Gingerbread Stout - Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Another shout out to YumYumGumGum for trading me a bottle at the ORF release this year! Cracked this open with fellow BA, ClarkPinnock. Poured into a chalice.

I probably didn't let this one "warm" up enough as there isn't the slightest bit of head on this pour. It is thick though, and it is black. Really heavy-looking. Might be the glass I chose though, because CP's pour had a nice half-finger of mocha-colored froth on top. This is a really thick and luscious beer. Heavy, slightly oily feel. Good carbonation. A sipper.

The first whiff of this smells exactly like freshly-baked gingerbread cookies. Spot on. They nailed it. Sweet bready aroma, vanilla, creme brulee, faint chocolate. Smells great. This beer starts out sweet for sure, with just a smidge of ginger on the finish. Sometimes when a sweet stout is "imperialized," it can get too sweet and cloying. Not this one. Great balance of sweetness and semi-bitter dark chocolate. Vanilla, sugar cookies, ginger, roasted cocoa. I'm glad I split this bottle, as I wouldn't think I'd enjoy a full bottle to myself, but as my glass empties, I find myself wishing there was more.

Fantastic beer. I'd like more, and am definitely interested in the Barrel-Aged version now.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 14:18:38 | More by Onenote81

mkirkland80

Virginia

5/5  rDev +14.9%

05-18-2013 02:20:55 | More by mkirkland80

tectactoe

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks to smokeypeat for this one - I love me some gingerbread. GBS pours an intensely dark brown that appears basically black once it groups up in the glass. The cap is nicely foamy and thick, khaki-colored, and has nice retention. Some chunky lacing is left near the top of the glass as well - very nice looking stout.

Hardywood certainly nailed what they were going for in the aroma - lots of warm, sprucy ginger that is met in equal parts by heaps of doughy, cookie-like malts. The combination forms a nice gingerbread cookie aroma that sends you back to making the festive treats during Christmastime. Some other spices lie a little deeper in the aroma, the most notable being cinnamon. Very lively and certainly unique.

Just like the aroma, the first sip explodes with a mirage of flavors that is so delicately reminiscent of the little men-shaped cookies. Gingerbread spice, shortbread, cinnamon, brown sugar... Very sweet and delicate, but balance quite nicely with a slight bit of warmth from the alcohol. The finish has some faint cocoa powder that's easily recognizable, but this beer is all the the gingerbread.

Some light ashiness in the middle-end that seems like it might be from the hops, though the hops themselves induce no extra flavors (no leaves, florals, or anything like that). In all honesty, I'm quite surprised by how much this beer actually resembles a gingerbread cookie. Pretty thick body, lightly creamy and just shy of chewy. Carbonation is on-point and the mouth feel gets even better as is gets a little warmer.

The people I was with didn't love gingerbread cookies like I did, so they weren't as crazy about this beer as I was. I love gingerbread cookies and I thought this was damn good. A little more complexity or development wouldn't hurt, but they were going for a gingerbread cookie beer and that's pretty much what they got. Sweet without being cloyingly so. Very solid stout for those that love the little cookie-men.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 23:24:47 | More by tectactoe

mrebeka

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev -2.3%

05-12-2013 02:15:14 | More by mrebeka

jaminjohnson

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%

05-08-2013 03:12:29 | More by jaminjohnson

dfhhead25

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -19.5%

05-07-2013 03:32:53 | More by dfhhead25

ADTaber

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -8%

05-03-2013 00:34:43 | More by ADTaber

ScottP

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -13.8%

04-30-2013 00:34:05 | More by ScottP

CanisMajor

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%

04-28-2013 19:19:06 | More by CanisMajor

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours dark brown / black with a toffee colored head and adheres to the sides of the glass like sticky cotton candy.

S - Ginger spice and chocolate, cinnamon, and spices.

T - Ginger, cinnamon, spices, chocolate.

M - Thicker medium body with cinnamon.

O - A very unusual and flavorful combination, highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 20:57:16 | More by jzeilinger

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4.41/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750mL from the fall '12 release. poured into snifter.

A: pretty close to black body. opaque. frothy brown-white head has great retention. tons of froth left behind on the glass. a good looking brew.

S: a bunch of fresh ginger combines with sweet unfermented sugars. slightly chocolate. not milky, but definitely some chocolate in there.

T: lots of cinnamon starts the drink off. even more ginger. molasses-like thick sweetness. finish has a slight bitterness to it, but otherwise predominately sweet. a little bit of grain too.

M: frothy and full. medium/full bodied.

D: this thing certainly has plenty of elements of gingerbread, however a few are missing. nutmeg for sure and cant say im getting too much clove either. that's me being picky. otherwise a very tasty, very unique stout from gingerbread. I recommend drinking it around the holiday's!

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 13:19:06 | More by Jimmys

deapokid

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -31%

04-21-2013 19:59:31 | More by deapokid

Bluecane

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -19.5%

04-21-2013 06:30:20 | More by Bluecane

JustABeerGuy

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%

04-20-2013 19:10:55 | More by JustABeerGuy

RyanSchwam

Florida

4/5  rDev -8%

04-19-2013 16:47:34 | More by RyanSchwam

dirtylou

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750 bomb, Thanks @blackie

This bottle of Gingerbread Stout is forever memorialized in my couch cushion. Dark chocolate body, off-putting thick brown foam which typically is the first sign of an unsettling mouthfeel. Perhaps thats just the "terroir of Central Virginia". Jeez, what a joke.

I'm surprised the additions of ginger and honey didn't do it for me, but this just seemed too gimmicky and really disappointing. Worst Christmas ever :(

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 02:43:02 | More by dirtylou

POTABLE83

New York

4.25/5  rDev -2.3%

04-18-2013 00:34:12 | More by POTABLE83

imperialking

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +9.2%

04-11-2013 17:59:45 | More by imperialking

KWMiles

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -2.3%

04-10-2013 12:56:12 | More by KWMiles

Lucho

Florida

4.16/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Pours an amazing dark brown almost black with a beautiful tan/gingerbread creamy head of two fingers with great retention.

Smell: Spices, maybe clove, not sure about the gingerbread. There is cinnamon on the nose.

Taste: There it is, Gingerbread! Well played good sir. Nice and light gingerbread with sweet cinnamon and nutmeg finish. I wish I would have saved this one for the Holidays. I was a little worried about it fading.

Mouthfeel: excellent carbonation with medium to heavy body with a nice dry finish.

Overall: well this is my first gingerbread stout but I say its spot on with what you would expect. The only thing is maybe it could use more of a presence of gingerbread and cinnamon and other seasonal spices. An awesome beer! Cheers

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 05:37:42 | More by Lucho

cfh64

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -2.3%

04-06-2013 02:05:28 | More by cfh64

beernads

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%

04-05-2013 09:37:34 | More by beernads

mdillon86

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%

04-05-2013 02:16:07 | More by mdillon86

FullObs

Illinois

4/5  rDev -8%

04-02-2013 18:17:55 | More by FullObs

drummermattie02

Texas

4/5  rDev -8%

04-01-2013 20:22:47 | More by drummermattie02