Folklore - Stillwater Artisanal Ales

hmph

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bottle.

A - dark, with a big bubbly and foaming dark khaki head

S - initial smell is malt, creamy dark chocolate malt with a lot of dark fruits coming through as well, raisin for one

T- Wow, really smooth combination, very malty mixed with fruity spice. ABV is not very noticeable, a nice dryness at the end with some lingering taste

O - Really loved this brew, something you could really drink a lot of on the right night. Great collaboration and combination of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 18:18:06 | More by hmph

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.44/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a very dark brown almost black pour, 3 fingers of tan foamy head giving off a decent amount of lacing. getting some sweet molasses in the nose, chocolate, coffee, caramel, raisins, pecans, licorice.. with a belgian yeast strain. almost smells like a blend of RIS with a quad. the flavor is fruity at first, lots of nutty flavors.. this is a very strange stout-like beer with quad characteristics, but wonderful.. think of it as a liquid fruitcake.. dark fruits, nuts, BUT with a chocolate/coffee kick, and lots of dark roasty notes. medium/full body with moderate carbonation. goes down very smoothly, for as sweet and heavy as this beer is, it's pretty damn refreshing as well. REALLY liking this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 02:05:35 | More by facundoCNB

bum732

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

S: Floral fruitness, rasberries with some other dark fruits, vanilla rasberry ice cream sums it up. Some vanilla bourbon notes, very rum-like.

L: Very dark brown, bordering on black, light tan head that dissipates quickly, looks carbonated.

T: Dark fruit malt, dark cherries followed by a light coffee malt. Medium high earthy bitterness with splashes of dark cherry fruitiness throughout. Finishes on a dry, slightly roasty side, some liquorice on the finish perhaps?

M: Medium high carbonation, prickly, medium bodied.

Very pleasant and unique beer. Nice that its not phenolic like most belgians. I definitely wanna try other beers from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 01:13:09 | More by bum732

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

opague nice tan with a huge, head that towered 3 inches above the glass. Tons of lace, a fantastic overall appearence.

lots of fruity tones. Hints of apricots and figs with a nice spiceness in the back. Hints of apples, just a great well rounded and very impressive overall profile. Tons of carbonation and lots of activity on the palate. Huge flavor assault , lots of dark fruits, figs, hints of yeast, and a pronounced grainey flavor

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 02:11:37 | More by mikesgroove

timtim

District of Columbia

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

darkest dark brown with a cocoa-tan colored head that shrinks to a collar. nose is roast, chocolate, licorice (but very light), fruit and a faint hoppiness. yum. taste exudes great balance of all of the above, and the roasty turns a bit bitter as it mingles with the hops in the back end. great, fantastic body on this one... medium-full and creamy as can be. alcohol just barely detectable in the finish, and it comes off herbal and raisiny almost, yet amplifies some of the other bright fruit flavors. dark beer with bright flavor. brian, you do this well. beautiful tribute to a legend of a bar. winner.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 02:33:44 | More by timtim

lackenhauser

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Impressive black color with a tan head on top. Nice nutty, mellow cocoa aroma. Malty and nutty flavor upfront. Pleasant roasted flavors, somewhat mellow which is fine. A faint spicy quality. Lingering cocoa flavors in the finish. Very solid mouthfeel. Another great beer from Stillwater. I had this on cask at Max's Belgian fest and it was great there as well. Well worth trying and enjoying...

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 22:54:56 | More by lackenhauser

larryi86

Delaware

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500 mL poured into a Chalice

A- Dark brown/black with a one finger dark tan head

S- Dark fruits, hint of chocolate and spices

T- Dark chocolate, roasted malts, dark fruits, spices, bigger flavor than the smell, robust and complex, very enjoyable.

M- Smooth, meduim body.

O- This is another great beer from Stillwater. Really glad I have another bottle for later.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2011 03:34:12 | More by larryi86

cosmicevan

New York

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Humongous thanks to 321jeff for always looking out for me and my stillwater addiction. poured into my stillwater tulip.

a - opened the bottle and filled the branded stemware. more of a brown than a plum, but certainly purple/reddish characteristics can be seen when held to the light. nice classic yeasty head...really creamy and very to style. far superior to most american BSDAs. good lacing, but not super thick.

s - all the usual suspects with a soft spicing. in the way that cellar door has that sagey vibe on a saison, this has that peppery sagey vibe on a BSDA...and it works very nicely. gives it a crisp or fresh smell...almost vanilla/booze that you'd find in an oak aged brew.

t - much like the nose, the flavor is like a BSDA on sage. there is a fresh, crisp coating on the overall palette. this is a tasty beer, but not super classic...it is classic but with a twist.

m - even before noticing the taste, the body showed itself. nice rich and fullness. not like the originals, but much closer than most american brewers are offering these days. probably like 75% creamy.

o - overall, better than i had expected. a lot of the classic belgian strong dark ale elements are there, but the beer has a twist. i would guess sage (being a fan of stillwater overall). this is a very solid beer and again stillwater proves his worth in the beer he brews. i really hope to see this beer some point again in the future.

really good and unique.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 03:53:10 | More by cosmicevan

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark brown-black with a finger of chocolate frothy head. Fades fairly slowly.

S - Dark caramel and chocolate malts, dark fruits, coffee, Belgian yeast, spices, touch of black licorice, touch of vanilla, hint of booze.

T - Dark caramel and chocolate malts, dark fruits, Belgian yeast, spices, black licorice, coffee, bit of vanilla, a touch of smoke, and a hint of booze.

M - Medium-plus bodied moderate carbonation. Smooth with a dry and sweet finish.

D - Nicely balanced BSDA. Good malty base with the yeast character balanced nicely.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 00:46:15 | More by ngeunit1

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours an opaque dark brown with a fine two finger light brown head. Aromatic fruit evident as it poured. Aroma of roasted and caramel malt, dark and dried fruit, chocolate with a mineral spiciness. Color and aroma similar to a stout. Flavor starts with toasted and lightly charred malt, molasses and chocolate with an interesting estery light fruit flavor developing in the middle. Finishes with toasted malt and light Belgian yeast and spice flavors, moderately hopped. The finish is like a stout and dark Belgian ale are duking it out for dominance (neither wins, but it is an interesting bout). Medium bodied with light creaminess and good carbonation. This is quit unusual and boundary busting; I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 03:51:33 | More by LiquidAmber

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at Pizzaria Paradiso over a month ago, took notes on my phone.

Murky muddy color with nice bone white head and pretty lacing. Brown highlights shine through. Very nice grain barley in the smell and taste, all covered in fudge. Smell is a little faint but nice, though the taste is quite full. Subtle oak and toasted oak in both aroma and taste as well which is pleasing. Licorice and subtle smoky flavors also are highlighted.

Deep and dark like a bigger porter but having a nice dry roasty finish like a nice brown. I hardly notice the 8.5% and the feel is a great creamy medium to thick feel. Medium clean. Good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2011 00:29:48 | More by Dreadnaught33

Beer4Baltimore

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 ml bottle with sediment well settled.
A - rich dark brown to near black with a big foamy head.
S - chocolate malts, yeasty spices.
T - a roasted,toasted malty bomb with a Belgian twang.
M - thick and mouth coating but enough carbonation to keep it from stopping.
D - the 8+% is well hidden under the malts and if you like stouts you could drink alot of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 02:07:44 | More by Beer4Baltimore

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sampling a cellar temp bottle poured into a snifter. the beer pours a cola brown color with brown fizzy tan head of 1 cm tha fades pretty quickly to a thin edge layer and one large wispy island.
Aroma is roasted malt and some dark fruit with prunes and molassess coming through, plus maybe raisin and fig.
First sip reveals an average body and slightly sticky texture with mild rolling carbonation. QUite nice no the mouthfeel, makes it easy to drink.
Flavor is fruity and malt based with again the plums and raisins and bits of molasses and brown sugar, fairly sweet but not cloying here. No real hop presence and the ABV is well hidden as well.
Nice drinking complex yet not palate killing brew. I enjoyed my sampling of it and would probably try it again, only drop is the lack of head retention on my sample.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 23:18:36 | More by sulldaddy

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.21/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a snifter. Beige head, moderate retention on a almost black body. Nice lacing, sticky. Aroma includes beef jerky (smoke), banana (overripe), candi sugar, roasted malts, caramel, biscottis. Taste follows closely with the aroma. Nice dark ale with a Belgian inspiration...nicely done.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2013 04:05:01 | More by KickbacksSteve

petacutlasaurus

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I really enjoyed this beer, both when I had it on tap at Pizzeria Paradiso and out of the bottle at home. What struck me both times was that it had tastes and notes of a heavier stout, but the drinkability of an ale. It straddles that line really wonderfully, picking up the cocoa, smoky tastes but not knocking you out with them. Now that I think about it, it has some similarities to Stillwater's Existent. I'd say the 25 is a little heavier, though.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2011 18:24:44 | More by petacutlasaurus

vfgccp

New York

4.2/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark cola with mahogany highlights.  Dirty beige, creamy head. Nice retention, low lace.

S - Fantastic chocolate liquor nose.  Hints of merlot wine and cognac. 

T - Dry opening of merlot and medium roast grains. Nice bright acidity.  Bitter cocoa and powdered milk sweeten the center before the fantastic dry roast returns for the finish.  Touch of smoke and woody hop bitters on the backend.

M - Medium body with a firm, dry backbone.

O - An excellent brew.  On the drier side of the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 19:20:10 | More by vfgccp

smokeypeat

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep chocolate brown into the glass. Nice 2 finger head. Good aroma on this one with big dark fruit notes and chocolate malt. Taste is really interesting. Lots of good things going on here. Get notes of raisin and prune balanced in the best way possible with some crisp apple and apricot. Really like the light note of peppery spice hanging out in the background. Carbonation is just the slightest notch too high for me for this to be extraordinary for me. I'd like it just a smidgen smoother but I'm nit picking at this point. Probably the best Stillwater beer I've had yet.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 23:19:38 | More by smokeypeat

sendsilk

Florida

4.15/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I received this in a blind trade with Littleb. I have no idea what it is, but he said it's good and to drink it up.

Pours dark and very nice looking.

Smells a little light, not too much to take in, but not off-putting at all.

Taste. Excellent. I really don't know what this style is, (making this a game without looking at any info on the beer) but it's very drinkable. Malty and hoppy at the same time, but a perfect balance. Maybe a milk stout? No, black porter probably? Tastes like an Ale though, but dark and slightly creamy.

M- very nice

Overall, please send me more Ben or anyone really.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 05:21:27 | More by sendsilk

zeff80

Missouri

4.15/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured a dark, dark burgundy color with a one-finger, brown head of bubbly foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of chocolate, roasted malt some spicy chilie-like aromas, too.

T - Good spiciness with dark chocolate and roasted malt. There is a touch of smokiness.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium to full bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This is a really good, really interesting interpretation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 02:16:45 | More by zeff80

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.11/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours deep brown with a tan dense head. Some splashy lace and limited retention.

A little tart yeasty funk combined with charred malt, cocoa, coffee notes. I like the nose on this.

Rich deep roasted malt, some french-roast coffee, a bit of sweetness, and bitter chocolate. Bitterness and malt play wonderfully here. Malt and lingering bitterness in the end. Alcohol is well hidden.

Medium bodied, a little loose. Just right carbonation.

Tasty beer. Not too sweet, not too bitter. Nice yeast component in this one to give it a bit of edge. Label notes a kiss of smoke -- ok, kinda. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 21:33:27 | More by OtherShoe2

drabmuh

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer on draft at Churchkey. Beer is black / dark brown with a decent head, some lacing, low carbonation.

Beer smells sweet and roasty, bitter.

Beer is quite bitter but kind of comes off like a Belgian stout. It tastes good and has a strong dry finish. I'd drink it again and look forward to seeing it in bottles.

Serving type: cask

02-21-2011 17:38:04 | More by drabmuh

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From cask to stemmed wine glass at ChurchKey on 2/21/11
*From notes

A: Dark as night, a rich black. Really lovely one finger head and some frothy, sticky lacing.

S: Big time alcohol and roasted malt on the nose first. Strong hints of vanilla and toasty oak follow.

T: Woody and slightly funky yeast up front, followed by charry chocolate, chewy tannin and an essense of copper. It finishes with a trace of authentic vanilla beans.

M: Well carbonated and holds a nice amount of weight. It simply feels right and supremely well balanced.

O: Tonight was my first foray into Stillwater's beers and I must say that I'm extremely impressed. 25 to One is a devilishly good brew, and I'm excited to see what Stillwater does next.

Serving type: cask

02-25-2011 20:26:14 | More by Rhettroactive

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured out at a dark brown nearly black colored brew. The head was pretty heavy at first and then it settled down a bit. It had decent retention but no lacing. The smell was heavy on the Belgian yeast and had a good amount of roasted aromas coming off of it. The taste was similar to most Belgian stouts. I found it to be earthy and roasted. The mouthfeel was smooth and drinkable. Overall this brew isn't anything too spectacular it's good but not great.

Just bought a bottle of this thinking it was a new beer from Stillwater. I hope this doesn't turn into what Rogue likes to do. Nevertheless This beer really impressed me so I'm revising my review. I felt that the flavor of the beer was much better than how I ranked it last time and overall I felt that the beer was impressive. Had I known that I already had this one I probably wou;dn't have bought it again. However the label on the new bottle is very hard to resist.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 01:06:34 | More by Knapp85

DaveBlack

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Beautiful beer. Dark as sin, a 2 1/2 finger head with long retention.

S: Roasted malts, lots of dark fruits and chocolate, a slight hit of earthiness and Belgian yeast. A really deep, rich aroma. Almost smells like port.

T: Lots of caramel and chocolate up front, deeply roasted malts, which fades into an earthy, estery flavor with plenty of both fruits and spice. The finish brings a hefty hit of wood smoke. Lots of flavor here, both chocolately/smoky stout and earthy/fruity Belgian. I'm not surprised that it hides the 8.4% ABV so well.

M: heavy body, moderate carbonation. The beer is full, creamy and slightly sticky.

O: A great beer...if you're looking for a change. Which is t say that it's not the type of beer that I would drink all the time. The Belgian characteristics and the stout flavors play very nicely together. The marriage is wonderfully executed. That being said, it's definitely a sipper, and I find myself wishing that it favored one style or the other just a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 22:43:49 | More by DaveBlack

oline73

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on-tap at Max's Belgian Beer Fest. It was brewed to commemorate the first anniversary of Stillwater and the 25th anniversary of Max's.

Appearance: Murky dark brown, a little bit of tan head that goes away quickly.

Smell: A nutty malt smell dominates. There is also some mildly sweet brown sugar.

Taste: Again, this one is quite nutty. There is some mild brown sugar sweetness and some bitterness at the end of each sip. The finish is somewhat bitter with a bit of alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with mild to medium carbonation. It is a bit chewy and has a dry finish.

Drinkability: I really like this beer. It reminds me of a nut brown, which I think is a plus. I think it had just the right amount of sweetness and it will only get better if you gave it a little bit of time.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2011 00:07:34 | More by oline73