Lion Stout - Ceylon / Lion Brewery Limited

WilliamPhilaPa

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

(4 months past BB date)-This stuff is not over hyped at all...rather it's good!
Pours a huge and beautiful beige head. The aromas literally exploded as I poured it out of the bottle, notes of caramel, chocolate and mocha. All of the same sweet flavors can be found on the palate and it all blends together so well, perfectly hiding a high 8% abv. In the mouth feel there’s an amazing velvety type of texture…so smooth. This is one superb stout!
$2.99 for a big bottle–conditioned 625ml bottle was not much to pay at all! This stuff is great. Overall a superb stout, IMHO....

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2002 14:46:15 | More by WilliamPhilaPa

QXSTER1

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

As a fan of full bodied stouts this beer didn't impress me as much as it's reputation in the beer publications indicated it would. I felt it was on the dry Irish stout side but without the creamy head and roasted malt flavors. Bitter roasted barley, but not much malt backbone left me wanting more and not getting it.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2002 10:10:29 | More by QXSTER1

Thrasher

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer from Sri Lanka, eh? I'm game. This is a solid, sweetish stout with a rocky, fragrant head and a nice oiliness to it (from the hops maybe?). Different enough from other brews to make it interesting, although slicker than perhaps the very best stouts. Milky, juicy, with what I imagined as a rummy, sugar-cane undercoat. I thought it very drinkable. Perhaps not worth a trip to Ceylon, but definitely worth picking up out if you find it in your local store (as I did). Bottle had a drink-by date of September this year (bought it in February).

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2002 22:51:27 | More by Thrasher

Todd

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Presentation: 625ml brown bottle with a gold foil neck. MJ, the beer hunter, is pictured on the back of the label with a cheesy endorsement. Expiration date printed on the bottle.

Appearance: Black with brown hues. Pours a massive tan head with a creamy/foamy consistency, lots of glass stick and great retention. Unfiltered.

Smell: Caramel, light roasted notes, wet paper, touch of musty fruit.

Taste: A malty sweet brew, smooth and mature in character. Caramel, chocolate and mocha flavours are dominant with a touch of blackstrap molasses in the background. Wet paper flavours pull-thru revealing some oxidation of the beer. Soft, even mouthfeel. Alcohol is not evident in taste, but you can feel it working the brain. Mild astringent bite and dryness. Finish is chocolaty, a bit metallic and dries up.

Notes: Over-promoted by Michael Jackson and over-hyped in general. A pretty average sweet stout that has potential to be something better, but it never gets there. It sits somewhere between a dry Irish stout and typical sweet stout, leaning a bit too much towards the dry with its flat, one dimensional malt profile. Still at least worth a try for all of you stout lovers out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2002 15:18:01 | More by Todd

hbis2gut

New Hampshire

4.75/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

For me, this stout fits exactly in the middle of the two extremes. Namely dry and milk/sweet stouts. It has both a dryness and a sweetness. It has a creamy texture that is not cloying. Lion Stout would be by far the best stout to ever cross my lips provided Guiness had never existed. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2001 12:36:47 | More by hbis2gut

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

11.2 oz can poured into a snifter

A- Pours very motor oil black with a one finger of a frothy tan colored head. Decent head retention.

S- Roasty. A slight espresso and caramel note to it. Dry and woody. A slight dark fruit.

T- A light roastyness up front. A ton of caramel notes to this beer. It has a bunch of burnt caramel flavors that last the whole way down. A slight smokeyness and char character to this beer. Almost like a smore. This beer has a Slight dark fruit and fruity ester to it. A bit of a sugary caramelized raisin or fig.

M- A good feel to this beer. A roasty and dry finish. High carbonation.

O- I have nothing bad to say about this beer. It is better out of a glass then the can. A big, solid stout.

Serving type: can

02-03-2013 02:54:46 | More by TwelveOunces

MaximalC

Illinois

3.56/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours opaque and nearly black, with a modest mocha head that soon recedes into a veil of patchy froth. Aroma is mild, smelling of brown sugar and Saaz-like hops. The taste is bolder than the aroma would suggest, with a roasty molasses flavor, raisins, and far more alcohol than would typically manifest on the front end, even for a beer with a rather high ABV such as this. A stickiness lingers on the lips after sipping. The hop presence, while not especially strong, doesn't seem to meld very well with the malt, lending something of a two-faced dynamic to the flavor profile. Even the finish is conflicted, with a rather enjoyable roasted coffee aftertaste being subjugated by an artificial, metallic flavor that I'm more used to encountering in Baltic porters. This could almost pass for a Baltic porter if I didn't know any better. Acetaldehyde is also noticeable. The mouthfeel has fairly nice body and texture and is on par for the style, making it one of this beer's stronger suits.

While this stout affords bold flavor and nice body, there is little in the way of synergy holding it together, and the alcohol becomes overbearing as the beer warms, making sipping a near necessity. Not a bad stout, but a bit too all-over-the-place for my tastes.

Serving type: can

01-14-2013 02:57:32 | More by MaximalC

Augustiner719

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 330ml can with a best by date of Jan 2013 into a tulip glass.

Pours a very dark brown, bordering on black color with a nice 2 finger tan, cappuccino colored head that recedes quickly to leave a film across the top of the beer. The aroma is dark bittersweet chocolate, roasted coffee beans and some molasses and brown sugar notes. On the palate this beer shows the 8.8% with a slight warming sensation that plays nicely with the strong flavor profile of the beer. The flavors i get are burnt sugar, molasses, black stale coffee and a hint of cream. Very roast and malty with a surprisingly refreshing dry finish that leaves traces of hop bitterness on the finish. The mouthfeel is dry, slightly astringent and has a much thinner body than i expected. Overall, this might be a "summer" stout as it is bordering on imperial in my book with this ABV. I used to pass this up all the time in the states but now that I am in a beer wasteland in Switzerland, this made its way into my fridge. Worth a shot.

Serving type: can

07-06-2012 18:38:50 | More by Augustiner719

turnerk3

South Carolina

3.83/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very delectible blackish haze with an even more appealing one inch of brownish head. However, the retention of the head is deceiving. At first it seems to cling quite nicely but then it turns "turtle" (a.k.a. pulls head into shell).

S: Surprisingly I'm not too impressed by the aroma. It may be because I'm used to it on draft and not a can, but it still lacks the true caramelly essence.

T: This is good, but not great. A nice malty taste comes through, but it still lacks the true "coffee" kind of taste I was expecting. There is a bit of sweetness that overcoats that coffee flavor, but it's still not too overpowering.

M: First it feels a little over carbonated, but then it seems to lack true character at the end. A little too inconsistent for me. It's still fairly decent for a stout.

O: It's a great beer to have if you're preference is malt or dark, but if you're a hop-head (like me) I'd tread carefully. Still give it a shot and let the taste buds experience something new.

Serving type: can

07-04-2012 02:25:21 | More by turnerk3

charlzm

California

2.33/5  rDev -40.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Consumed May 3rd, 2012 at The Tin Cow, Pensacola, FL. Poured into a pint glass.

Extremely dark brown with a finger-high mocha colored head.

Aroma is a little on the red grape tip with some subtle roasted malts.

Flavor is a mess. Chalky, thin, weird. Red grapes, weak, lightly roasted malts, mineral notes. Low bitterness.

Unremarkable mouthfeel, save for the chalky, chewy bit.

Think I'll take a pass on this one next time I see it.

Serving type: can

06-13-2012 05:15:36 | More by charlzm

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: It's quite the glass of darkness top to bottom even the head is decently dark beige.

Aroma: Herbs and spice, dark fruits notes of sour cherries. It's mostly citrus hop that lingers. Faint espresso, and some vanilla bean in the back.

Taste: Light carbonation up front but mostly a smooth mouthfeel. Touches of vanilla, bourbon, dark fruits, roasted malt and hops not quite burnt. In the end is a black licorice finish.

Notes: It's a solid beer all over. It's not overpowering even with it's 8.8% abv. Very drinkable and a good pick up. Cheers.

Serving type: can

02-06-2012 01:22:23 | More by horshack7

hhboulder

Colorado

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours an oil black with ruby around the rim when held up to the light. Tan with some orange head with decent retention and thin wispy lacing.

Get the typical roasted and chocolate malt nose, but, beyond that, is much more interesting than typical stouts, even compared with guiness extra foreign--a great stout. There are sweet caramel notes as well as fruity esters similar to a port wine.

Sweet roasted toffee and chocolates but also goes above and beyond with dark fruits. Minimal bitterness, definitely balanced to malts. Finish is a little dry but very enjoyable with lingering sweet caramel and toffee.

Warming alcohol that is somehow very pleasant for this ABV. Creamy with medium body and moderate carb.

Surprisingly VERY good stout in a can from Sri Lanka. I'll be buying this over Guiness Foreign Extra from now on. It just has more going on than the typical "chocolate, coffee, espresso, roasted" flavors of a stout...

Serving type: can

11-04-2011 02:40:51 | More by hhboulder

MoustacheHero

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A canned beer from Sri Lanka? I'm skeptical... Sri Lanka, formerly Su Lan. It was about 3 in the morning and I was looking for 1000 brown M&M's to fill a brandy glass, but back to the beer.

A: This can of motor oil poured pitch black into my glass with a milk chocolate head.

S: A faint smell of sweet malt, coffee and hot liquor.

T: An amazing strong flavor of coffee, caramel, fig, and hot liquor. A real surprise.

M: A big body, light on carbonation, high on creaminess and sticky syrup.

O: A mind blowing beer from a can. Like it dark and big? Then wrestle this Lion.

Serving type: can

11-03-2011 07:37:03 | More by MoustacheHero

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big 'ol two fingers of milk chocolate head over the deepest dark pits of beery dispair!!! Its almost halloween so I'm being spooky...
Anise and wet grains float like ghosts to the nose whispering hints of roasted malts and caramel. Big ghoulish flavor, cocoa nibs, ripe figs, coffee syrup, anise, some bitters and spicy alcohol. This monster is full bodied beast, breathing out a mild carbonation and some stickiness to catch you in its hold.

You really got to hand it to the boys in Sri Lanka, for the price, they make a world class stout!

Serving type: can

10-27-2011 22:23:01 | More by JoeAmerican77

welldigger888

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured an opaque inky black with a tan head that leaves envious lacing.

Roasty & yeasty with a hint of that foriegn extra sourness. Very malty roasty nose that seems to good to be true. Coffee semi sweet chocolate and a nice layering of tart souring that remind one of the old sour mash bourbon. WOW this rivals the untouchable guiness foreign extra for sure.

Thick and creamy roasty goodness leads the way. Nice chocolatey dark coffee goodness leads to a dry roasted grain. Again with the hint of sour dryness that leaves one longing for more.

Full and dry, wow this beer rocks the house.

When availible on draft and fresh, buy mass quanities.

Serving type: growler

10-20-2011 23:46:05 | More by welldigger888

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.46/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Black to super dark brown pour, not much in the way of head to this one. Aroma was roasty, lacking chocolate or coffee.

I pulled more brown sugar out of this than any type of dark fruit. Seemed thinner in body than it was in appearance, would like to see it thicker, might cover up the discernable alcohol presence a little better. The chocolate that was lacking in the nose rears its non ugly head in the taste, although it is far from awe inspiring quantities. Lots of booziness, seems the brown instead of black aspect may have been from some caramel and brown sugar.

Extra half point for it being inexpensive and made in an area you would never guess could make a decent beer. For me, its on par with Guinness, even though they are very different beers. This has more 'taste' per se, but Guinness is smoother and less inconsistency.

EDIT: After having it in the can while doing some disc golfing, I found it to be better than my previous drinking foray in the bottle. Less alcohol, more chocolate, good.

Serving type: can

10-10-2011 22:46:43 | More by Beerandraiderfan

mjpolzin

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Always intrigued to try a craft brew out of a can...

Poured a very dark, black almost oil-like liquid. Good first impression

The smell was about what I would expect from a stout; some hints of dried fruit and a little smokiness

Mouthfeel was nothing special and I noticed there was very little carbonation.

I tasted dried fruit, smokiness, some bitter chocolate and a very amount of malt. A decent stout but not by favorite. There was a little bit of booziness at first but that faded as I drank the beer.

Serving type: nitro-can

09-10-2011 03:11:19 | More by mjpolzin

dali27

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 11.2 oz. can into a pint glass.

A: Completely dark black. As it poured from the can, it gave the impression of syrupy liquid flowing out. Large, light caramel colored head which initially produced really nice lacing but then died out pretty fast.

S: Dark berries, roasted malts and coffee dominate the smell. Faint alcohol scent.

T: The scents move on into the taste. Big and bold, typical stout flavors of malts and coffee, but they're highlighted by the nice fruit accent. Aftertaste is coffee and alcohol.

M: Medium bodied. Smooth and creamy. Low carbonation.

O: Better than I had expected this to be. Wish I had more than just the one can. Worth a try!

Serving type: can

09-03-2011 02:19:46 | More by dali27

ThaCreep

Belgium

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Black dark brown with highlights. Molasses and caramel nose end and candied plums. The body is oily, almost tarry but still quite fluid. The bitterness is good and conveyed by a light coffee and caramel pure, it is sickening. Taste of sugar unfortunately damaging because beer does not really need and what is sufficient in mild bitterness. However, it is true that this allows the drink to be sweeter and more fit throats. The beer is extremely friendly and very easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2011 20:57:04 | More by ThaCreep

iDrinknewglarus

Wisconsin

3.4/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Black with a massive and dark tan, creamy looking head that has great lasing.

S: First thing I get strangely enough is fruit, like raisins and plums, soaked in rum. It kind of overpowers the roasty goodness that I usually like in a stout. To be honest, it's a little off-putting. There is some strange odor that doesn't feel like it should be in a beer. Almost smells like a wine, and I'm not fond of wine.

T: Very fruity and a hint of roasted malts on the back end. The more I sip this beer, the better it gets as it seems to build a layer of delicious dark, but not really dark, chocolate across my tongue. The best part of the taste, is IMO after you swallow and let it mellows. As it warms, the alcohol makes itself known.

M: Medium, I was a bit shocked, and this beer makes me long for that heavy chewiness I love. Good amount of carbonation. Creamy... nice.

Overall I was expecting this to be an A- beer, but it surely was not for me. This beer was way too fruity and thin bodied for my taste. Not roasty, no coffee, not a whole lot of chocolate. Not my cup of tea.

Serving type: can

08-05-2011 04:13:32 | More by iDrinknewglarus

GallowsThief

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured out of a 12 oz. can into my Duvel tulip.

A – She is big and black with a full three fingers of mocha head. Sticky lacing.

S – Coffee, mocha, dark chocolate stouty goodness.

T – Much like the taste it’s got a roasty coffee flavor. Mocha and chocolate (chocolate like those bakers squares) as well. Tastes like a bit of a vanilla sweetness. Caramel. Has sime bitterness that finishes it off.

M – Medium bodied and medium carbonation. Leaves an almost clean feel on the mouth which I find unusual in a stout but still manages a creamy texture.

O – Really decent stout here. It’s not top shelf but it holds it’s own. Well worth a buy and I certainly will again.

Serving type: can

08-03-2011 23:46:50 | More by GallowsThief

Coplains

Colorado

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

Poured from a can into pint glass. Pours black with a two finger breadth of mocha foam that dissipates with no lacing. Smells of coffee and chocolate with hint of alcohol. Taste is quite nice with flavor of coffee and slight sweetness. A solid stout from somewhere that I had never thought to buy beer from. Would buy again.

Serving type: can

07-05-2011 23:44:51 | More by Coplains

BeerAmbassador

Arizona

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

Pours thick and pure black with a tan two-fingered head. Not much lacing to speak of.
Smells like coffee, molasses and dark fruit, blackberry and currants.
Flavor is roasted grain, dark roasted coffee with a bit of the fruit and a little sweetness on the end. Given the amount of alcohol and how thick it looked I was expecting more sweetness. However, the bitterness from the dark roasted malts (and I am assuming a decent hit of hops) seems to keep that in check.
As the beer starts to warm up I actually get that dark fruit a lot more.
Mouthfeel is nice although I would appreciate a little tighter carbonation.
I like this stout a lot and it was pretty inexpensive for the amount of alcohol it has in it. Another nice option for a canned beer, and I am always happy to see that.

Serving type: can

06-11-2011 02:13:35 | More by BeerAmbassador

scottyshades

Florida

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

A: Pours pitch black with a solid khaki head. Good retention with ruby highlights

S: Toffee, caramel, cocoa, big roasted notes, and burnt sugar - almost brown sugar

T: Burnt sugar again, bittersweet, dark fruits and berries

MF/O: Pretty viscous but not on the extreme end. A nice one, especially given the $1.20 price tag

Serving type: can

05-13-2011 20:21:43 | More by scottyshades

SamN

Colorado

3/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Lion Stout in a can. It's gotta be done.

Pours a pretty thick blackness. Head is notable; beautiful notes of brown and tan. Loose and and little filmy. Excellent crown to a big black stout. Smell is a little sour; some vinegar, coffee notes, molasses. Not the typical stout smell; sweeter, a little sour, no oak, vanilla or bourbon notes to be found. Taste follows smell pretty closely. This definitely has a sweet edge to it. I also get some grape skins in the taste. The main roasted malt taste is upfront, which gives way pretty quickly to a sweet/sour and tinny finish. Some coffe and cocoa detectable. Not bad, interesting tastes, not a stout I'd drink very often. I can see drinking this fresh off the tap on a tropical island, beachin it up.

Has a distinct sour bite to it I don't care for. Don't know if it's a bad can; is that possible? I seem to like it much more out of the bottle.

Serving type: can

04-23-2011 05:30:25 | More by SamN