Pike Street XXXXX Stout - Pike Pub & Brewery

JM03

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle received from optimator13. Thanks Evan.

Pours the deepest darkest brown. Maybe black.. Its close. A medium milk chocolate color head with nice retention.

Aromas are smokey, some dark chocolates, a hint of coffee, and something of a soy or anise smell.

Tastes are surprisingly bitter. Its almost like a bitter chocolate, bitter coffee beans, and hops all fighting. Smokey roasted malts are present. Burnt.

Overall i was not too impressed with this one. Could have used a little sweetness to balance it out. I had a hard time finishing the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 16:58:31 | More by JM03

SuperSpy

Georgia

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

Pitch black, with a mocha colored, two-finger head. The head is short lived but leaves some decent lace.

The aroma is sweet and roasty. Smoky, with cocoa, roasted malt and dark chocolate. It smells delicious.

The beer is a bit lighter than I expected, but it still has a good medium body and a slightly creamy texture. The flavors are smoke, roasted and burnt malt, coffee. It then transitions to lots of dark roasted malts with a sweet cream character. The finish introduces some bitter flavors from the hops and the aftertaste is like a heavily creamed, dark-roast coffee. A really good stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 23:12:30 | More by SuperSpy

Arenbeer

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle into a Goblet glass

Thanks to gingermanstv for this brew. Poured at Fridge Temp

A- Pours a nice super dark reddish brown with a thin less than a finger light brown head that doesn't last other than a nice rim around the glass. Leaves some splotchy lacing and decent legs for a %7 brew.

S- Dark roasted malts and smoke up front with some really nice unsweetened chocolate notes and definitely some burnt coffee in there as well. Almost has a soy sauce characteristic to it and definitely sweet smelling overall.

T- Just like the aroma. Really nice roasted burnt malts and coffee up front and inishes with unsweetened dark chocolate. Also in the aftertaste you get hit with loads of smoke and bacon like flavors. Really surprising for a regular stout.

M- Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a nice bitter finish.

SkÅL!

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 22:10:37 | More by Arenbeer

dedrinker

Kansas

4.47/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A stout looks like a stout already.

What I want to talk about is how this beer brought my buzz back. 20 years ago I had my first sip of Guinness Extra Stout. I thought I was chewing on a leather belt soaked in coffee; nothing like the bud light and Olympia I had cut my teeth on. Then as times changed and formerly venerable international brewers dumbed down for wider market share, beers like Guinness seemed so...whatever.

But tonight Pike Stout brought back that initial wonder and awe at a bold brew that tasted so compelling. Sure this is no bourbon barrel coffee chocolate wild yeast indian spit porn and murder stout, but the purity of its concentrated roasted malt (black coffee, roasted chicory) with that sharp edge of hop + alcohol fruity finish is really awesome when considering how the robust honest deep roasted/toasted/burnt malt flavors roll across the tongue so easily - such great mouth-feel and drinkability! It was brilliant with a little spicy jambalaya number I improvised.

Basically it blew me away because the classic deep dark roasted malt flavor was there, but was so easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 04:04:47 | More by dedrinker

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a thick pitch black with a nice 2 inch beige head that fades to a small cap. Nice foamy lacing all around the glass on the drink down. Smells of roasted malt, coffee beans, cocoa powder, and faint whiffs of alcohol. Tastes of bittersweet chocolate, strong espresso, and an earthy grain taste. There is a strong bitter astringency after each sip. Good carbonation with a medium body. Creamy and smooth in the mouth. Overall, this is a pretty good stout but the bitterness is pronounced and detracts from the beer in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 03:03:40 | More by UCLABrewN84

biglite351

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A - black to the edge, tall creamy dark tan head.

S - very mild malts and yeast. Something almost like crackers.

T - strong toasted malts. Very hearty.

M - heavy coating but no real tingle, just a touch on right side of tongue.

O - quite drinkable alone or with food.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 21:43:44 | More by biglite351

welldigger888

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thank you to a dear old friend for leaving this with me.

Poured an opaque black hue with a nice khaki head that laced well down glass.

Sweet and a hint of sour, is this an export extra stout? Well, Unsweet chocolate coffee and a sour note dominates in a good way.

Very creamy and coffee like, some unsweet chocolate notes as well.

Seems a bit thin, but I am drinking this at room temp. 68 degrees.

Well, I must say this is a good beer, not familiar with the brand but hey good none the less.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 02:56:04 | More by welldigger888

claspada

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aromas of smoke and roasted malts; I get some bacon characteristics as well. There's lesser coffee, bitter chocolate, and a hint of licorice to round things out.

The taste is less than impressive. Bittersweet baker's chocolate, with a boat load of smoke and rauchbier tastes which I hate. I desperately crave some more sweetness for this beer to balance the rough bitterness and dry acrid flavors.

Mouthfeel is really full, mild balanced carbonation. Finishes really full and viscous; coats the mouth to a point of ruining the taste buds.

Overall, I had high expectations for this beer and I was delivered a smoky pork/bacon dry bitter mess. Not sure why people like consuming these flavors in beer, anyway. Not recommended, compared to the numerous better available styles available.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 01:02:22 | More by claspada

dtivp

West Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a very deep black with a very nice one and half finger head, good retention that settled into a nice collar with moderate lacing.

Aroma of dark roasted coffee, dark chocolate and malt.

Taste started a little bitter with dark roasted coffee, dark roasted malt and a hint of hops, then there was a very nice counter of chocolate vanilla sweetness.

Medium to full body with moderate carbonation. Starts out strong with a nice smooth creamy finish.

This is a very nice stout and I look forward to future brews from Pike Street.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 13:39:27 | More by dtivp

Ghenna

California

3.8/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Inky black with a minimal tinge of amber around the very edges of the glass. Fluffy espresso colored head that lingers both on the top of the beer and along the glass. Beautiful.

Huge roast in the smell, maybe a bit of alcohol as it warms up. Roast/burnt flavor is fairly strong. If that is what makes a stout
"extra" then this definitely fits the bill.

Surprisingly, given the color and smell, it is surprisingly light in terms of body- leading to it being fairly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 05:13:45 | More by Ghenna

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass, the beer pours a thick, viscous, jet-black color, with a thin, dense tan colored head that has great retention as you drink. The nose is strong in coffee and chocolate while you are pouring, as well as when you smell from the glass. The flavors are dark roast coffee bitter with a blend of milk chocolate. The flavors are carried on a light, dry body. Coffee aftertaste with a bitter essence left in mouth. The finish is smooth and creamy, but lingering. Delicious! Makes a tasty float or brownie, also!

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 07:17:12 | More by GarthDanielson

Duckmancgy

Alberta (Canada)

4.55/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle to pint glass

Fantastic.. Not much else to say - but I will go through the list.

Upon opening and pouring the experience begins, great pour with a very very dark almost black colour to it. Can't see through the glass (always good with an extra stout), and finishes with a nice 1.5 finger caramel head. The head started to melt away and within a few minutes it was all gone.

Smell was strong with coffee, and a sweet malty almost burnt chocolate smell. Definitely sweeter than floury or bitter. The flavour mimics that quite a bit. First across the tongue was slight bitter espresso flavouring, which led to a smooth finish. It was nicely carbonated and was very easy to finish the entire bottle.

I started drinking it with some home made pizza which didn't harm the flavour but didn't really add to it. Finished with a nice piece of 70% dark chocolate, and that pushed this from an excellent beer to a freaking fantastic beverage of glory.

Definitely a must buy and must drink. I haven't had anything else from Pike but this would make me like to try others.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 01:35:00 | More by Duckmancgy

BeardedRiker

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've tried other Pike's beers before but never was too impressed by them. They were good but not excellent.

By the way this stout poured I knew this would be good. It formed a frothy tan-brown head that slowly fizzled down to a delicate film on top. The color of the beer itself is of the darkest chocolate. Color change can only be seen on the very (slimmest) edges of the glass. Whenever I see that I expect strong coffee notes.

I can smell this baby from 3 feet away. MMM!!!It smells...it smells...great. I get a roasted coffee right off the bat with vanilla, caramel sugary sweetness, and perhaps the faintest aroma of floral hops.

The XXX tastes as it smells. It's extremely smooth some coffee bitterness is the first to greet you. There is some hop bitterness there too but I barely noticed it. Sweetness with vanilla counters the initial flavors and balances very well. The roasted coffee and chocolate flavors provide the strong home stretch with this stout.

I only wish it was cooler inside so I could enjoy it more. This is a damn good beer!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 19:49:27 | More by BeardedRiker

Halcyondays

California

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

22 oz. bomber,

A: Pours black with a perfect two finger tan head. Thick lace, great head retention. My first 5 in a while, but just an exemplary looking stout.

S: Heavy on the dark chocolate with some nuttiness and charcoal.

T: Dark bitter chocolate initially which comes back to earth mid-palate with creamed coffee. Stays sweet with some molasses notes and a lot of licorice. Dark chocolate finish all the way though.

M: Medium-bodied, creamy, smooth, bitter aftertaste but no roughness, fairly soft at the end.

D: In the new realm of bomber pricing being able to get a beer at this ABV and quality for under $4 is a steal. It looks like Pike may be coming into CA into a big way, and if they offer deals like this I'll be buying. It reminds me a ton of Deschutes Obsidian, if you like that beer you'll be a fan of this one for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 03:02:52 | More by Halcyondays

nickshep7

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pitch black base with a 2 finger tan almost milk chocolate colored head. Smell was roasted malts and dark chocolate (maybe a touch of sweet dark fruits). Taste was similar to smell with dark chocolate dominating and lingering forever. Mouthfeel and drinkability were good. As this beer warmed up the bitterness was a little much for my tastes. Overall, solid brew and would enjoy another pint in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 13:29:03 | More by nickshep7

avalon07

South Carolina

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

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a black color and a thick consistency. There was a small amount of tan-colored head that quickly dissipated. Pretty good lacing.

S: A good aroma of chocolate, malt, and mild coffee.

T: Tasted of coffee (not as prevalent as with other stouts), chocolate, and roasted malt. A solid, well rounded flavor.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a typically (for a stout) slick finish. Medium- to full-bodied.

D: On the whole, a well done, drinkable stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 14:21:51 | More by avalon07

bubba568

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This beer pours smooth with a 2-3 finger head that lasts and creates a nice lacing down the glass.

The beer had a quite hoppy aroma like that of an IPA but surprisingly tastes a lot less hoppy than is smells.

The beer tastes great with a smooth mouthfeel. It has a perfect balance of hops and roasted malts. The initial flavor is the mild hops followed by the roasted malts and finishes with a lasting mild bitter taste.

Overall this is a great beer and i plan on stocking up to keep this stuff on hand!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 13:48:43 | More by bubba568

RJLarse

Washington

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I bought a bomber of Pike Extra Stout in a grocery store. Poured in to a pint glass.

Pours a jet black opaque color. Foamy mocha colored head.

Smell is mostly coffee and dark cocoa.

Taste is an unsweetened chocolate flavor, with a taste of rum and alcohol heat on the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, light for the style, and not cloying. Mildly bitter aftertaste

Remarkably drinkable for the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 01:08:36 | More by RJLarse

bens0n

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours jet black, 100% opaque with a nice amount of creamy tan head that lingers for a while and leaves a pretty fair amount of lacing too.

On the nose there is a rich, sweet chocolatey smell that I pick up on immediately followed by a less prevalent but equally rich roasted coffee smell along with the malts. This beer just smells awesome.

Flavor wise, it has an unsweetend chocolate flavor and a roasted coffee quality to it, there is virtually no hoppyness, nothing like that, the malts are what make the flavor. The roastyness is more prevalent at the end though, it almost has a nutty quality to it.

This beer is pretty thick and has low carbonation, plus an aftertaste I really enjoy, it finishes on the watery side though, but the extremely low carbonation levels are also awesome.

Mine is 6.6% abv though...

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 02:25:33 | More by bens0n

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pike Street Extra Stout is inky black and unmistakably opaque everywhere except along its rim where the overhead light causes it to sweat a dark cherry-red colour. The marks imprinted on the glass by its misshapen head look something the 'tears' that would be left by a strong wine, only more than twice the size and brownish in complexion.

The aroma has as many nuances as chamber music (but is of course much easier to take in!) Black tea, sweetened coffee, elderberry and other macerated dark fruits are just a few flavours that stand alongside the typical and expected scent of roasted malts. The balance between sweetness and bitterness achieves an almost zen-like state.

A malt bill that enlists only pale, crystal and roasted malts is more than sufficient and plenty reliable, but also a little prosaic. Liberal additions of Chinook, Willamette and Goldings hops give additional depth in both taste and texture. Earthy flavours of long-steeped black tea leaves chaperon the wallop of bitterness and innuendo of alcohol.

Like any good stout after it's had some time to warm, identifying all the flavour components is a challenging and constant process akin to puzzle building. Spongy toffee, raw nuts, cocoa nibs and watered-down espresso can all be added to the beer's (already long) list of gustatory properties. Also, the label's claim of 7% alcohol is put in serious doubt.

This was a tough one to mark: there is now such a plethora of flavourful, charismatic stouts on the market that I can sometimes take them for granted. This may have been one such occasion. Nonetheless, while it may not have warranted top scores, it is a beer fully deserving of praise, recognition and most definitely a (repeat) purchase.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 16:45:28 | More by biegaman

DmanGTR

New York

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

Found bombers of this for $3.99. An awesome deal for sure!

Poured like expresso with a vanilla mocha head that left nice bands of thick, small-bubbled lace. Head diminished quickly and left an oily trace on the surface. A deep, robust, and toasty nose. Very light plum hidden in here. Hints of coffee and burnt toast, maybe scorched wort? Whatever it is, it lends a big roasty flavor and aroma to the beer, touch of toffee, and a decently assertive hop bitterness in the finish. The texture of this beer is phenomenal. Simply outstanding. Nice, full bodied beer that isn't too slick or syrupy, supported by a smooth and velvety carbonation that complements the body. Drinks very well indeed. The slightest hint of alcohol warmth after each sip makes this a nice winter beer.

Quite a good beer. And for the price, this nearly cannot be beat.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 01:12:55 | More by DmanGTR

StoneBrewFanatic

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours very dark brown, almost black in color, with a little over a finger of light brown head, moderate retention and pretty nice lacing.

S - Roasted malts, bitter cocoa, sweet brown sugar/molasses, and mild coffee tones.

T - Roasted malts, bittersweet chocolate, dark fruit, anise, bitter hops and coffee.

M - Too thin for my taste in stouts

D - It's drinkable, just nothing too exciting and I am going to be bored with it before I finish this bomber...

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 00:23:45 | More by StoneBrewFanatic

Pellinore1

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to OakedCanuck for sending this bottle.

Pours deep brown, nearly black into a pint glass. One finger of dark tan head recedes slowly.

Smells of dark, roasted malts, and hints of chocolate.

Big, bitter roastiness come through in the flavor, and notes of coffee linger on the tongue.

This beer is smooth and a bit creamy, with a dry finish. I'd gladly open another if I had one, which must say something for the drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2011 03:08:17 | More by Pellinore1

Drew966

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pike Street XXX Stout pours an absolutely opaque black with nice chocolate milk colored head. The aroma has some coffee notes, some dark chocolate notes and dark malt qualities. The body is appropriately thick. The flavor is very nice, not only are dark chocolate and coffee like flavors very noticeable, but a very nice citrus hop flavor runs right through it. An excellent stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 13:24:59 | More by Drew966

Chaney

District of Columbia

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

A: Poured a an extremely dark brown, almost black color, with a nice two finger foamy head that stayed at least a formation of oversized bubbles throughout the session.

S: Roasted malts, coffee, bitter chocolate, and a hint of licorice to round things out.

T: Bittersweet baker's chocolate, but with a little more sweetness than that. Slightly fruity on the aftertaste.... I'm thinking dates and raisons. The finish was somewhat dry, but not too.

M: Nice thick and creamy feel, with a bit of lingering bitterness that I didn't find offensive. The lacing was substantial.

D: I remember going to the brewpub in Seattle about four years ago and had this on tap. I'm glad we get stuff from Pike out here now because it's cheap, it is all solid, and I now get to re-live a bit of nostalgia from my past.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2010 23:45:11 | More by Chaney