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

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.59/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bomber into tulip glass. Pours black/brown with a nice tan head that had some staying power. Aroma is baked gingerbread, some chocolate, slight roast. Flavor was spot on gingerbread cookie, ginger, spice, bread crust, chocolate, roasted coffee. Thick mouthfeel with good carbonation throughout. This beer is an eptiome of what a Christmas beer should taste like!

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 19:38:01 | More by CuriousMonk

portia99

Massachusetts

4.73/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml corked and caged bottle received in a recent trade with apaisncsu. Thanks Adam! Poured into a CBS snifter.

A - Pours a somewhat thin-looking, clear mahogany that settles into a super dark brown and nearly opaque body in the glass. A finger of thick and frothy light mocha colored foam that shows strong staying power, slowly fading over the course of several minutes leaving behind thick sheets of foamy lacing on the glass. Pretty impressive for 9.2% beer.

S - A bit of booze, slight astringency, tons of fresh ginger, full milk chocolatey aroma, sweet and creamy vanilla, some nutmeg and cinnamon. Underneath, there is some touches of roasty malts, but the gingerbread character is the biggest impression left, more so than a stouty aroma. Has an enticing dessert-like character that is pushing me to take the first sip of this.

T - Big ginger flavor up front layered on top of rich chocolate and a more prominant roastiness of the base beer. Touches of honey, cinnamon and vanilla continue the dessert impression obtained initially in the aroma. The spiciness of the ginger really comes thru well here. It is strong and up front but well integrated into the overall flavor character of the beer. The other spices play off the ginger quite well too and complement each other nicely. This might be the best incorporation of wintery spices into a beer I've ever had.

M - Thick and full bodied with a low carbonation that gives only a modest tingle on the tongue, but boosts the body of the beer very well with a creamy and foamy quality to it. This is super smooth and a bit slick on the tongue. The lactose of base beer provides the expected smoothness and touches of sweetness that come thru with finesse and round out the experience of this beer.

O - Coming into this, I really didn't think this would like up to the hype surrounding this beer. Happily it lived up, and even exceeded my expectations. This beer is a winner all around - from the handsome labelling and the C&C presentation to the (most importantly) liquid inside the bottle, this is a winner. Definitely not something I'd want every day, but this is one of the best beers I've been fortunate to sample in quite a while. I can only imagine what the BA version of this must be like.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 19:19:42 | More by portia99

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours deep brown with a decent sized beige head. Thin layer of retention and some lacing down the glass.

Really does smell like a gingerbread cookie. Ginger, cinnamon, some brown sugar with a touch of vanilla and a bit of roasted malt.

Wow amazingly integrated. I hate most spice beers usually because they are overspiced. This one is good. Spices are in play, but in balance and not overwhelming. It's an adjunct not the main feature, as plenty of the milk stout base comes through. Similar flavors as the nose all mixed well.

Medium bodied with higher carbonation than I care for in a stout. Only downfall of this beer.

Very good beer and probably my favorite holiday spiced ale I've had, but really the mouthfeel prevents it from being world class. I like a smooth velvety mouthfeel in my stouts. The sweet spot where the carbonation had died a bit, but not warm enough for the spices to take over was too brief. Looking forward to trying the BA version of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 20:36:50 | More by jmarsh123

russwbeck

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Got this in a trade at the Bourbon GBS release.

A: Black pour, that hints towards brown, that doesn't give much of a head even with a vigorous pour. What is there is brown, but it recedes really quickly and doesn't leave much lacing. You can see through it at the edges.

S: The aroma is very focused on the gingerbread, but there's a lot of sweetness from the lactose in there. Booze comes out, which sort of throws the balance out of whack. I feel like the body of the aroma is missing something holding it all together, but it's still pretty decent.

T: It really tastes like a milk stout on gingerbread steroids. The sugars, lactose, and sweetness, probably from the honey, provide a base and the gingerbread comes second, and in a big way. This beer really is completely focused on the spice, which includes cinnamon at some points. The issue is that the booze, again throws the balance off somewhat. There is a ton going on here, but they've managed to make it work together. I must say that typically I steer clear of milk stouts, but this one I found to be pretty enjoyable. The chocolate, milk, and ginger really do remind me of Christmas.

MF: The mouthfeel is where this beer really doesn't hold up. It's too thin (which really worries me for the bourbon barrel aged version), and it can't seem to hold up to the big flavors that it's trying the let out. The finish leaves a strange aftertaste.

O: This was a really great milk stout and I'm glad I got to try it. It did impress me for the style, but overall I don't think I'd go for another bottle. Kudos to you Hardywood for making a well thought out, and well execute release.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 22:00:38 | More by russwbeck

Beejay

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark brown as it pours, very deep black in the glass. A nice sized milk chocolate colored head floats on top of it.

S: There is a nice cocoa powder smell at first. Followed by ginger, cinnamon, and perhaps vanilla. The spices mix well with the bready grain smells, and meld together to smell a lot like frosted ginger snaps. Perhaps just a hint of yeast in the finish.

T: Ginger, and a nice caramel flavor come out first. The caramel blends into the bready flavors and really combines well to make a gingerbread flavor. There is a hint of black licorice in the finish, as well as some earthy bitterness, and dark chocolate. The alcohol is certainly present, but not overbearing.

M: Medium thick on mouthfeel. The carbonation is fairly fine in size, and adds a certain creaminess to it.

O: Overall I think this beer does a good job of treading a fine line between imperial stout and holiday beer. It's a nice enough stout that I would drink it normally, but spiced enough to celebrate the season.

Serving type: growler

01-04-2012 01:02:30 | More by Beejay

alpinebryant

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours an overbearing head with very sticky lacing

S: Aroma of freshly baked sweet gingersnap cookies with cotton candy caramelized sugars.

T: Full flavored stout with nice spicing. Rich candied sugar flavors. Funny enough, the sugar flavors really are reminiscent of the white confectioner candy sugar coating on top of cookies. There is a biscuit flavor along with the spicy hinge at the end of the beer mixing with some anise like flavors and a charcoaly like ashiness from black patent presence.

M: Very well done body in my opinion. The carbonation seemed high judged solely on the massive head, but once it settled roughly ten minutes , I could really enjoy the carbonation levels which seemed extremely smooth.

O: Overall a very good stout, and my favorite milk stout to date. There are a lot of flavors going in here to make it more complex while at the same time helping to mask any flaws, but as a full package, I dig it.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 00:00:47 | More by alpinebryant

n2185

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: pours black with half a finger of tan head that fades into a frothy ring with no lacing.

S: lots of sweet cocoa up front followed by ginger, cinnamon, and other spices. It smells like chocolate and gingerbread cookies--quite nice.

T: roasted malts up front with lots of sweet chocolate. Wonderful gingerbread flavors follow with lots of ginger and spices. Sweet, creamy, and a little spicy. Slight bitterness on the finish.

M: thick body with medium carbonation, this beer is nice and creamy at first with a dry, fairly clean finish. Nice.

O: I was quite impressed with this beer. It tastes and smells like chocolate-covered gingerbread cookies. Great beer from a new brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 00:24:49 | More by n2185

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

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to egrace84 for sharing this bottle! Thanks elliot!

reviewed from notes taken on 11/30/2012.

poured into boltcutter tulip glass.

Appearance: medium black bodied beer with 2 fingers of light tan head. Spotty lacing.

Smell: Cinnamon, Snickerdoodle cookies, and gingersnaps. Maybe a hint of chocolate and roasty notes.

Taste: mildly spicey cinnamon, a hint of vanilla and chocolates. Big gingerbread finish! Wow is beer is crazy good. Great balance between the gingerbread and stout element of this beer!

Mouthfeel: Medium body and moderate carbonation. This beer feels fanatastic and the mouthfeel really compliments this beer well. Very smooth, little bit creamy, and no booze noted at all.

Overall: Hardywood nailed this beer! Its amazing! Perfect integration of gingerbread flavors into a stout! This is the best christmas beer that I have ever drank!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 15:17:14 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

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

mltobin

Connecticut

4.26/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle shared with a few friends, poured into a snifter. The appearance is dark brown color with a short tan head. While the taste of it is brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa, roasted malts, amongst some other spices/flavors that I cannot pinpoint. It seems like a lot, but is nicely balanced. Mouthfeel is towards heavy, a creamy finish. It leaves you with a sweetness on your palate. Going into this beer from Hardywood, I was a bit skeptical. But for what it is, they really did a nice job. A perfect beer to serve alongside most desserts.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 23:28:36 | More by mltobin

yamar68

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big old thanks to cw577enfield for this beaut!

Murky brown cola body... near pitch black in the center. A pale tan head swells to around three fingers before slowly residing to form a half finger cap which laces very well.

Bright ginger comes immediately... nutmeg and cinnamon, mellow honey presence, cocoa, some vanilla or toffee... I don't even like sweets but this smells like my kinda dessert.

Much smoother on the palate as well... tame, metallic cardamom, toasted grains... it honestly does taste like gingerbread. Bready, sweet caramel/cinnamon... vanilla and cream... no alcohol bite whatsoever which is interesting given the amount of legging. Tasty ass shit.

Very good - thanks Colin!

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 01:35:02 | More by yamar68

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

ColdPoncho

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks a lot to Josh (brew33) for hooking me up with this bottle

A - This is a very light-colored stout. It's transparent and red/brown enough that it looks more like a BSDA/Quad, not even a porter. It's nice-looking, but not so much stout-looking.

S - Now this is nice. Spicy ginger blends with warm caramel and toffee, hints of vanilla, dark fruit, and cinnamon. There's also a floral element, presumably related to the honeycomb.

T - This is the best tasting gingerbread I can remember having, and it is beer. The sweetness of the milk stout base is a magnificent background against which to project the flavors of ginger, vanilla, and cinnamon. An earthy bitterness on the back of the tongue highlights this gingery crispness. This is really well done.

M - It's nice and full, thick and smooth, but a bit dry on the finish. Nice here, too.

O - Obviously not a traditional milk stout, this beer is a very interesting and really well executed gingerbread beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 01:36:08 | More by ColdPoncho

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle split two ways and poured into the Hardywood GBS glass that came in the gift packs. Have to admit the fact they put that this beer has a 100 rating on BA is kind of pretentious- better live up to the hype! Thanks Don for sharing this with me.

A- Pours a dark brownish that appears pitch black in the glass with roughly a finger of creamy foamy light mocha head with nice retention that slowly fades to a thin layer. Nice consistent carbonation.

S- Honey, ginger, some cinnamon, a bit of cocoa and lactose sugars. Decently aromatic, interesting smell although a little bit weird. Honey definitely comes out the most with a decent amount of ginger and cinnamon. Not bad smelling, fairly appealing, but definitely not the best beer I've smelled.

T- Ginger, honey, cocoa, cinnamon. Nicely balanced sweet ginger and cinnamon finish that lingers for awhile. Definitely tastes like gingerbread and comes together a lot better then in the aroma. Very flavorful and very well balanced.

M- Medium bodied, nice carbonation, very easy drinking, no alcohol burn, fairly smooth.

O- This was a very good gingerbread Christmas themed sweet stout that I definitely hope to have again. It is very well executed with an almost perfect balance of ginger, honey, and cocoa. The only aspect that could definitely be improved a little bit is the aroma. I definitely recommend trying this out.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 04:31:59 | More by jaasen64

jegross2

Illinois

3.86/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Reviewing the Gingerbread Stout from Hardywood Park Craft Brewery out of Richmond, Virginia.

Score: 88

2012 vintage bottle served in a Goose Island Chicago flag snifter and enjoyed on 04/02/13.

Appearance: Black in color, though it turns a slightly brownish soda color when held up to the light. Pours two fingers of fizzy tan head that settles to a thin fizzy ring around the glass. Has a surprisingly effervescent appearance even after the head settles. Poor lacing, below average retention. 3/5

Smell: Biscuity malt, grain, fizzy vanilla soda, brown sugar and faint cinnamon. There is also a gingerbread cookie dough smell present, but it is not nearly as pronounced as anticipated. 3.5/5

Taste: Has an unimpressive biscuity and fizzy stout flavor upfront, but before you can be too disappointed that flavor is immediately supplanted by a wonderful medley of spices, chocolate and gingerbread cookie flavor. Some sweet honey flavor too. This beer has a nice amount of sweetness, but is well-balanced. The spice finish is quite wonderful! If only the upfront flavor was not there. 4.25/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium carbonation. Mouthfeel falls somewhere between silky and creamy, with some fizziness. 3.5/5

Overall: Taste is what matters most in a beer, and this one has a really good flavor save for an initial disappointing flavor that hits the palate. This beer has a lot of potential, and I would loved to see what a little refining of the recipe could accomplish.

Pairing: Creamy vanilla bean ice cream. Trust me on this one!



Cost: $12 for a 750 ml bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 04:39:47 | More by jegross2

cichief

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on draft at Mekong in Richmond, VA. It pours a beautiful dark ruby red, almost black with a deep brown head. Smells of vanilla and gingerbread, very sweet. Although sweet, it is well balanced and has a great finish. This is a wonderful dessert beer, and just a great beer overall. Very smooth, just enough carbonation. One of the best beers I've had this year!

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2012 01:02:11 | More by cichief

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.73/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle from ThatCracker (thanks Andrew!). No bottling info but I know it to be from the recent release. Served in a Hardywood GBS goblet.

Pours dark brown with milk chocolate edges. The two fingers of thick pillowy tan head leave a good bit of lace.

Smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cream. Quite nice.

Taste is fantastic authentic gingerbread. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, brown sugar, sweet cream, clove, honey and a hint of booze. Outstanding.

Creamy medium full feel with tingly carbonation like cinnamon sugar on top. Long sweet finish.

This is as authentic with gingerbread as Southern Tier gets with their Blackwater flavors. Start to finish, this is an excellent holiday gingerbready treat. I'm looking forward to trying the bourbon version.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 19:46:11 | More by ThickNStout

siege06nd

Virginia

4.65/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to the brewmasters, who very graciously traded me a bottle of this to try...

Poured into a Hardywood Snifter...

A. Pitch dark, tarry, oily black. The head is pillowy and aggressive, a good two and a half fingers from a careful pour. It's medium brown in color, but effervesces to dark brown with a quick swirl. Pretty good creamy, consistent head on this. Really nice. Lacing is some of the thickest and most consistent I have seen in recent memory. As perfect as it comes.

S. Milk chocolate, cocoa powder, brown sugar, bread crust, and, yes, unmistakable ginger bread. I even get some mild, ripe dark fruit in the background. What's surprising to me is that the nose is not particularly strong. I really have to get my nose down into the glass to enjoy the full bouquet, but it's exactly like its name implies...gingerbread and chocolate. Excellent.

T. Chocolate, cream, some lactic kick. It starts out like a typical sweet stout, but then the ginger and roasted malt hit and boom: ginger-bread man with chocolate frosting. Wooow is this well-made, and very interesting. It's very sweet, but also very spicy. Like chocolate cake with gingerbread sprinkles. The taste on this is more of a dark chocolate profile. It's truly excellent. Standing ovation.

M. This is the only real deficiency I can find on this one...I think it's overcarbed. And it does it a disservice, but my mouth is so fizzy that it distracts from the amazing flavor profile. It also really takes away from what could be a much more cloying, coating mouthfeel to match the flavor.

O. Too bad about the mouthfeel, otherwise this would get a 5.0. Regardless, this beer is freakin' spectacular. A real achievement and a totally unique idea that Hardywood pulls off with aplomb. By far the best beer I have had from them and I can't wait for the bourbon treatment that is rumored to be making an appearance in the fall. It's not one I can say I would want a bottle of alone, so those of you who are wondering whether they should share this delicacy, I would recommend you absolutely open this with a friend as drinking this by itself would put you into a coma. That said, it is a great achievement. Nailed what they were going for. The hype is for real on this one, folks.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 23:10:33 | More by siege06nd

engagechad

Virginia

4.6/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer at the Illumination event at the Brewery

Pours a very very dark brown with a nice tan head that sticks and drags. Very pretty brew. I had a tasting and a full pour.

Smells soooo good. I find it amazing that they were able to get the gingerbread smell while using actual ginger.. man.. incredible nose..

Taste follows, smooth and sillky while having the right prickles and tickles from some faint hop.

Feels great, ginger is there and it is awesome.

Overall this is a money stout guys. seek it out and get it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2011 00:22:37 | More by engagechad

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Been wanting to trying this for a long time, here we go.

Beer pours a dark brown/almost black with a fluffy tan head. There are a ton of bubbles, making it actually look almost like a glass of Coke. Smell is of winter baking spices primarily with some roasted malt in the background. I don't think I would think "gingerbread" based on the smell if this beer wasn't called what it is. That said, it smells quite nice. Flavor takes it to the next level, however, as I feel like I'm drinking a chocolatey gingerbread cookie. The same winter spices from the nose combine very nicely with the stout base to create something very tasty and well-done. It's sweet, but far from being overly so, and still maintains the roasty stout aspects of the beer without letting the spices take over - very nicely balanced. I get much more "gingerbread" in the flavor, though I still wonder if I would've come to that conclusion on my own. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with nice carbonation and works well for the beer. Overall, this isn't a beer I'd want to drink every day, but it's pretty damn impressive for what it is - a great, well-crafted, unique beer for the holidays.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 23:37:43 | More by starrdogg

mikeyv35

New York

4.23/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Date: 02/25/2013
Type: 750ml. Bottle
Glass: Southampton Tulip
Vintage: 2012

Pours a black in color w/ a 1 to 11/2 finger tan head that left medium lacing. Aromas of roasted chocolate, honey, ginger, and vanilla bean. The flavor is of a gingerbread cookie folded into layers of roasted chocolate notes w/ enough hop bite on the finish to prevent cloying. Medium bodied and very creamy and lush w/ a bit too much carbonation. Drank my 16oz. glass w/ ease as the ABV is not at all noticeable. This brew presents a liquified gingerbread cookie taste while maintaining the stout components which makes it a success.

Overall, a fantastic brew that tastes like what it was intended to taste like, a gingerbread cookie stout. After drinking this brew, The Boston Beer Co. should be ashamed of their horrid tasting Gingerbread Christmas Stout! This brew would be all-world if the carbonation was turned down a bit which was too high for my liking. The high carbonation keeps the beer from getting heavy and makes it more drinkable, but makes it too pillowy in the mouth for the rich flavors to grab hold and be enjoyed to their fullest. Anyway, I am glad I have 2 more bottles of this brew in transit to me as we speak, as I would gladly drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 09:16:44 | More by mikeyv35

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

5/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance - Deep dark brown/black color with a very nice head. Moderate carbonation. Nice head with moderate lacing.

Smell - Roasty chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, pumpkin.

Taste - Chocolate gingerbread cookies. Simple as that. There are some nice vanilla notes in there as well, but you definitely feel like you are drinking a cookie without the super sugary tastes.

Mouthfeel - Silky smooth mouth feel. Moderate carbonation. The flavors stick around but there is no stickiness in the mouth.

Overall - Absolutely delicious. Way too easy to drink. It goes down like a dessert.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 03:47:04 | More by stereosforgeeks

TechTriumph

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From notes on 12/28/12:
2012 Release (black cap/black cage)
Poured in a snifter.

A (4.5) - Over an inch of frothy tan head that lasts a long while; Very dark brown in color and approaching black; The lacing left behind is very impressive

S (4.5) - Pretty amazing aroma and never gets old; As close as beer can get to smelling like gingerbread; Though the ginger steals the show, other spices are present as well - cinnamon, clove, nutmeg; Deep, underlying chocolate and molasses

T (4.5) - Equally impressive compared to aroma; This is approaching liquid gingerbread territory - with a very subtle kick of alcohol; Overall flavor hits a nice harmony as the beer warms a bit; More on the sweet side up front with plenty of gingerbread cookie flavor and a touch of vanilla cookie frosting, as well as underlying milk chocolate; The addition of honey is a nice touch and noticeable; Sweetness fades towards the finish as molasses-like character steps forward with subtle roast

M (4.0) - Moderate carbonation; A bit above medium bodied; Not nearly as smooth as I remember from the previous year, but still good; Pleasant level of warmth in the semi-dry finish

O (4.5) - This is just a fantastic beer to enjoy during the holidays and is easily my first choice brew for Christmastime. I honestly think the overall package is better for the 2012 release as compared to the previous year (though the mouthfeel took a bit of a hit in my opinion). Gingerbread Stout definitely deserves the credit and recognition it's starting to receive. It even helped spark the interest of craft beer for a good friend of mine... I can't think of a better endorsement than that!
---
---
From notes on 12/29/12:
2011 Release (gold cap/silver cage)
Poured in a snifter.

A (4.5) - Well over an inch of creamy tan head with excellent retention; Very dark brown in color with just a little light seeping through along the edges; Some scattered spots of lacing left here and there

S (4.5) - Ginger still has a presence, though it has faded big time; Quite a bit of caramelized and slightly burnt sugars; Somewhat tart dark-like fruits; Semi-sweet syrupy molasses and deep underlying chocolate; Smells similar to barleywine to me, minus any hops to speak of

T (4.0) - I actually detect less ginger in the taste than the aroma - it's just barely holding on with a light herbal-like presence; A lot of the character in the aroma is present here as well - lots of caramelized and somewhat burnt sugars; Faintly tart, but also sugary dark fruits - figs and plums, lightly dipped in rum; Quite a bit of molasses as well with hints of tobacco

M (4.5) - Carbonation held up well over a year - still moderate; Full bodied and coats the entire mouth big time - like a syrupy and somewhat sticky film all over; Finishes very similar to 2012 Bourbon GBS in that there's a very pleasant level of warmth that doesn't approach being too hot

O (4.0) - Well, I've heard both positive and negative opinions as to how GBS might age after one year, and have now finally found out for myself. As expected, the ginger spice did not win the battle against Father Time. What I didn't expect, but still rather enjoyed, was this beer's transformation into what I think most resembles a malty barleywine. The emergence of caramelized sugars, molasses, tobacco, and dark fruits is pretty fascinating. Having said all of this, I think GBS is without a doubt best consumed on the fresher side, though I'd still recommend trying it with some age if seeking out a different experience.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 15:19:21 | More by TechTriumph