Rise Up Stout - Evolution Craft Brewing Company

smokeypeat

Maryland

4.34/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Glad to see Evolution branching out and adding a coffee stout to the mix. Pours a murky brown that's more black when held up to the light. Pretty aggressive dark khaki 2 finger head that faded out fairly quickly.

Smell is what I was hoping for. Deep roast quality is the highlight here.

Taste brings this thing home. None of that weak background coffee "accent" stuff here. They obviously used the good stuff in brewing this one. Some dark chocolate notes, and the lightest hint of smoke, but really the coffee is the star.

Mouthfeel on this one is above average but I thought it was just a hair too carbonated to take this beer to the highest elite levels. I was hoping for it to be a little smoother but it I'm just being nit-picky now.

Overall this is one of the better beers to come out of Evolution so far, and when I have a hankering for a coffee stout I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a 4-pack.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 19:23:58 | More by smokeypeat

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown to black with deep mahogany tones. Overall very little light is allowed to make it through the glass due to the rich dark bold colors. Head is approximately two fingers with maybe 1/2 a finger that gets retained. It is thick and creamy with a tan color that provides great lacing on the way down.

Nose is strong coffee and roasted burnt dark chocolate. Almost astringent but in a good way. Similar to the strong french pressed columbian coffee I am enjoying this morning as I complete this review from yesterday's notes. That makes this a very enjoyable nose.

Flavor was unique in that it was coffee forward which gave way to a strong roasted (almost burnt) flavor before those two not related flavors both came back together for a blended finish that was mild and smooth. Almost one note in a sense but the way the two distinct, yet similar and related flavors, both took their turn being center stage before coming back together as one. It was almost a dissection of the flavor on the tongue but was memorable as a result.

Mouthfeel is moderate but not as creamy as would be expected by looking at it. A bit more carbonated than I expected it to be but it worked very well with the heavy coffee and acidic flavor notes to make for a dry finish.

All in all this was a solid but not spectacular brew. Given the plethora of coffee stouts to choose from this one doesn't separate itself from the pack for me but was certainly still very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 13:22:37 | More by ElderPuma

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.36/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a snifter

An ink black through the core with chestnut brown around the edges. A one+ finger khaki colored cap sticks around for a little while before completely fading away.

Rich, dark roast with milk chocolate and a nice layer of fresh coffee beans. Straightforward nose, but rich and lush. Not broad, but definitely deep.

Coffee beans dominate the profile. Dark roasted malt and milk chocolate poke through here and there, but never overcome the coffee. Really well done. Robust flavors toeing the line of overpowering but falling comfortably on this side of the fence.

Full, rich body. Low carbonation. A touch of cream pokes through mid palate and really smoothes out the feel, finishing light and fluffy. Lingering bitter coffee.

This is a damn fine coffee stout and it really impressed. This should be included in discussion among the elite in the category. Excellent job, Evolution.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 22:43:21 | More by ColForbinBC

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours pitch black with a thick, creamy, caramel colored head.

S - Dark roasted chocolate malt, coffee beans, and cocoa; coffee dominates the aroma.

T - Roasted dark chocolate, char, and coffee grounds with a bitter lingering coffee-like finish.

M - Medium body and a dry finish.

O - Heavy on the dark roast, more so than the majority of the stouts out there.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 02:13:35 | More by jzeilinger

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle says 6.7%. Poured into a pint glass and consumed relatively warm.

A: Pours a dark burgundy color with good opacity. The head is a two finger khaki shade. I don't like how fizzy it looks, nor do I like its poor retention. Forget about lacing on the glass, 'cause there isn't any. Addendum: at a colder temperature, the head has a creamier texture and retains itself more solidly. Therefore, it deserves a higher mark here.

S: It's got the coffee character I like in my coffee stouts - not too stale or mild. A hint of balancing chocolate sweetness and mild hoppiness helps to break up the monotony. But even if it was completely one note, I'd still enjoy the coffee character a great deal.

T: At first, there's a mild chocolate and caramel character. After the midpoint, coffee takes center stage. I also notice a distant aftertaste of mild hops. It's mostly a coffee bomb with only touches of chocolate, so thank cripes that it seems very fresh and flavorful to me.

M: Quite thin in body. Since this is a single stout, I can forgive that. It's not really creamy, either, which is perhaps less forgivable. Still, the mouthfeel succeeds in providing a bone-dry finish while leaving lingering tones of coffee and chocolate on the palate. Superb drinkability as a result.

O: I've seemingly had a billion coffee stouts recently, but this is the one that could be mentioned in the same breath as the FBS/WnB pantheon and not get embarrassed as a result. It definitely deserves to be the #3 rated American Stout on BA.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 23:40:07 | More by ThisWangsChung

RacerX5k

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Really delicious coffee beer that I call 1/2 BCBCS because I like how it looks, at 1/2 the ABV. Beautiful black, crimson highlights, very nice. Big coffee aroma and taste, while not forgetting its a stout. Finishes dry, more bitter than sweet, fruity, coffee. Overall outstanding, well worthy of its number 1 ranking. And $12 per 4 makes this a best buy.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 12:46:07 | More by RacerX5k

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.71/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance
Black with 2 fingers of brown head that recedes immediately. A little bit of light penetration around the edges.

Nose
Coffee grounds, dark chocolate and deep caramel.

Taste
Coffee grounds, semi-sweet chocolate and caramel. Touches of milk chocolate and medium-dark roast coffee beans. Slightly sweet with some citrusy hop bitterness on the end.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied and very smooth.

Overall
Very quaffable. The coffee notes a strikingly similar to Founders Breakfast Stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 00:51:39 | More by justintcoons

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Kegatron for gifting me with a 12oz bottle of this. Poured into a snifter, the brew appears black in color with a dark khaki colored head about a finger strong that fades to a thin film supported by rising bubbles of carbonation. A swirl revives about a half finger and paints some stringy lacework on the glass.

The aroma has a very pleasant bouquet of fresh roasted coffee. Earthy and ashy with almost a touch of citrus. More roast from the grain emits smelling like chocolate and almost a vanilla or toffee sort of sweetness is present to contrast.

The flavor is dry and roasted with a bitterness seemingly coming from a combination of the highly kilned grain and straight shots of espresso. Some earthen and ashy flavors with a touch of citrus hops present to keep the flavors in check to remind you this is beer. The aftertaste is a bit burnt and earthen but in an enjoyable way.

This is a medium to lighter bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. Overall a solid take on a coffee stout with well hidden alcohol. I love how fresh the coffee character was in this without turning musty and stale. I would drink this again for sure. Thanks again Heath!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 01:17:47 | More by stakem

ckollias

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a small snifter glass.

A: Pours a dark black hue with a thin tan brown ½-finger head that quickly dissipates and leaves a wispy lace down the side of the glass.

S: Roasted malt aroma with a strong coffee and chocolate scent.

T: Smooth and slightly astringent coffee flavor. Solid roasted malt background with some chocolate overtones.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Excellent coffee stout. Great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 02:36:54 | More by ckollias

bubseymour

Maryland

3.19/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Appearance - perfect stout pour with billowing tan head and great retention. They got the look down perfect.

Smell - Pleasant scents of coffee, chocolate and some roasty malts

Taste - Somwhat bitter and somewhat burnt tasting. No sweetness of note, not much chocolate flavors either to balance. Very dry finish.

Mouthfeel - a tad watery

Overall - A somewhat unbalance stout that left me somewhat disappointed. Dry and bitter finish as well left an ashtray flavor in my mouth. Don't recommend this stout. So many better options out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 00:09:44 | More by bubseymour

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle. coding indicates Feb 2013.

A: really dark brown. almost black. head is off-white and tight. good retention and lacing.

S: tons of coffee. almost smells like a cup of joe rather than a beer. slightly on the sweet side rather than bitter.

T: wow. literally boatloads of coffee. not to mention the coffee tastes super rich, and super flavorful. very bittersweet finish. bitterness really dries this out.

M :lots of carb, medium body.

D: one of the best coffee flavors I have experienced in a brew. super fresh, great on the nose and on the drink. Im sure glad I finally got to try to this one from evolution!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 07:24:17 | More by Jimmys

oline73

Maryland

4.49/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass.

The beer pours black as night with a finger of thick tan head. A layer of head sticks around throughout the pour. The smell is full of smooth coffee, roasted malt, chocolate, and dark fruit. As good as this beer smells, the taste is even better. The coffee dominates, but the taste is still very smooth and extremely smooth. There is a touch of burnt malt in the finish, but it is balanced out by the malt sweetness. I'm getting some dark chocolate and dark fruit in the flavor as well, but the coffee is really the star. The body is velvet like and the carbonation is smooth as could be. This beer feels wonderful.

I'm a huge fan of this beer. I'll be having more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 02:34:27 | More by oline73

smakawhat

Maryland

4.09/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass.

Real dark mahogany brown coming out of the bottle. Makes a nice tan dark head, with mocha coffee brown collar. Settles slowly with a nice mocha ring and collar. Body color is a very dark walnut brown with a good faint red tinge to it. A nice looking stout.

Nose is full of milky and creamy coffee. Good roasty character, and a nice ripping bean action. Hints at sweetness and fresh brew. Very nice coffee beer so far.

Very light bodied but seems fine for carrying the flavors. Mid palate brings some wet fresh coffee. There's a good hop lime like astringency mixing with this on the finish. Roast char and malts take some turns on the palate also. Light bodied and to style more than likely, but easily carrying the flavors through.

Overall a real solid coffee stout, certainly the nose seems my favorite, but also better than many others I've had.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 23:39:37 | More by smakawhat

Beerontwowheels

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 2/2013

Served in a snifter.

A: Pours a deep dark chocolately brown with about two fingers of tan colored head. The head falls fast leaving a nice collar.

S: Coffee delivers as promised. Bakers chocolate follows along with some light brown sugar. I wouldn't mind waking up to a mug of this every morning.

T: Largely follows the nose. Heavy on the roast but has a decent sweetness to balance.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Very drinkable.

O: Very well done, Evolution! Never had the opportunity to have this on tap, but loving it out of the bottle. A ton of flavor packed into 6.7%.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 22:10:03 | More by Beerontwowheels

larryi86

Delaware

4.6/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 bottle poured into a snifter

A- Black with a one finger tan head.

S- Roasted coffee, caramel malts, bitter chocolate, oak, great aroma!

T- Huge roasted coffee, bitter finish, dark chocolate, oak, very tasty.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- A great stout with a ton of coffee. I have had imperial stout that have had less flavor than this. Hard to believe this is a stout under 7% ABV. Very happy I can buy bottles of this now!

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 02:03:01 | More by larryi86

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

4.4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a Three Floyds nonic. Bottled this month as indicated by the notch on the side of the label. This is the first bottling of this beer.

A - Pours midnight black with a full two fingers of mocha head. The foam that sits on top is very dense; it looks more like a mousse than carbonation. Great retention and a nearly complete blanket of lacing coats the glass as I drink.

S - Wow! Huge coffee bean aroma along with some toasted barley, maple wood chips, bitter dark chocolate, and delicate earthy hops. The smell jumped out of the bottle upon cracking and filled the room on the pour. It is hard to believe this is not a huge Double Stout based on the smell. I am impressed.

T - There is no mistaking that this beer is brewed with coffee. Java from front to back, with a bitter coffee-char finish. While coffee dominates, this beer isn't a one trick pony. There is a complexity of roasted malts, vanilla bean, and pine strewn amongst the coffee. Like the nose, impressively big for a beer this small (under 7%).

M - A little bit thin but there is nice carbonation that works well with the flavors.

O - I am thrilled that Evolution has decided to bottle this stuff. With the huge aromas and flavors it is hard not to compare this to some of the best Double Stouts out there. While it may not live up to some of the big boys, it is damn close. At the very least, it is the best American Stout (not double) I have had. Grab this one if you can get it!

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 01:22:08 | More by NoLeafClover44

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at TJ's, Paoli, PA

Served in a nonic, a glowing onyx color with a small, creamy, tan head that displayed moderate retention and lacing. Aroma of coffee and cream (presumably this is a milk stout), moderate roastiness. Nice taste that reflects the smell, rich coffee, smooth cream, dark malt sweetness, with a touch of bitterness that came out more as the beer warmed. Body was not quite full, but still rich and overall tasty and drinkable. I'd imagine this would make an amazing nitro beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2012 03:38:31 | More by Rifugium

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A-black with a nice stable tan head

S-somewhat bitter cocoa beans. Maybe some licorice. Faint scent

T-comes in with a really good taste of cocoa powder and syrup, though its not a syrupy mouthfeel. It's a great flavor with a great matching after-taste.

M-creamy mouthfeel almost like a root beer float. It's awesome and makes it super drinkable.

O-it a very drinkable stout. I love soda a lot and the drinkability on this reminds me of soda. Definitely something ill go back to an recommend to others

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2012 17:28:20 | More by AdamBear

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Ba Review #197
Served On: 07/23/2012
Glassware: Pilsner Glass (weird huh?)
Labeled ABV: -
Date/ Code: -

Had this at Finbars (Rehoboth) while visiting Coastal Delaware on summer vacation. I'm not sure why the bar tender served this up in a pilsner glass. Michael Jackson must have rolled over in his grave (God rest his sole). Mr. Jackson was certainly a great man and a true credit to craft brewing.

Look: Was a pitch-black color with a creamy 1/2" finger of light tan head. Can't really speak to the carbonation bubbles as the color was that dark.

Smell: Aroma was your typical roasted malts with hints of dark chocolate and roasted coffee bean. Some slight notes of vanilla extract came through, but were definitely in the background.

Taste: Mouth feel was semi-thick but not much heavier than a Porter. First off were the roasted malts. Then a nice creamy chocolate hit right when carbonation hit to bring in a nice bitterness that worked as a transition to the lingering butter finish. No alcohol warmth was present the entire time.

This was an enjoyable beer to fnish off the night with. It would work well as a desert beer with some vanilla cake or even ice cream.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2012 01:52:14 | More by CraftBeerTastic

gefahrmaus

Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Frankly, I can drink a lot of this stout. I had it from the tap at Two Stones Pub in Newark, DE. Every characteristic of this stout just screams delicious. ASTMO is 4+ across the board.

From the tap I needed to hand warm it slightly to bring it to temperature that brings out the chocolate and coffee palette. The thick body warms the mouth, drawing you back.

By the end you suddenly realize that you should have had two pints pulled because you would just hate yourself if you couldn't enjoy another glass.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2012 00:14:44 | More by gefahrmaus

marlinsfan4

Maryland

4.28/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Brought home a growler of this from the tap house in Salisbury. A delicious stout that is very sessionable and super smooth. A nice hop character but great additions of malt really add to the taste, along with a great mouthfeel and creaminess on the palette. Too bad it's only available on tap, but definitely near the top of the list on American Stout's I've tried.

Serving type: growler

06-15-2012 21:18:51 | More by marlinsfan4

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tumbler glass from a growler filled at Evolution Craft Brewpub in Salisbury, Md.

A: Very dark brown, near black in color, with a frothy, whitish head of foam about two-fingers high which left a sticky ring of lace on the glass.

S: Rich, roasted coffee aroma with subtle hints of carob, licorice and dark chocolate. An herbal, earthy aroma rises from the brew, signaling the additional coffee beans and hops.

T: Velvety smooth, dark roasted and bittersweet malt flavor hits up front, sending waves of caramel, coffee and chocolate over the palate. This gives way to some of the bittersweet roasted coffee beans and earthy, organic blend of coffee, but it doesn't overpower the flavor. Finish is bittersweet and smooth with lingering coffee bitterness.

M: Full-bodied stout balanced out a bit by the additional coffee and hop varietals, but still a bit sticky and rich overall.

O: A very tasty blend of dark, possibly black patent malts, espresso-like, organic coffee bittersweetness and a sturdy 6.8% ABV to support everything. This was an exceptional American coffee stout stylized with a Caribbean flair.

Serving type: growler

05-10-2012 21:43:03 | More by Gambrinus1184

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.23/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16oz pint glass enjoyed at the Cantwell's Tavern EVO beer dinner on 2/27/12.

Quick reviews.

A: Blackish deep brown pour. Ring of faint dark tan head. Not a lot of lacing on the swirl.

S: I get some toast malts and roast. Nice coffee aroma. Comes up more as it warms. Smells delicious as a coffee lover.

T: Easy drinking low ABV coffee stout. I get a light bitterness on the tip of the tongue, but nothing at all off putting or too strong coffee wise. In the middle of the mouth you get some nice chocolate flavors and the normal stout notes. It actually drinks more like a porter. Great coffee flavor as it comes up.

M: Medium bodied. Drinks like its less ABV. Couldn't believe it was mid-6%s

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2012 21:14:19 | More by inlimbo77

mdfb79

New York

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From 02/24/12 notes. Had on tap at Fireworks in Arlington, VA. Served in a pint glass.

a - Pours a dark brown, almost black color, with one inch of dark tan head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of coffee grinds, roasted malts, espresso, sweet chocolate, vanilla. Loads of coffee and very fresh; really nice nose.

t - Tastes of coffee grinds, cream, chocolate, and roasted malts. Again, very nice.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Smooth and creamy, and very easy to drink. Awesome body.

o - Overall I thought this was a great coffee stout, and probably the best beer I've had so far from Evolution. The nose and body were great, and it was very easy to drink. Would like to have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 16:02:12 | More by mdfb79

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at churchkey. Poured from tap at churchkey into snifter. Pours a black color with amber hue. No head but ok lacing. Phenomenal coffee aroma. It smells like the bean, not the drink. Really no other aroma.
Taste is of coffee...pure delicious coffee. Slight roasted malts and even hops?
It has a superb mouthfeel...not bitter at all. Super smooth, drinkable and just bursting with flavor.
This is truly a great stout. Although I stumled upon this, I'd seek this out for sure!

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2012 01:34:54 | More by DrinkSlurm