T - Tons of coffee taste, strong bitterness. Roasted malt and faint hops as well. Pretty simple taste, maybe with a bit of cocoa in there too.

M - Rather thin body with medium-to-low carbonation and a very dry finish.

D - I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of stouts, but this one certainly exceeded expectations.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 23:44:32 | More by Converge

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours pitch black, two fingers of mocha coloured head after an aggressive pour, solid retention and leaves some sporadic lacing.

S - Dark cocoa and ground coffee with a noticeable bitterness coming through.

T - The coffee malts are more prominent on the tongue, and contains some smoked characteristics as well. Dark cocoa and bitter leafy hops linger on the tongue.

M - Big bubbled, a little prickly going down and finishes a tad too dry for my liking.

O - Overall a pretty tasty offering, but by no means one of the best stouts I've tried. Could be a tad sweeter, and the bitterness was a little too much for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 17:47:17 | More by andrenaline

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The final bottle from the 6-pack sampler from Garrison, as the others from a 341 ml brown bottle. Pours out a deep pitch black hue, with a tall mocha head that slowly settles.

Roasted malt with some burnt and char notes on the nose, some coffee, all very dry.

Burnt malt along with that char continues in the flavour, the roast appears somewhat in the middle, with a sharp turkish coffee-like finish.

Medium-bodied mouthfeel, full smooth texture, with some fairly assertive carbonation for a stout.

A dry stout all the way around, and certainly one of the better selections I've tried from Garrison so far, worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 07:55:37 | More by IronDjinn

marty21

Manitoba (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours black with 3 fingers worth of creamy, foamy tan head. Settles to a nice cap and left quite a bit of lacing.

S: Lots of roasted malt with some coffee with both milk and dark chocolate.

T: Roasted malt, coffee and milk chocolate. There's a bit of a sweetness that sticks to your tongue as well. Leaves a roasted malt after taste.

M: Light to medium carbonation with a light to medium body.

D: I really enjoyed this beer. There's lots of flavors that keep you entertained. Also with the lower Abv this would be a great session stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 19:51:01 | More by marty21

toomanyideas

New Brunswick (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Stout is my preferred type of alcoholic beverage, and this one is my personal favorite. This will speak for itself when you try it. I feel that it sets a standard for stout in general. It looks, smells, and tastes exceptional. If you enjoy stout, this is a must to try.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 20:29:03 | More by toomanyideas

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

341 bottle - the red-flagged fort imagery indicates to me that I need to revisit my Canadian history...

This beer pours a pretty solid black, with very slight cola edges, and three fingers of thin, yet tight puffy beige head, which takes its time settling, leaving a decent webbed structure of lace around the glass. It smells of bitter, smoky coffee grounds, and pale chocolate malt. The taste is sweet coffee-inflected caramel malt, some late-arriving chocolate essence, and a dry earthy, agreeably drying hoppiness. The carbonation is on the mild side, the body fairly full, and smooth. It finishes with a decent uptick of smoky chocolate malt.

A very nice stout - lots of approachable flavours, and the lower strength makes for a potential run on the keg, if one had such an opportunity...

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 01:29:35 | More by biboergosum