Mill Street Cobblestone Stout - Mill Street Brew Pub

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Now this is a good stout.

Pours pure black with a robust rocky tan head. Lacing is expansive. Fresh roasted espresso beans and high cocoa dark chocolate explode in the aroma. The taste is equally rich with a deep roastyness and some smokey hints. Caramel and milk chocolate are noticeable in the middle. Astringent black malt flavors show in the finish. Hops are like throughout, providing some earthy flavors and a decent bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is thick and moderately carbonated.

This is a fantastic stout, it really puts mainstream stouts like Guiness and Beamish to shame. Thick and substantial stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2007 03:13:36 | More by CAMRAhardliner

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint at the brewpub.

The beer arrives an extremely dark black with a creamy mocha head that's there for the duration. Great lace left in sheets on the side of the glass. Pleasing dry grain smell, as well as some roasted coffee. The grains reveal themselves in the flavour with a strong roasted barley taste. Hints of coffee and chocolate round things out perfectly and mellow a slightly bitter finish. Smooth mouthfeel with a moderate carbonation.

This is a solid entry in a style that sometimes struggles to impress, and I've marked it up as it compares very favourably to its peers.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2008 15:16:58 | More by bobsy

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Victory Cafe.

Poured a dark black colour with thick white head that stuck around for quite a while.

Nose was somewhat sweet roasted malts.

Taste was roasted malts with a nice toasted flavour to it - almost like some toated pine nuts or something (difficult to pinpoint the toasted flavour exactly but it added such a great element to the beer). Some coffee in the roasted malts, but not enough to suggest that there was an abundant coffee flavour.

Amazing mouthfeel. Thick, smooth, sikly, elegant.

This is one of the best stouts I have had. 4.2% ABV is a little light, but it is probably the most drinkable stout I can think of.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2010 14:23:07 | More by TheSevenDuffs

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap at the Mill Street Brewpub in Toronto.

The beer appears the same black colour as, what is depicted in all 19th century paintings of the old distillery building, the smoke rising out of the mill's 100 ft. chimney. It is unshakably opaque, refusing any highlighting. A nitro-faucet provides a cascading visual while the nitro-tap ensures a dense, hardening layer of head that results in the glass being entirely concealed behind shrouds of tapioca.

There is a perfect description for what I am smelling: mocha! It is a precise blend of dark, bitter cocoa solids combined with fresh percolated coffee beans. It's like a chocolate factory meets a cafe and it couldn't have any more character than what I'm used to finding in Irish Dry Stouts. There is debate on whether nitro-taps nullify aroma but this sample certainly wouldn't suggest anything of the sort.

Mocha is also a dead-ringer for what I'm tasting. Here too, flavours of gourmet, fresh from the press coffee and chocolate, this time a more sweet and milky variety, combine for what is by my definition: stout deliciousness. Unlike lesser offerings, there is never any taste of harsh, burnt cereal grains. It's tough trying to determine whether this should be savored or quaffed - this balance of bitter and sweet would impress even a tightrope walker!

I'd definitely be inclined to agree nitro-taps numb things in the mouthfeel department. The texture is essentially revoked; I can taste sweet and bitter flavours but I fail to truly sense their effects on my tongue. Apart from a tidbit of ashy, charred malts nothing - including bitterness - survives the onslaught of artificial creaminess. Sadly, each sip leaves the palate nothing to remember it by and all that wonderful flavour is neutralized, invalidated.

Downtown Toronto is a place of relatively few well preserved historic sites but the Distillery District is certainly one of them. If anyone should find themselves in the area then a trip to the Mill Street Brewpub is definitely advised. I know the tap list is fairly large but if the Cobblestone Stout happens to be available, I'd give it some consideration. If you're a stout fan, then ordering it would be a must.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-15-2009 06:20:54 | More by biegaman

GodOfBeer

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice rich solid black with a thin creamy tan head that leaves tons of lacing.

Smells of caramel, butterscotch, and roasted malts.

Very tasty, almost like a cappucino milkshake at first then more malty/burnt grains come out. Very delicious, way better than guinness.

Creamy milkshake mouthfeel, very drinkable, I loved this beer.

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-31-2008 01:26:26 | More by GodOfBeer

eat

Quebec (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This stout is almost black and almost opaque. Ruby highlights shine through the bottom of the glass and the body is more of a very dark brown. Pours with a great cream/light-mocha head and almost looks like it's on nitro-tap...but it's not. Great head retention and lacing. Quite a nice looking stout.

A very bready smelling stout. Smells mostly of whole-wheat bread and yeast with some chocolate, minerals and dark malt. Nice smell but I'd like it to be more powerful.

This kind of reminds me of a (North American) Guinness with some improvements made. The focus is on the bready roasted malt. Bits of chocolate, minerals and coffee grinds appear but aren't featured. Light, earthy hops balance everything out with a subtle bitterness. The flavour is mostly of some smooth, dark roasted malt. No alcohol at 4.2% ABV, obviously. I didn't know it was 4.2% actually, I had assumed it was closer to 5%, not because of any alcohol showing but because of the nice big flavour. Almost no complexity but it seems that's what they were going for. Just a simple, tasty and accessible stout.

Good creamy medium body and a light carbonation. Pretty nice feel, though it could be a little creamier. I'm sure nitro-tap would do the trick. Slightly drying finish, just enough.

I find the Cobblestone Stout to be as smooth as St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout but it isn't as complex or interesting. Extremely drinkable, though, and shows no faults. At 4.2% this would obviously be a great session stout. My second favorite Mill Street so far, behind their Tankhouse Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2010 05:42:18 | More by eat

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Was very surprised to see this on tap at a local bar, and was super stoked to try it out.

A - Pours a nice dark black, with a solid thumb of smooth mocha coloured head with cascading carbonation, solid retention and some thick sticky lacing. Great looking stout!

S - Scent was much sweeter than expected with chocolate and expresso notes coming through. Only the slightest metallic hint present, which was nice as well.

T - Absolutely delicious. The chocolate malts come through nicely off the top, a touch of vanilla and espresso that lingers on the tongue. Much more favourful than a Guiness.

M - This stuff goes down like a Guiness with nice smooth carbonation that keeps your mouth watering.

D - I could drink this stuff all day. I will definitely be taking every opportunity to order this stuff on tap when I'm out because it was fantastic.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2010 22:27:32 | More by andrenaline

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint at Arrow and Loon. From notes.

A - Poured with a thick, reamy beige head that sat at one finger for the duration of the pint. Black in colour with just a bit of light coming through. Great lace.

S - Roasty with chocolate and a touch of coffee. Very nice and inviting. What I look for in a lower strength stout.

T - Smoky, coffee, roasty malt in a big way and a little chocolate. Typical but spot on the way it should be.

M - Good low carbonation, medium creamy body with a nice dry/bitter finish.

O/D - Really nice, smooth, good, proper stout. Sessionable to the highest degree. Well crafted.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2011 15:08:42 | More by tbeckett

ritzkiss

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pint at the brewpub, arrives a dark brown almost black, nice creamy head on top. Leaves sheets of lacing down the glass.

Nice balanced roast, certainly no RIS but a well malted English stout that's easy to drink at only 4.2%. Hints of cold coffee, anise, biscuit, grain husk. Thinner body but that's what you would expect. Dry, lightly hopped hop bitterness in the finish. Would gladly drink multiple pints of this one, for what it is - it's well done!

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2009 15:12:56 | More by ritzkiss

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

pint at Craft Beer Market July 25 2011

A very dark cola with a maroon glow when held to the light, not much room for head with the pour near the top of the glass but what room there is a super tight light mocha foam fills. I drank two beers waiting for this one to warm up and the foam went nowhere, it left continuous lace right down the glass pretty impressive

S chocolate milk with some coco powder and raisin

T some faint coffee on top of what I smell, simple but good, fairly dry but not completely

M enters silky and quickly creams up, thicker then I expected pretty nice feel

O a bit of a surprise for me, pretty solid beer from a brewery I`ve had mixed results from

worth trying for sure and something I didn`t expect to see on tap here in Calgary

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-27-2011 03:31:26 | More by wordemupg

MAB

Alberta (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Something new in this neck of the woods! On tap at Hop-In Brew (Calgary).

A very nice stout.
It doesn't have the sourness of Guinness but it doesn't have the full mouthfeel of one either.
The slightly thin body is offset by a robust coffee-like roasted barley flavor (yum!) and a surprising amount of hop bitterness, not that this is a hoppy beer by any means.
A pleasant surprise and worth another pint or two before it goes away.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2011 20:07:17 | More by MAB

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black as night after the cascading subsides. A creamy cream colored head of about two fingers adorns. Retention is epic. The aroma is slightly toasty with a roasted malt note and light sweet chocolate. Taste is roasted and toasty, some bread crusts, light bakers cocoa. The feel is excellent. It's creamy, rich, with a full feeling body. Goes down smooth and clean.

This is a great, sessionable stout and one of the best I've had from a nitro-can. I'd pound these during football games in a heartbeat!

Serving type: nitro-can

12-20-2012 00:13:25 | More by EgadBananas

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Pilot in Yorkville. Was expecting to have nothing interesting here, but I was glad they had Cobblestone on tap because it has been a couple months since I've had it.

Pours an opaque dark brown with thick tan head. Lacing down most of the glass. Smells of mild coffee, chocolate sweet butterscotch with some roasted malt. Very sweet flavour with a mild amount of bitterness. Very smooth mouthfeel. This is one of my favourite stouts from Ontario and I wish more places in Toronto would replace their Guinness tap with this.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2010 15:39:11 | More by kwjd

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pretty much opaque black with dark ruby around edges. Once the cascade is done, there’s a solid inch of frothy light beige head.

Thick, dark roasted malt aroma, with a grassy tone and hints of chocolate, musty wood and coffee.

The taste has a warm smoky and woody character with a rich roasted malt body. Grain and fruit accents brighten the taste before a solid bitter finish. The dark flavours co-mingle in the aftertaste. Thick, grainy mouthfeel with a pronounced creaminess and little carbonation..

First mass-produced nitro can from a craft brewer in Canada, this is a textbook example of a pub-style stout. It’s rich, satisfying, warm and mellow. The smoke and wood characteristics add a layer of heartiness without being overbearing. I hope to see the local Ottawa favourite Valley Irish Red get canned as well.

Serving type: nitro-can

11-06-2012 18:51:12 | More by bryehn

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I have enjoyed this on tap several times, but this is my first good chance to review
A - annoyingly the can erupted when I cracked it even though its just been sitting in the fridge undisturbed .... after cleaning up it poured like a good stout should with a pitch black colour and two fingers of creamy head
S - big on roastiness along with some coffee and mild cherry aromas
T - roasty and nutty up front, some espresso bitter flavour, and some whole grain to round it out
M - chewy, creamy smooth, lightly bitter
O - this is rock solid english stout, given the on tap choice of this or Guinness, i'm probably taking a Cobblestone

Serving type: can

01-18-2013 05:11:06 | More by joemcgrath27

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

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

On tap at the Castle

Tapped a deep black that defies light to pass through the glass. Great sticky mocha colored cap stays for the drink.

Aromas of French roast mocha and wet grass.

Taste is more like a rich Burton milk stout than dry Irish stout..which is good because I preffer rich stouts...cocoa, coffee, nuts light smoke against a creamy dark toffee-like malt backbone.

Rich mouthfeel, smooth, creamy without being sweet...I prefer this kind of malty stout...much like Murphy’s but better.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2007 04:48:43 | More by pootz

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

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

cool , a nitro stout at just above 4% ABV in a can from Mill Street. Pours jet black with a huge creamy tan head. The nose is roasty and slightly nutty and the flavours are quite big on the initial sip but fade on the finish. Better than regular Guinness though as I like the bite in the midbody which the Irish stout lacks. Would buy this if they releases it as single tallboys in the stores.

Serving type: nitro-can

12-13-2012 02:32:53 | More by canucklehead

ecoastman

Ontario (Canada)

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

I'm pleasantly surprised by this beer since I wasn't expecting too much. Overall it's a very drinkable stout. I'll probably look to keep this in my beer fridge as an regular drinking go-to stout.

Pours opague from the nitro-can and provides a dense draft-like head. Nice aroma of toasted nuts (some burnt almond in the background), chocolate, coffee and molasses. Very nicely balanced and not extreme on any given flavour and the mouthfeel is smooth and creamy.

Worth a try if you're looking for a good drinkable stout.

Serving type: nitro-can

12-31-2012 02:44:48 | More by ecoastman

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this at the Victory Cafe in Toronto.

A: Black with a creamy, off-white head; good retention, nice lace.

S: Dry roastyness & bread.

T: Bread, coffee & nut. Balanced bitterness. Pleasant, but a little plain (not surprising, considering the weight).

M: Dry, somewhat chalky but creamy; modest carbonation. Impressive for its weight.

D: Good drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2007 23:02:17 | More by Derek

cratez

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Chancey Smith's in London, ON.

A: dark black in colour with a creamy tan head and thick gobs of webbed lacing on the pint glass. Some faint red hues. An attractive stout.
S: light aromas of burnt grains and barley, coffee, and a bit of nut (almond?). Fairly tame but interesting nonetheless.
T: roasted malt, espresso, and oats. Nutty malt in the body with some milk flavours. A dry, burnt husk aftertaste to end.
M: creamy and medium bodied with a dryly parched finish. Smooth, silky, and refreshing. Very impressive.
D: this goes down like water. With the roasted malt/barley/coffee taste and creamy mouthfeel, it bears a striking resemblance to Guinness. But the bread, nut, and milk flavours add complexity. I also enjoy the ashy finish. A solid offering from Mill Street.

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-10-2009 18:53:58 | More by cratez

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A creamy and satisfyingly tasty stout.

Beautifully clear and dark, opaque except red highlights at the edges of the glass when held up to light. Head is thick and coffee-coloured, with impressive lacing. Mouthfeel is delightful, creamy and thick without being cloying.

Aroma of dark roasted malts and hints of chocolate, are further developed in the well balanced taste. The finish is pleasantly dry and lingers for a long time.

Enjoy this on its own, or to add body to a blend with any fruit beer. One of my pub favourites that I've been negligent in not reviewing until tonight!

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2012 21:40:47 | More by hopsolutely

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark, dark mahognay brown. Solid, long-lived head that eventuallt settles to a heavy film and gives up curtains of lace.

Aroma is dry and full of chocolate and nutty grain. Great flavours of chocolate and coffee, though clearly dominated by chocolate. Full, smooth mouthfeel. Clear cousin to Mill Street's Coffee Porter but with more character and dimension.

Worth a trip to Toronto's Distillery District for a glassful of this one along with some of their other brews.

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-25-2004 16:09:48 | More by TerryW

pieman25

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Found a tallboy of this stuff at the LCBO, apparently it's nitro, I bought it because I've been craving a nice dry stout, and it hasn't let me down!

Appearance - nice mocha head on top of a near pitch-black body when held up to the light - it had only a few hints of red at the bottom. I have to say, this is stout porn.

Smell - some burnt-toast roasty malts, some grassiness, can't complain much here either.

Taste - pretty good, plenty of roasted malt character to be found, but also had a bit of sourness near the end of it. It finishes by coating my mouth some some nice sweet maltiness.

Mouthfeel - a near absence of carbonation, with a nice medium body, it also coats your mouth a bit as well. Better than guinness, but I haven't had many other stouts, especially not in a while.

Impressions: I got this beer because I've been on a bit of a pale fizzy lager kick, and I've been REALLY wanting a good stout that isn't guinness. I have to say, this is certainly better than guinnes, with a bit more body but still light on the alcohol, and I have completely enjoyed this pint. If you're on the lookout for a nice non-heavy, no-nonsense sessionable stout, this should be it!

Serving type: nitro-can

12-21-2012 04:09:34 | More by pieman25

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark reddish brown, thick and short tan head forms, nice spiral lacing, good retention. Smell is sweet, roasty, some chocolate and coffee, quite nice. Taste was sweet, some vanilla and chocolate, roast, nice sour finish. Mouthfeel is light bodied with low carbonation, very creamy and smooth. Served much too cold, had to wait a while for the beer to improve, but definately a drinkable stout.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-17-2006 23:13:09 | More by Viggo

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On nitro-tap at Bryden's, into a pint glass.

Poured black, with the expected Guinness "cascading" nitro body. Thick and real creamy tan head with fantastic retention and some good lace. Nose has some roasty and dark chocolate notes. A bit of coffee. Taste continues the coffee and roast grain notes, a bit of chocolate and a metallic note. Mouthfeel is medium, but appears slightly watery at times. Low carbonation, but smooth in feel. A drinkable stout, if not spectacular in flavour profile.

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-19-2011 19:30:28 | More by liamt07