The Defender Double American Stout - Haymarket Pub & Brewery

dlello2

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

04-06-2012 17:31:09 | More by dlello2

Drucifer

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +16.3%

12-13-2012 16:52:18 | More by Drucifer

warnerry

Michigan

4/5  rDev +3.4%

10-27-2012 01:03:30 | More by warnerry

rjacobs6

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

09-29-2012 05:15:27 | More by rjacobs6

jrpapajcik

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

09-26-2012 01:01:28 | More by jrpapajcik

TMoney2591

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter at the brewpub.

My last brew before the soon-to-be-fulfilled nuptials. It pours a very deep black-brown topped by over a finger of dirty tan foam. The nose comprises roasted malts, bitter dark chocolate, and slightly bitter coffee. The hoppiness seems as though it's gonna come through pretty strongly on the tongue. Though this does hold true to some degree, the bitterness works very well with the chocolatey, roasty, coffee-y flavors. Nicely done. The body is a solid medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda dry finish. Overall, a very nice hoppy stout, one of the very few examples I've had that actually worked out well.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2012 03:57:14 | More by TMoney2591

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very decent but not exceptional RIS, enjoyed on tap at the brewpub. Good lacing. American style, hoppy, chocolaty. Decent drinkability, not terrific tonight maybe a different night.A little roast aroma, more would be better.Black and lacey.Fuller mouthfeel for a beer, consistent with the style.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2012 23:40:38 | More by northyorksammy

pschul4

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.4%

04-25-2012 21:40:29 | More by pschul4

ChrisPro

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

04-06-2012 04:03:37 | More by ChrisPro

StevieDavie

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

03-28-2012 21:44:52 | More by StevieDavie

shanblur

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the pub. Dark pour with abundant tan lacing. Characteristic roasted malt aroma with some hops showing through. Nice dark chocolate roasted flavor with hops bitterness. A nice combination of malt and hops. Could definitely be called a black IPA. Lingering aftertaste of coffee. A very nice stout.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2012 18:02:41 | More by shanblur

Khazadum

Illinois

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sample at haymarket. Crimson edging, good lacing, retention is well. Carbonation is light.

Cascade vegetable hops really shine through on nose. Some roasted nature, not too strong nose notes. Bit volatile.

Gummy vegetal hops, bitter grain, some roast but very very faint.

Creamy light carbonation and sticky lingering flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2012 23:06:44 | More by Khazadum

ScrimshawFan

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%

01-14-2012 04:34:42 | More by ScrimshawFan

whartontallboy

New York

4/5  rDev +3.4%

01-01-2012 01:24:19 | More by whartontallboy

Pellinore1

Illinois

5/5  rDev +29.2%

12-03-2011 02:48:21 | More by Pellinore1

Bung

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tap at the Haymarket.
Slick black pour, a layer of fine tan bubbles. Stick pretty well.

Pretty hoppy, pine then some roast malt and coffee.

Taste is quite piney up front, but fades into a nice roast maltiness. Caramel, heavy dose of chocolates. Mocha latte finish lingers very well. Somewhat like the Smuttynose Imperial.

To the heavy side of mid and almost creamy. Coating, very nice.

Started out like a hop bomb stout but it rounded out really nice.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2011 03:30:28 | More by Bung

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured black with a tannish head.

Smells of a box o chocolates. A little bit of roasted malt and floral hop is in the nose, but chocolate is the dominant one.

Taste is pretty similar. The roasted malts aren't quite as burnt as some other stouts I've had, which is good in my book. Heavily influenced by chocolate with a little coffee, molasses and more floral/spicy hop presence.

Mouthfeel is a bit light for the style, but it is still good and creamy.

I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. Apparently it's not one of their mainstays so we'll see if I can ever try it again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2011 15:08:41 | More by jmarsh123

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Brown-black with a tan head, this looks like an Export Stout; as the glass upends, the brew deposits a lot of lace.

S - The nose is a pretty delicious mix of chocolate notes along with molasses and sublimely roasted grain. There is some sweetness evident, wheat-y in nature, and the roast is on the mild side of the spectrum.

T - The flavor is more burnt and robust than the nose, but chocolate and molasses notes still are the mainstay. Some coffee is noted, as well.

M - Creamy and viscous, but lighter of body for style.

O - This is an easy drinking beer, and at an unnoticable 9%, it could get you in trouble. Good overall.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2011 14:34:40 | More by ktrillionaire

EricCioe

Montana

3.43/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Haymarket, 22 May 2011. Twelve ounces into a snifter.

This pours black with no highlights, a small tan head hanging out up top before it subsides to a cap, leaving just a little lace. On the nose there is a great deal of toasted malt, maybe charred rather than toasted, some chocolate, and a big hop presence. In the mouth it starts out just fine, chocolate and deeply toasted malts. But things turn, and the malt starts to become overly bitter rather than pleasantly so. The finish is long, but it's a mess of a competition between the charred malt and the delightfully bitter Amarillo, like two bitternesses competing for the same space on the tongue. The body is medium heavy, nicely drinkable.

Overall, this is an okay beer that with some tweaks to the recipe could be a very good one. But as it stands, the charred and burnt characteristics just don't sit well with me. I was looking forward to this as I really like hoppy stouts, but it was a mild let down.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2011 03:16:46 | More by EricCioe

AgentZero

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Black beer with a bit of tan head that left some decent lacing at the top of the glass due to consumption.

S - A lot of char, with a little bit of ash and burnt malts. Dark and heavy caramel, the smell is pretty big, would like to see how this holds up in a barrel.

T - A lot of char with some molasses and burnt caramel malts. Alcohol is very well hidden, but its a heavy beer with a lot of flavor. It is char dominated and with the sweetness that comes through with the molasses it gets hard to finish.

M - Full bodied and creamy with low carbonation.

O - Not bad, easy enough to drink given the ABV but its not great. I hear this is in barrels, and if done right may be better than the base.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2011 18:07:34 | More by AgentZero

OttoPeeWee

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This was the best beer I had at haymarket this round. The look is black with a dense malted brown whipped cream head. Smell is bready, smokey, and floral. The taste is charcoal, sweet, dark chocolate, and bitter with a sticky chewy mouthfeel. Perhaps a bit too bitter for the style and my tastes. Toning down the hops a bit and bringing it down to about 7-8% abv would put this one in the back of the net. I'm thinking with some slight modifications this could be a beer in line with one of the best, in my opinion, Guinness foreign extra stout. How's about a bitter and the lads and lasses can have a black and tan then?

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2011 20:59:28 | More by OttoPeeWee

MasterSki

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Haymarket. Served in a 4oz taster glass.

A - Served with a dime of tan foam that settles to a thin ring, and leaves a few wisps of bubbles and some lace splotches. Black oily body, with a glint of purple-brown at the fringes.

S - Big chocolate malt aroma, and plenty of roasted barley, but also a kiss of floral hops. I'm guessing the aggressive Chinook dry-hopping has faded a bit in the last couple of weeks, but there's plenty of flavor here in any case. Even with all the roast, this is a sweet stout with more of a milk chocolate and fudge vibe to it.

T - Taste is significantly less sweet, with more roast, char and espresso bitterness in the finish. There's a burnt astringent tarry note in the finish that I don't care for one bit.

M - Roasty grainy texture, dry tannic finish, and well-hidden alcohol. Should be creamier with the oat addition.

D - Not my favorite take on the style, but a fairly easy-drinking Imperial Stout nonetheless. If the finish was a little less burnt and harsh this would be a very good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2011 01:22:27 | More by MasterSki